By Daniel Hession – Nutritionist
Weanling sales have started well across the country with mart managers indicating that weanlings are in high demand. When it comes to selling weanlings, you only get one shot at getting it right. Therefore, it’s important to take steps to ensure your weanlings are healthy and well presented to attract greater buying interest and improve the sales value of the animals. Here we outline some tips to prepare animals for sale in the coming weeks.
- Meal feeding
The benefits of feeding meal pre-weaning are well documented. Feeding meal to suckler calves pre-weaning is also economically viable as they can convert meal efficiently into live weight gain. To fully reap the benefits meal should be introduced at least one month prior to weaning. The target is for calves to be consuming a minimum of 1kg/day at weaning time. Continue to feed meal for at least two weeks after weaning. Ideally, split bulls and heifers into separate batches so that quality bulls can be fed 3 to 4kg/head/day. Feed in troughs so meal intake can be regulated and monitored. Always keep feed fresh and troughs clean.
Feed a high quality, palatable, 16% CP ration. Nutrias Weanling Crunch ATP has been trusted by farmers for years to deliver high levels of performance that are rewarded in the sales ring!
- Creep grazing
Allowing calves to creep graze ahead of the cows has two benefits. Firstly, it ensures the calves have access to the best quality grass to maximise weight gain. It also breaks the bond between the cow and calf. This makes it easier to wean calves and there is less set back once the calf is actually weaned. Raise the fence wire at certain points using higher fencing posts or you can use a creep gate to allow calves access to the next paddock. Enticing calves with some meal in a moveable trough can help to get calves to leave the cows. Begin by creep grazing calves no more than 15 – 20m ahead of cows in the same field.
- Worm calves properly
Calves that are properly wormed are better equipped to deal with the stresses of weaning and sale. Buyers want healthy weanlings. Stomach worms and lung worms can both be an issue at this time of the year. If calves have a persistent cough, lung worms are the likely cause. Be careful how calves with a heavy lung worm burden are treated. Carry out a faecal egg count to determine the worm burden. Pre-weaning dosing should generally be carried out two weeks prior to weaning.
- Vaccinations
Calves with healthy lungs are less likely to display heavy breathing or suffer from nasal discharge which will appeal to buyers. Pre-weaning vaccination programmes need to be planned out well in advance as the timelines of protection and onset of immunity following vaccination varies between products. Ensure calves receive a 2nd shot if required.
- Tidy up
Tidy up any horns that were missed when disbudding or have since regrown to help the appearance of weanlings in the sales ring. Clipping weanlings along the back, down the hindquarters and the tail will improve the visual appearance of animals.
Make sure all management tasks (dosing, vaccination etc.) are completed well in advance of weaning. Wean calves in time, gradual weaning is better than abrupt weaning.
