Body Condition Scoring and Early Weaning Reduce Winter Feed Costs

From the Sept 7, 2009 Issue of Agri-News


	Recognizing and managing body condition in the fall will help stretch the forage supply and reduce winter feed costs. Body condition scoring (BCS) is a hands-on method of determining the amount of body fat a cow is carrying and is a useful tool in managing the feeding program. . "Cows that are too thin (BCS<2.0) or too fat (BCS >4.0) on a five point scale can be costly to keep," says Pat Ramsey, livestock business development specialist - beef with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. "Thin cows may have difficulty rebreeding; however, fat cows can be prone to calving problems and excessive feed costs, too. If fat cows are managed in such a way as to lose some body condition over winter, it will cost less to feed these animals than thin cows. Ideally, cows should be maintained in moderate to good body condition (BCS 2.5-3.0) through to calving for optimum rebreeding." This year, many producers face waning pastures and limited winter feed supplies. Early weaning as a management practice reduces the nutrient requirement of cows by about a third since they are no longer lactating. Early weaning thereby stretches the forage supply and allows cows to gain weight and body condition going into winter, which in turn reduces winter feed costs. Early weaning is especially beneficial for first and second calving cows and older thin cows. "An Alberta Beef Industry Development Fund supported research project evaluated three stages of weaning over a three-year period to determine the effect on cow and calf performance and on the economic bottom line," comments Ramsey. "A total of 250 spring calving cows (average date-of-birth - May 1) were either very early weaned (VEW - 72 days), early weaned (EW - 132 days - mid-September) or normal weaned (NW - 192 days late October to early November). Calves were backgrounded through various treatments and then all steers finished to slaughter weight and heifers sent to grass." Results of this study showed that: early weaning will not increase morbidity and mortality rates in calves provided proper management and nutritional needs are met early weaned calves learn to eat palatable rations quickly; introduction to creep feeders and stock tanks before weaning will get calves settled quicker - stressful procedures such as castration and dehorning should be performed well ahead of early weaning management and feeding of very early weaned calves (less than 120 days old) is best achieved in a dry lot/confined feeding situation the younger the weaning age of the calf the higher the energy and protein levels will need to be in the ration - very young calves should get more grain than roughage because of smaller rumen capacity very early weaned calves, less than 120 days of age, backgrounded in a dry lot setting and fed to slaughter may have reduced carcass weights due to finishing sooner - there are however no adverse effects on carcass quality grades and/or yield calves weaned at 120 days or more, will have comparable finished weights, carcass qualities and yields to that of normal weaned calves (200 days) provided very early weaned heifers less than 120 days of age are not on an energy restricted diet (<1.5 lbs /day) there will be no adverse effects on age of puberty and first estrus early weaning will reduce grazing pressure and/or grazing needs for the cow herd by at least 25 per cent early weaning will reduce the nutritional needs for protein and energy by 30 per cent or more and is an excellent management tool to better match cow requirements to what is provided by the forage resource early weaning significantly improved cow body weight and cow body condition going into the winter feeding period. These increases reduced the cost of winter feed from $50 to $100/head wintered (normal precipitation years) economic analysis that included differences in pasture expenses, winter feed costs and conception rates revealed that; very early weaning (<120 days) did not generate as great a return as early weaning (>120 days) or normal weaning (200 days). Early weaning had a slightly greater return than normal weaning during normal precipitation years. In dry years, early weaning would have an ever greater economic advantage over normal weaning "Early weaning is a great tool for reducing cows' nutrient requirements and stretching pasture and feed resources," says Ramsey. "It is a simple way to add body condition to cows going into the winter months and to reduce the winter feed requirements. Provided the proper planning has been made there are little to no detrimental effects on the calf." References: *Early Weaning Stretches Forage Supply and Reduces Winter Feed Needs for Beef Cattle* - www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/for8669 *Body Condition Scoring Your Herd* - www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/beef8822 *Beef Cow Body Condition Management* - www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex6775 Contact: Patrick Ramsey 403-652-8303 Barry Yaremcio 310-FARM (3276)

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