11 August 2025
Weaning is a disturbing time for suckler calves and inappropriate actions can cut back efficiency and depart your weanlings lighter.
To allow suckler farmers to function essentially the most environment friendly and efficient weaning protocols, Martina Harrington, Manager of the Future Beef Programme, has not too long ago ready a factsheet titled: ‘Planning for Weaning – August Checklist for Farmers’.
The factsheet consists of knowledgeable tips on minimising stress and maximising efficiency, together with important suggestions for shielding calf well being through the weaning course of by acceptable dosing, vaccination and castration practices.
Nutritional recommendation can be provided, highlighting the significance of creep grazing and providing focus feeds each earlier than and after weaning, together with advised feeding charges for heifers, steers and younger bulls.
Some of the factsheet’s key suggestions embody:
- Start vaccination programmes in early August. Clostridial vaccines and pneumonia vaccines (towards mannheimia, RSV, and PI3) typically require 4 to 6 weeks to finish.
- Avoid overlapping disturbing procedures like castration with vaccination. Ideally, castrate not less than 4 weeks earlier than weaning or two weeks publish housing. Clostridial boosters are important on the time of castration to stop tetanus.
- Introduce creep feeding from mid-August to get calves consuming 1kg/day pre weaning.
- After weaning, improve to 2kg for steers/heifers and 3kg for bull weanlings.
- Use troughs and low-stress dealing with to familiarise calves with feeding services and cut back worry.
- Prepare housing and fencing upfront for a safe and stress-minimised setting. Use strategies like ahead creep grazing or gradual cow elimination for weaning.
- Regular parasite monitoring is essential; deal with primarily based on faecal egg rely (FEC) outcomes and indicators like coughing or scouring.
- Aim to wean throughout settled climate to cut back respiratory stress.
- Legal compliance round castration strategies and anaesthesia should even be adopted rigorously.
The factsheet additionally encompasses a ‘Weaning Preparation Calendar’, pinpointing the important thing actions to be taken from early August proper by to September.
For full insights and to obtain your copy of Future Beef Programme’s ‘Planning for Weaning – August Checklist for Farmers’ factsheet (PDF), go to right here.
Find out extra concerning the Teagasc Future Beef Programme right here.