Are we blindly following traditions if we use the calendar to decide when to wean calves? The question may seem a little out there at first. However, there are many production environments where a cow loses a body condition score [BCS (1-9 scale; about 80-100 lb. per cow)] during the final 45-60 days before weaning. Are you money ahead converting cow condition into saleable pounds of calf? The answer depends on the production system and feed quality/quantity.  

The flesh a cow carries is akin to a savings account. To fill that savings account (gain weight/body condition), we first must meet maintenance requirements (energy and protein). Maintenance requirements are a function of size. The larger the animal, the greater the nutrient requirements.

As such, it is easier to put pounds on a calf than it is a cow, because of the difference in body size and thus, maintenance requirements. 

Waiting for calves to reach a specific size can also cause issues. Winning the bragging contest at the coffee shop about weaning weights may feel good at the time, but what was the cost of winning that battle? How much did you spend on winter cow feed last year? What body condition did you cows go into calving? If the answer to the first question is “very little,” and the answer to the second is BCS 5 or greater, then you are in good shape.  

The Midwest region has the advantage of cool-season grass-based pastures. Cool-season grasses have a large spring flush of forage growth. Approximately 2/3 of annual forage production occurs in the spring. The other 1/3 of forage is grown during the fall. Fall forage growth in our pastures is high quality, and we can use nitrogen fertilizer to increase yield. The quality of the forage will put weight on late-lactation cows.  

It is crucial to make sure the pastures are not grazed into the ground. I regularly see thin cows on lush green pastures during fall in Missouri. What is the missing link? When we graze pastures to 2-3 inches across the pasture, forage intake by the cow is restricted. In this example, quality is not limiting, but quantity is.    

One myth that should be discussed when getting calves to an acceptable weaning weight is the use of creep feed. I am unabashedly not a fan of creep-feeding calves. Many folks believe that providing creep feed increases calf weight and spares condition on cows. While creep feed increases calf weight, it does not spare body condition on cows. 

An excellent study published in 1994 in the Journal of Animal Science offered beef calves access to forage (tall fescue hay), milk and creep feed. As creep-feed intake increased, hay consumption decreased and milk intake was unaffected. Creep-fed calves may graze less on pasture, but the calves will likely continue to consume milk at the same rate as they did before. In two companion studies, cow body condition was unaffected by offering creep feed to calves for up to 84 days.  

A wise man once said, “The best cow-calf operators do not make the most money in the best years. They lose the least money in the bad years.” 

To me, blindly following tradition can make it harder for our cows to do their job next year if body condition is sacrificed in the name of weaning weight.