Choosing the Right Weaning Strategy for Your Beef Operation

Now that fall has arrived, weaning is top of mind for many beef cattle producers. Weaning is one of the most critical and stressful events in a calf’s life, and how it’s managed can have a lasting impact on calf health, performance and overall welfare. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, understanding the advantages and considerations of different weaning methods can help producers select the strategy best suited to their operation. 

Traditional (abrupt) weaning, fence-line weaning and two-stage weaning are the most popular weaning methods in Canada, and each has different benefits and drawbacks when it comes to labour requirements, stress and calf health outcomes. 

Traditional (Abrupt) Weaning

This is the most common method used in many beef operations. Calves are physically separated from their dams and moved to a new location all at once. 

Advantages: 

• Reduced time and labour: Calves are handled only once. 
• Lower facility requirements: No need for specialised fencing or additional weaning tools. 

Management Considerations: 

• Calves may show reduced short-term performance due to increased stress behaviours like pacing, bawling and reduced feed intake. 
• This stress can lead to higher rates of morbidity and treatment after weaning.  
• It’s important to have a suitable holding area for both cows and calves. 
• Delay other stressful events—such as vaccinations—to avoid compounding the stress of weaning. 

The abrupt weaning method may be the most straightforward, but it’s also typically associated with greater short-term stress and increased health risk for calves. 

Fence-Line Weaning 

In this method, calves and cows are separated by a fence but can still see, hear and smell each other. In most systems, cows and calves will still be able to have nose-to-nose contact, resulting in reduced stress.  

Advantages: 

• Only one handling event is required. 
• Reduces stress indicators in calves, including pacing and vocalization. 
• Leads to improved health outcomes and better weight gain during the weaning period. 

Management Considerations: 

• Requires a sturdy dividing fence.  
• Electric fencing can be used if cattle are already accustomed to it. 
• Ideally, calves remain in a familiar environment, and cows are moved off the pasture. 
• Keep the pairs separated by a fence for 3–4 days before removing cattle from the area entirely. 
• As with other strategies, schedule vaccinations and other stressors for a different time. 

Fence-line weaning can offer benefits for calf welfare and performance with relatively simple management changes. 

Two-Stage Weaning 

Two-stage weaning reduces calf stress even further by first preventing suckling while still allowing full contact with the dam. 

Advantages: 

• Reduces stress for both calves and cows during weaning. 
• Associated with improved health outcomes. 
• Calves and cows both show fewer signs of distress, like bawling and pacing. 

Management Considerations: 

• Requires nose paddles to be inserted and removed using a headgate. 
• Nose paddles remain in calves for four to five days, preventing nursing but allowing social contact. 
• After this period, calves are then physically separated. 
• Like other strategies, it’s best to avoid performing other stressful tasks (e.g., vaccination) at the same time. 

The two-stage weaning method involves more handling and planning but may offer the smoothest transition for both calves and cows. 

The Bottom Line

Each weaning strategy has trade-offs in terms of labour, facility needs and calf outcomes. While abrupt weaning may be quicker and simpler, fence-line and two-stage methods offer significant benefits in terms of reducing stress and improving calf health. 

When choosing a weaning strategy, consider your facilities, time and marketing strategy to find the system that is the right fit for your operation.  Regardless of the method, avoid stacking stressors like vaccination or transportation during the weaning period. 

Learn more about weaning management strategies and other best practices at BeefResearch.ca/weaning. 

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