Weaning your calves

The priority in beef production is to produce as many calves as possible. The main objective of weaning is therefore to enable a cow to calve every year by allowing her to regain condition after weaning.

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According to the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), it’s important to decide when and by what means to wean beef calves, because this influences the weaning mass of calves as well as the condition of the cows, and indirectly their conception rates.

Circumstances on the farm determine the method of weaning. Calves are ideally weaned when seven to eight months old. But the right time to wean a calf depends on the condition of the cow and not the age of the calf.

The DALRRD suggests the following:

Wean calves before the condition score of the cow falls below 2,5 if adequate winter feed is available, and the cows maintain their condition. The calves should preferably be weaned before the cow’s condition score falls below 3.

“During years of drought and poor feed supply, calves should be weaned early (at about six months) to allow the cow to recover before the onset of winter,” says the DALRRD. 

It’s important that the cow should recover and the secretory tissue be restored before the next calf is born.

In the eastern parts of South Africa, calves born during spring can be weaned early in May at the age of about seven to eight months, says the DALRRD.

In the more western parts, calves can be weaned late in May or early June at the age of about seven to eight months as the breeding season tends to be later in these areas.