The Overlooked 60 Days

How to make the most of weaning season.

- By Gene Johnston

On a cattle ranch, many important things happen in a tight window of just a month or two.

Breeding season, for instance, which transitions into calving season. And sales season.

There's another 60-day season that might be the most overlooked, said long-time veterinarian Dave Sjeklocha: the preconditioning window, from calf weaning day to sale day.

During this time, calves are weaned, worked, vaccinated, bunk broke, introduced to grain, and prepped for their next owner.

That window can make or break your year, he said, and you'll be rewarded if you get it right.

Sjeklocha has observed this overlooked season growing up on his family's farm, riding feedlot pens for a while, and then becoming a private-practice cattle veterinarian. He's watched thousands of calves enter and exit trucks at sale barns and feedlots, and he usually knows why some thrive and some don't. He also knows what cattle buyers look for in new calves.

Now a senior account manager for Merck Animal Health, Sjeklocha still helps producers prepare calves for their next home.

Weaning Day

Preconditioning starts with the weaning process, which Sjeklocha said should last less than a week.

To make it go as smoothly as possible, Sjeklocha said he prefers fence-line weaning, when possible. The cows and their calves are placed directly next to each other on opposite sides of a fence for a few days. They can see each other, which may be calming for both.

Sjeklocha said the fence should be sturdy and in good repair because the cows are going to try to get back together with their calves.

He said his favorite system includes an electric fence on both sides to prevent any physical contact.

He said he's OK with leaving a group of newly weaned calves with a docile cow. She may help them discover the feed bunk or water trough, if they've never seen one.

Working Calves