The Sunday News
Mhlupeki Dube
This week we want to discuss one seemingly small action but which is very important to livestock producers, calf weaning.
Weaning refers to the act of separating calves from their source of milk which is the dam (cow). This is a very stressful time for both the cow and the calf hence it needs to be properly executed so that the stress does not generate negative effects in your herd.
It is important for farmers to know that for weaning to take effect in a faster and less stressful way calves have to be put in an area where they cannot see, hear or smell the dam, just the way we wean our own babies. Most parents will take the baby to an aunt or grandmother where the baby will have no contact with the mother for a given period. It is the same principle that is used by farmers for weaning their calves.
However, because of uncontrolled grazing and unavailability of paddocks this may not always be easy to implement for communal small holder farmers.
In this case farmers will then be advised to use spiked nose rings. Firstly before farmers decide to use whatever method for weaning they need to know when to wean. Weaning is done between three to nine months of age depending on the farming system that is being used and also on the resources of the farmer. However, seven months is a generally acceptable period for most farming systems. Other farmers prefer to use the weight of the calf as an indicator for weaning instead of its age and it is common to wean calves at about 70 kilogrammes.
When using a nose ring what the farmer needs to do is to buy the rings at veterinary shops and they cost anything from $5 per ring.
The plastic ring is perfect because there is no need to perforate the nostrils of the calf. The tongs of the ring are adjusted so that the ring does not fall and get lost in the rangeland. The calves with ring noses are left to run with the dams and this has an effect of reducing stress on both the dam and the calf. The calf can still manage to graze or browse with its ring on as well as drinking water but it will not be able to suckle from the dam because the spikes will prickle the dam prompting the dam to kick the calf away.
After 10-14 days the dam and calf will be independent of each other. However, the ring method may prove to be cumbersome and expensive for larger herds. Farmers weaning more than 10 calves may like to consider an alternative method of weaning.
The alternative method involves separating dams from claves into different paddocks for a given period. Farmers are advised to carry out other husbandry activities on their calves at least two months before the weaning date. This includes activities such as dehorning, branding and castrating. These are stressful activities which can make weaning even more stressful if they are done during weaning.
The stress can cause illness and weight losses in your calves. Before actual weaning takes place it is important to precondition calves by taking them to the paddocks where they will be put during weaning.
The calves can be taken there with dams. This will help calves to familiarise with the environment so that the place is not totally strange to them during weaning.
If weaning is done during dry season and there is a need to feed the calves because of a poor veld it is important to introduce calves to the creep feed before the weaning day so that when weaning time comes they are already familiar with the feed. Preconditioning of calves to their feed or environment should be done three to four weeks before the scheduled date of weaning. Farmers with paddocks can wean by moving cows away to a different paddock so that calves are left in their usual paddock. It is, however, important to be vigilant during weaning especially for signs of any illness within your calves so that attention is taken timeously.
During weaning it is also important to avoid milk stimulating feeds for cows. Cows that are given a predominantly grass or hay feed or any forms of poor pastures tend to dry up quicker.
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