52 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN August 2026 PEERS MANAGING EARLY- WEANED CALVES LINDSAY WAECHTER-MEAD, DVM, MS | NEBRASKA EXTENSION LIVESTOCK EDUCATOR AND DIRECTOR OF NEBRASKA BEEF QUALITY ASSURANCE With more than half of Nebraska’s counties currently classified as experiencing severe drought or worse, forage supplies may be limited and forage quality reduced. Early weaning – defined as weaning calves before 180 days of age – can be an effective management strategy to help maintain cow body condition while allowing cows to utilize lower quality forages in a drylot setting. Research has shown that age at weaning does not have a major effect on stress response or temperament. Regardless of age, all calves experience elevated cortisol concentrations at weaning. This stress response suppresses immune function and increases susceptibility to disease. Therefore, management strategies should focus on ways to limit stress and optimize immune function. The first 14 days after arriving at the yard are critical for calf health and development. Calves that start eating immediately after separation from their dam have fewer incidences of morbidity and mortality than calves that do not eat for 24 to 48 hours after separation. One strategy that may minimize this stress is to provide creep a few weeks prior to weaning. Providing adequate, easy-to-find bunk space that small calves can reach encourages feed intake during the critical receiving period. Younger, lightweight calves prefer to eat together and require more bunk space, with recommendations of 18 inches per head. Because newly weaned calves often pace the fence line, placing feed bunks along the perimeter and perpendicular to the fence increases the likelihood that calves will encounter feed and water as they move through the pen. Keep in mind that fences may need to be reinforced to accommodate smaller calves. Water is the most important nutrient for calf health and performance and should always be clean, easy to locate and available in sufficient quantity for all calves. Water requirements vary with diet and weather conditions, with hot, humid weather greatly increasing intake. On a 90-degree day, calves weighing 400 to 600 pounds may drink between 9.5 CONTINUED ON PAGE 56 Providing adequate, easyto-find bunk space that small calves can reach encourages feed intake during the critical receiving period. ® BY CONNOR AGRISCIENCE BARRIER FILMS S I LAGE
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