12 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN September 2026 PRODUCTION Helping Calves Handle Weaning Stress What New Research Says About mBAS JESSICA WESSON | CONTRIBUTING WRITER Weaning is one of the most challenging transitions a calf will experience. Separation from the cow, changes in diet, transportation, processing and exposure to unfamiliar environments all occur within a short period, creating significant stress that can affect calf health and performance. Because of that, researchers continue searching for management tools that help calves adapt more successfully during weaning. One of those tools is maternal bovine appeasing substance (mBAS), a synthetic version of the natural appeasing pheromone produced by cows. Since Nebraska Cattleman last covered the technology, several new studies have been completed, giving researchers a better understanding of how it works, where it may provide the greatest benefit and how it fits into an overall weaning program. Looking Beyond Weight Gain Much of the earliest research surrounding mBAS focused on traditional performance measures such as average daily gain and health outcomes. While those remain important, researchers have increasingly shifted their attention toward calf behavior. Rodrigo Bicalho, CEO of FERA Diagnostics, says understanding behavior helps explain why cattle perform differently after treatment. “We need to understand how the product is impacting the eating behavior, the activity of the animals and intake,” Bicalho says. “That behavioral research ties everything together and allows us to have a full understanding of what’s going on.” According to Bicalho, stress causes calves to produce cortisol, a hormone that prepares the body for immediate survival. While that response is beneficial during a life-threatening event, elevated cortisol also suppresses the immune system, making calves more susceptible to respiratory disease during stressful periods such as weaning. Rather than focusing solely on weight gain, researchers began examining behaviors that signal how quickly calves are adapting to their new environment. What Researchers Are Seeing Recent studies have found that calves receiving FerAppease – the commercial mBAS product used in the research – returned to normal behaviors more quickly following stressful events. Instead of waiting until they became very hungry before eating, treated calves visited the feed bunk more frequently and consumed smaller meals throughout the day. Researchers also observed increased water intake and significantly more rumination or cud chewing. Rumination plays an important role in digestive health because chewing cud stimulates saliva production, which naturally helps buffer the rumen and maintain a healthy digestive environment. According to Bicalho, treated cattle spent an additional 30 to 45 minutes each day ruminating, a meaningful increase for an animal with limited time each day to eat, rest and ruminate. Researchers also observed noticeable differences in calf behavior immediately following weaning. Treated calves spent
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