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INTRODUCTION .5in;line-height:200%;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none">
Weaning
is the removal of a suckling animal from the mother. But, what might not be so
obvious are all the stressors and impacts associated with weaning, both for the
calf and the cow. Weaning can also be stressful for the owner of the animals, especially
if the weaned calves are placed in a pen near a person’s bedroom window. As
animal managers, we should try and make weaning as stress-free as we can, while
keeping productivity and profitability in line with our goals (j.w. oltijen.
1998 et. al) .5in;line-height:200%;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none">
There
are many considerations for weaning, including time of weaning, preparation for
weaning, method of weaning, and post-weaning management. Different strategies
of weaning affect performance of the calf (market weight, health, etc.) and the
cow (reproductive efficiency, cull weights, health, etc.), and therefore can
affect profitability.
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