Page 15 - MWC 10-5-2023s

Getting the Right Start The Midwest Cattleman · October 5, 2023 · P15

By Jeremy Martin, Ph.D. Great Plains Livestock Consulting
Unless something chang- for 12 to 24 hours on prairie
es, as an industry we will be hay equalizes the cattle so
weaning the highest-valued differences in fill due to re-
calf crop in history this fall. moval from dam and trucking
When coupled with increased are minimized. Essentially,
interest rates, it appears the it is intended to help ensure
impact of death loss on a individual intakes are repre-
closeout will be substantial. sentative of the pen average
Given these realities, it is from the first day on feed.
worth the time to sit down
with your team and make a continued on page 16
solid plan for receiving and
weaning calves. None of us
can claim to have the secret
for every set of calves; but
having your team prepared
for the process is more im-
portant than ever.
First and foremost, you
should develop a plan for
the kind of calves you are re-
ceiving. There is quite a dif-
ference in risk between fully
preconditioned calves direct
from a single, well managed
ranch versus put-together
lightweights collected over
the course of two to three
days from multiple sale barns
and even more producers.
From a health standpoint,
we strongly encourage you
to talk to your local veteri-
narian and customize a pro-
gram for your operation and
the kind of calves you deal
with. If you are not current-
ly using a veterinarian on a
regular basis, or a consulting
vet, we encourage you to do
so. As nutritionists, we would
welcome and enjoy the op-
portunity to meet with your
veterinarian regarding your
weaning program so every-
one involved has contributed
to the goals and procedures
employed at your operation.
A weaning and receiving
program should include nu-
trition and health protocols
including target intakes, in-
jectable AND feed-grade an-
tibiotic treatment protocols,
and necropsy protocols.
Prior to calves arriving at
your operation, make certain
your feed inventory is fresh,
pens are scraped clean, water
tanks cleaned and disinfect-
ed, and bunk cables or rails
are adjusted for the size of
cattle you receive. As calves
enter the pen, they should
have immediate access to
highly palatable grass or
prairie hay. Filling calves up