What to feed weaners
31 March 2021
Weaners require good quality hay and supplements immediately upon weaning to maintain an active rumen and a positive growth rate.
If the feed on offer is good quality wet season pasture that is highly digestible and high in protein, calves weaned as light as 100kg don’t need any supplements.
However, very few beef enterprises wean over the wet season as most are generally calving at that time in northern Australia. Most weaning occurs from the beginning of the dry season.
When weaning occurs with adequate green feed available, the only supplements that may be required are phosphorus, copper, cobalt or selenium.
TIP: Complete a chemical analysis of grazing pastures to work out the availability of these minerals on your property.
Weaning during a dry period
The main challenge for northern beef enterprises is when calves are weaned during a period of declining feed quality. So, supplementation programs need be designed for weaners of various weight ranges on a low or declining level of nutrition as shown below.
Figure 1: Weaner feeding decisions
The cost benefits of feeding supplements to weaners depend on supplement prices and the value of the animals.
There may be little benefit in supplementing heavy weaners unless their survival is compromised by other events such as sudden cold/wet periods.
Other benefits created by good weaning supplementation practices include:
- selling steers earlier
- ensuring heifers achieve their critical mating weights at joining.
Table 1: Supplement requirements for weaners of various ages and weights on two different pasture qualities
| Poddy calves 0–6 weeks ≤50kg Radical |
Radical <3 months 50–100kg |
Early 3–5z months 100–150kg |
Normal 5–8 months >150kg |
|
| Maintenance quality pasture (<55% DMD, 7.7 MJ ME and <7% CP) |
Milk or milk replacer and high quality calf meal/ pellets |
High quality hay and calf meal/ pellets |
Protein meals | Protein supplements (dry licks, blocks and liquid supplements) |
| Good quality pasture (>55% DMD, 8.6 MJ ME, >10% CP) |
Milk or milk replacer and high quality calf meal/ pellets | Calf meal/pellets | Fortified molasses | Not required |
DMD – dry matter digestibility; MJ ME – megajoules metabolisable energy
* Calves <150 kg require a minimum of 15% crude protein for unrestricted growth
