Performance and Carcass Measurements by Fall-Born Calves Weaned in the Morning or Evening Using Either Fenceline or Traditional Weaning Methods

Abstract Text:

Weaning management is important in the beef industry, especially considering the stress, health issues, and weight loss associated with this practice.  Previous work has reported that weaning distress can be reduced by fenceline weaning and producer testimonies have suggested that evening weaning may be more favorable compared with typical morning weaning.  Our objective was to evaluate post-weaning performance and carcass measurements by fall-born calves weaned in the morning or evening using fenceline or traditional weaning methods.  Fall-born crossbred calves (n = 94; 222 ± 4.2 kg body weight) were stratified by body weight, age, sex, and age of dam and were allocated randomly to 1 of 8 groups, 2 weeks prior to weaning.  Groups were then assigned randomly to 1 of 4 treatments: 1) Traditional AM (2 replications); 2) Traditional PM (2 replications); 3) Fenceline AM (2 replications); or 4) Fenceline PM (2 replications).  Following the 14-d weaning period, all calves were comingled and grazed together.  At the end of the backgrounding period, steer calves (n = 48; 237 ± 6.1 kg body weight) were transported, finished at the Oklahoma State University Willard Sparks Beef Research Center, and were harvested at a commercial slaughter facility.  Weaning weight, 14-d, 49-d, and 79-d post-weaning weight, 79-d gain, 79-d ADG, final weight, final ADG, and final weight gain did not differ (P ≥ 0.37) across treatments.  Average daily gain (14-d) and calf gain (14-d) through the weaning period were greater (P ≤ 0.05) from PM compared with AM and tended (P = 0.10) to be greater from fenceline compared with traditional weaning methods.  At 49 d, ADG and gain were greater (P ≤ 0.05) from fenceline compared with traditional weaning methods; however, there were no differences (P ≥ 0.78) between AM and PM.  Hot carcass weight, backfat thickness, rib eye area, KPH percentage, yield grade, marbling, and quality grade did not differ (P ≥ 0.13) across treatments.  Therefore, there may be advantages in performance when weaning in the evening using the fenceline method, but these differences may not persist during the post-weaning and finishing periods.

Keywords: calves, fenceline weaning, traditional weaning, AM weaning, PM weaning