Episode 312 - Managing the Stress of Weaning: Research Insights for Farmers - UMN Extension's The Moos Room

This week on The Moos Room, Brad shares updates from the University of Minnesota’s dairy research center, where staff have been on strike and he’s been back in the barn doing chores, milking, feeding, and even pulling calves late at night. With calving season underway, Brad shifts the focus to a new review article on weaning practices in young ruminants, authored by Heather Nave at Purdue University.

The discussion explores the stress calves, lambs, goat kids, and beef calves experience when transitioning from milk to solid feed, and how management decisions—such as weaning age and milk removal method—impact long-term health, growth, and welfare. Brad breaks down the pros and cons of abrupt versus gradual weaning, highlights the benefits of later weaning, and shares practical strategies to reduce stress, from nutritional management and water access to social housing and avoiding stacked stressors.

Key takeaways include:

• Later and gradual weaning generally improves growth, gut health, and reduces stress.
• Early access to palatable solid feed and free-choice water is essential for rumen development.
• Environmental enrichment and positive human contact can help ease the transition.
• Veterinarians and farmers should balance short-term economics with long-term animal health and productivity.

Tune in for research-backed insights and practical tips to improve calf and herd outcomes during one of the most critical stages of development.

Improving the Welfare of Ruminants Around Weaning  in Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice

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