Investigation of depressed weaning weights in beef cow/calf herds

Many factors under management control can depress weaning weights of beef calves and subsequently decrease gross revenue for the cow/calf producer. Causes of depressed weaning weight in beef calves are difficult to investigate because cow/calf producers seldom keep extensive production records in an easily accessible format. Also, the causes of a depression in weaning weight might be largely historical by the time the investigation begins. This column outlines an approach to investigating depression in weaning weight. The first step is to determine whether weaning weight is depressed. This can be difficult because weaning weight tends to fluctuate and small changes should not be overinterpreted. If a decrease in weaning weight has been documented, the veterinarian should determine whether the decrease results from decreased calf age at weaning or decreased growth rate before weaning. Cow, calf, or sire factors may be involved. Identifying factors that depress weaning weights in a herd can lead to management interventions to improve the overall productivity of the operation.