Published December 4, 2014

Effect of weaning date (normal vs. late) on performance of young

and mature beef cows and their progeny in a fall calving system
in the Southern Great Plains1
M. D. Hudson,2 J. P. Banta,3 D. S. Buchanan,4 and D. L. Lalman5
Department of Animal Science, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater 74078

ABSTRACT: Data from 158 predominantly Angus

fall-calving beef cows were used in 4 consecutive years
to determine the effects of weaning date and cow age
class on cow and calf performance. Treatments were arranged in a 2 2 factorial with 2 weaning dates and 2
age classes (young cows 3 yr and mature cows 4 yr).
Weaning dates were 1) normal weaning in mid-April
at 210 d of age (NW) and 2) late weaning in mid-July
at 300 d of age (LW). Mature cows were heavier (P <
0.01) than young cows throughout the trial, although
BCS was similar (P 0.10) among cow age classes.
Cow BW (P = 0.58) and BCS (P = 0.40) were similar
among weaning treatments at NW; however, at the beginning of the calving season, NW cows were heavier
(585 vs. 562 kg; P = 0.02) and had greater BCS (6.57
vs. 5.95; P < 0.0001) than LW cows. Postpartum BW
and BCS losses were greater (P < 0.0001) for NW cows,
resulting in similar BW (P = 0.56) and BCS (P =
0.07) at the beginning of the breeding season and until
April. Progeny of NW cows were 2.4 kg heavier (P <
0.01) at birth and grew faster before the April wean-

ing date, resulting in increased BW (8 kg; P < 0.05)

at the time of normal weaning. This increase in BW
gain may be partially explained by the increased milk
production of NW cows (0.59 kg/d as measured in February; P < 0.05). Although NW calves had increased
BW in April, LW calves were heavier in July because
of increased ADG during the weaning interval (1.13
vs. 0.8 kg; P < 0.0001). A cow age class weaning
date interaction (P = 0.007) was detected for pregnancy rate. Pregnancy rates were greater (P < 0.10) for
LW-mature cows (96.7%) and NW-young cows (98.4%)
than for LW-young cows (89.3%). However, pregnancy
rate of NW-mature cows (90.2%) did not differ (P =
0.12) from that of LW-mature or LW-young cows, but
was less than that of NW-young cows. These findings
indicate that producers may benefit from matching
weaning date to cow age class. It appears more advantageous to delay weaning of calves born to dams 4 yr or
older while maintaining NW for dams 3 yr or younger
at the time of calving. Late weaning had no detrimental
effects on the performance of mature cows.

Key words: beef cow, fall calving, performance, weaning management

2010 American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION
Traditional weaning in fall calving systems occurs
in mid-April, when calves are approximately 210 d of
age. However, because of the availability of high-qual-

1
Approved for publication by the director of the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station (Stillwater). This research was supported under project H-2464.
2
Current address: 900 W. P. Garrigus Building, Lexington, KY
40506.
3
Current address: 1710 FM 3053 N., Overton, TX 75684.
4
Current address: PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050.
5
Corresponding author: david.lalman@okstate.edu
Received February 8, 2009.
Accepted December 2, 2009.

J. Anim. Sci. 2010. 88:15771587

doi:10.2527/jas.2009-1871

ity forage during the spring and early summer in the

Southern Great Plains, a growing trend designed to
increase weaning BW is to extend lactation through
mid-July until calves are approximately 300 d of age.
This practice would ostensibly have a positive influence
on enterprise profitability primarily because of heavier
weaning BW of older calves. However, for fall-calving
cows (average BW of 533 kg), extending lactation increases maintenance energy requirements by 153.9 Mcal
and requires an additional 100.5 Mcal of energy for
lactation during mo 8, 9, and 10 postpartum compared
with normally weaned cows. It is well documented that
cow BCS at calving is an important factor affecting
the length of the postpartum interval and pregnancy
rates (Wiltbank et al., 1964; Selk et al., 1988). The
interval to first estrus is shorter for spring-calving cows

1577

1578

Hudson et al.

as BCS at parturition increases (Richards et al., 1986;

Houghton et al., 1990). Therefore, increasing energy requirements during the summer may result in thinner
conditioned cows at the beginning of the calving season, especially if forage quality or quantity is negatively
affected by drought or other factors. Additionally, it
has been demonstrated that prebreeding BW and body
condition losses of fall-calving cows may depress reproductive performance, despite ample energy reserves at
calving (Rakestraw et al., 1986). These findings indicate that reproductive performance may be negatively
affected by late weaning.
Prior research conducted to evaluate the effect of
weaning date on fall-calving cows in this region has
evaluated early weaning at 6 to 10 wk of age (Purvis
and Lusby, 1996). Therefore, the objective of this study
was to elucidate the effects of late weaning compared
with normal weaning on the performance of fall-calving
beef cows and their progeny.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

These studies were conducted in accordance with an
approved Oklahoma State University Animal Care and
Use Committee protocol.

Exp. 1
This study was conducted at the Range Cow Research Center, North Range Unit, approximately 16
km west of Stillwater, OK. Before this experiment was
initiated, cows and calves had been managed together
as a single contemporary group. A 2 2 factorial treatment arrangement was used with 2 weaning dates and
2 age classes at the time of calving (young cows 3 yr
old and mature cows 4 yr old). The experiment was
conducted over 3 successive years (yr 1 = April 2004
to April 2005; yr 2 = April 2005 to April 2006; yr 3 =
April 2006 to April 2007) and 1 partial year (yr 4 =
April 2007 to July 2007) using a total of 158 different
predominantly Angus fall-calving beef cows. The total
numbers of cows and calves available for April and July
data collection were 53, 60, 101, and 103 for yr 1, 2,
3, and 4, respectively, for a total of 317 observations.
Before initiating the study in yr 1, cows were randomly
assigned to 1 of 2 weaning date treatments: 1) normal
weaning in mid-April at approximately 210 d of age
(NW) and (2) late weaning in mid-July at approximately 300 d of age (LW). Cows were retained in the
herd each year (excluding open cows or cows with serious illness) and remained in the same weaning group
as initially assigned. New pregnant cows were added to
the study each spring, either as rollovers from a springcalving herd or as fall-born 2-yr-old replacements.
Added cows were managed with the experimental herd
for 10 mo and were equally and randomly assigned to
either NW or LW before the April weaning date.

Management and Weighing Procedures

Throughout the experiment, cow BW and BCS measurements were recorded after a 16-h withdrawal from
feed and water. Body condition scores (1 = emaciated,
9 = obese; Wagner et al., 1988) were determined by 2
trained, independent evaluators. Throughout the experiment, all cows and calves were managed similarly.
They grazed the same pastures, received the same rate
of supplementation, and were vaccinated according
to the same herd health protocol. The only exception
was calf management during the 84 d between weaning
dates.
In mid-April (d = 0), cow BW and BCS and calf BW
were recorded. At this time, NW calves were separated
from their dams and weaned using a fenceline weaning system (Price et al., 2003). Late-weaned cows and
their calves as well as NW cows grazed pasture adjacent to the drylot, where calves were maintained for 10
d postweaning. During the weaning period, calves received a 20% CP supplement daily at a rate of 1.81 kg/
calf and were given ad libitum access to bermudagrass
hay and water. On d 11, NW calves were placed on native grass pasture at a stocking rate of approximately
1.22 ha/calf.
Calf BW was recorded for both treatments on d 10
and 21. In mid-July (d 84), after a 16-h shrink, cow BW
and BCS and calf BW were recorded for both treatments. At this time, LW calves were separated from
their dams and weaned using the same fenceline weaning system as described for NW cows and calves. All
cows grazed pasture adjacent to the drylot, where LW
calves were maintained for 10 d postweaning. Postweaning management was the same as for NW calves.
Cow BW and BCS were recorded before the beginning of the calving season (late August) and every 2 wk
throughout the calving season (only those cows that
had calved in the prior period; yr 2 and 3 only) to
determine postcalving BW and BCS. Within 24 h of
birth, the BW and sex of each calf were determined
and bull calves were castrated. Nonshrunk calf BW was
subsequently determined at approximately 70, 120, and
150 d of age. Cow BW and BCS were recorded at the
beginning (late November) and end (late January) of
the breeding season and at both weaning dates.
Cows were evaluated twice daily for estrous detection for the first 7 d of the breeding season. Cows were
artificially inseminated 12 h after detection of standing
estrous. Cows not inseminated during this time were
treated with 5 mg/mL of PG (Pfizer Inc., New York,
NY) and twice-daily estrous detection was continued
for 2 wk. Mature cows were artificially inseminated with
semen from either Angus or Charolais bulls, and young
cows were artificially inseminated with semen from Angus bulls. One week after cessation of AI, 3 Angus bulls
were placed with all cows for 35 d to constitute a 63-d
breeding season. Pregnancy was determined via palpation per rectum approximately 80 d after bulls were

Effects of time of weaning on cows and calves

removed from the breeding pastures. All open cows remained on the study until the July weaning date and
were then removed from the study.

Milk Production
In November (yr 2 only, n = 22), February (yr 1 thru
3, total n = 89), and early April (yr 1 through 3, total n
= 87), milk production was estimated using the weighsuckle-weigh method (Banta et al., 2006). Cows were
randomly selected from each weaning treatment based
on calving date. The number of days postpartum for selected cows did not differ (P > 0.80) and was therefore
not included as a covariate in the statistical model. On
d 0 at 1600 h, cows and calves were corralled and separated. Cows received ad libitum access to hay and water, whereas calves were maintained in dry pens. On d 1
at 0800 h, calves were allowed to nurse until satiety and
were then separated from their dams. This nursing was
to empty the udder and ensure an equal status before
measuring production. On d 1 at 1600 h, a treatment
was selected randomly to be evaluated first (nursing order of treatments was maintained for both subsequent
measurements). After all calves were weighed individually, they were reunited with their dams and allowed
to nurse to satiety. Once the last calf finished nursing,
calves were separated from their dams and individually
reweighed. This process was then repeated for the second weaning treatment. The difference in final calf BW
and initial calf BW was considered milk consumption.
This procedure was repeated at 2400 h and at 0800 h
on d 2. The sum of the 3 BW differences was considered
24-h milk production.

Milk Composition
In yr 3, a total of 40 cows were used to determine the
effects of weaning date on milk production and composition. Twenty cows from each weaning treatment were
randomly assigned to 1 of 2 collection periods based on
calving date. At 40 d (5.6 d) postpartum, calves were
separated from cows at 1500 h. At 2300 h, calves were
allowed to nurse to satiety and were then separated
from their dams. Cows were continually allowed ad libitum access to hay and water throughout the collection
period. The following morning at 0700 h, cows were
administered 40 USP units of oxytocin intramuscularly
and were milked with a portable milking machine. After flow ceased, to ensure complete emptying of each
quarter, each teat was hand-stripped and the contents
were added to the milk from the machine milking. The
total milk collected was weighed and thoroughly mixed.
A 10-mL subsample was immediately collected and preserved using 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol and was
later shipped to the Heart of America Dairy Herd Improvement Association laboratory (Manhattan, KS) for
analysis of butterfat, protein, milk urea nitrogen, lactose, solids-not-fat, and somatic cell count.

1579

Statistical Analyses
Because our primary interest was in the physiological status of the cows regarding age and weaning date
and because the age and weaning date treatments were
independently applied to each cow, cow was considered
the experimental unit (Adams et al., 2000). Data were
analyzed using the MIXED procedure (SAS Inst. Inc.,
Cary, NC). All interactions and covariates remained
in the model regardless of significance. Least squares
means are reported in the text and in all tables. Results
were considered significant if P < 0.05, with tendencies
identified when the significance was between 0.05 and
0.10. Percentage changes in cow BW and cow BCS were
calculated using raw treatment means.
The model for cow BW, BCS, and reproductive performance included weaning date, cow age class, and the
interaction of weaning date cow age class as fixed
effects; year was included in the model as a random effect variable. Because, with only 1 exception, all cows
included for milk production were mature cows, the
model for milk production included only weaning date
as a fixed effect and year as a random effect. To analyze
milk composition, the model included weaning date as
a fixed effect and period milked as a random effect.
Calf weaning and postweaning performance was analyzed in 2 ways: 1) all calves weaned on the study, for
which the model included weaning date, cow age class,
breed of sire, calf sex, and the interaction of weaning
date cow age class as fixed effects; calf birth date
and calf BW at birth were included as covariates, and
year was treated as a random effect; 2) only calves
weaned from cows having previously weaned a calf on
the study, for which the model included weaning date,
cow age class, calf sex, breed of sire, and the interaction
of weaning date cow age class as fixed effects, with
year as a random effect. For analysis of calf preweaning
performance (only calves born to dams having weaned
a calf on the study), the model included weaning date,
cow age class, calf sex, breed of sire, and the interaction
of weaning date cow age class as fixed effects. Again,
year was considered a random effect.
Results for calf weaning and postweaning performance included the weaning and postweaning BW for
calves born in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 that were
weaned in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, respectively.
Results for calf preweaning performance include only
data collected from calves born in 2004, 2005, and 2006
to cows having previously weaned a calf on the experiment. Therefore, numbers of observations, calving
dates, and birth BW for preweaning and weaning data
presented will not be consistent throughout the results
tables.
Results for cow BW and BCS include data collected
from April 2004 to July 2007. Calving date was analyzed for each treatment using fall 2005, 2006, and 2007
calving dates; because the first calving season (2004)
was not affected by weaning date, treatments were not

1580

Hudson et al.

imposed until after the previous breeding season. Interval to pregnancy (calculated as the number of days
from calving to conception based on the subsequent
calving date), date of conception (based on the subsequent calving date), and AI conception rate (deviation
from the AI date threshold, predetermined as 5 d) were
calculated using data from the fall 2004, 2005, and 2006
breeding seasons and subsequent calving seasons. Days
from calving to first AI and pregnancy rate analyses
were based on data from the fall 2004, 2005, 2006, and
2007 breeding seasons.

cluded weaning date as a fixed effect and period as a

random effect. Number of days postpartum was evaluated and did not differ (P > 0.30) and was therefore
not included in the model. Least squares means are
reported in all tables, and overall means in the text
represent the simple average of the least squares means.
Results were considered significant if P < 0.05, with
tendencies identified when the significance was between
0.05 and 0.10.

Exp. 2

Exp. 1

This experiment was also conducted at the Range

Cow Research Center, North Range Unit, located approximately 16 km west of Stillwater. In yr 3, during
early lactation (average days postpartum = 41 6), 24
cows from Exp. 1 were used to determine the effects of
weaning date on hay intake and digestion; effects of cow
age were not evaluated. Two consecutive 16-d periods
were used. Each 16-d period consisted of 9 d of adaptation to the pens and hay feeders and 7 d of data collection. Within each period, 6 cows from each weaning
date treatment were randomly selected and assigned
to 1 of 12 outdoor pens (3.7 9.1 m). Cows were fed
the same type of hay (bermudagrass, 6.98% CP, 75.1%
NDF, 36.1% ADF; OM basis) and received the same
supplement source (range cube, 20% CP; DM basis) at
the same rate (0.91 kg/d) as their herd mates.
Hay intake was measured from d 9 to 15, and fecal
grab samples were collected twice daily at 0800 and
1600 h to predict fecal output from acid detergent insoluble ash concentration. Subsamples of supplement,
hay, and orts were dried at 50C for 48 h. Dry samples
were ground in a Wiley mill (Model-4, Thomas Scientific, Swedesboro, NJ) to pass a 1-mm screen before
analysis. After grinding, subsamples were composited
by cow within period. Composite samples were then
analyzed for DM, NDF, ADF, CP, and acid detergent
insoluble ash. Neutral detergent fiber and ADF contents were determined sequentially using the batch-culture procedures outlined by Ankom Technology Corp.
(Fairport, NY; Vogel et al., 1999), using an Ankom 200
Fiber Analyzer. Crude protein was determined using
a Leco NS-2000 Nitrogen Analyzer (Leco Corporation,
St. Joseph, MI). Acid detergent insoluble ash was determined as the residue after complete combustion of
the ADF residue at 550C for 8 h (Van Soest et al.,
1991). Apparent DM, OM, and CP digestibility values,
as well as NDF and ADF digestibility values, were calculated for each cow. Additionally, digested DMI (DMI
kg/100 kg of BW DM digestibility) and digested OM
intake were calculated for each cow.

Prepartum Cow BW and BCS. A significant

weaning date cow age class interaction (P = 0.03)
was detected for cow BW in July and for absolute cow
BW change from April to July. No other significant
interactions were detected for cow BW or BCS at any
of the other times measured. Therefore, main effects for
cow BW and BCS are reported and the noted interaction is described in detail below.
Cow BW (P = 0.58; Table 1) and BCS (P = 0.40;
Table 2) did not differ between weaning treatments in
April. When BW gain from April to July was expressed
as a percentage of April BW, NW cows gained proportionally more BW than LW cows (P < 0.0001; Table 1).
These findings are similar to those reported by Hancock
et al. (1985), in which cows gained more BW during
the summer months when calves were weaned at 210 d
compared with cows whose calves were weaned at 285 d.
During the interval between weaning dates, compared
with LW cows, NW cows gained more body condition,
both in terms of absolute BW gain and proportional
BW gain, resulting in greater body energy reserves for
NW cows compared with LW cows in July (Table 2).
Normally weaned cows maintained their advantage in
BW and BCS, being 23 kg heavier (P = 0.02) and having 0.62 more units of body condition (P < 0.0001)
when measured in late August before the onset of the
calving season. This is in contrast to the study by Coffey et al. (2005), which reported that fall-calving cows
calved at a BCS of 6.7 to 7.0 irrespective of assignment
to April or June weaning. In addition, the present results are not as dramatic as predicted by NRC (1996)
calculations, which indicated that spring-weaned cows
grazing range grass in early summer would be expected
to gain 98 kg more than summer-weaned cows. Differences in predicted forage intake and quality and other
modeling parameters may explain some of the variation
in the expected and observed performance.
During the 84-d period between weaning dates, young
cows gained proportionally more BW than mature cows
(P = 0.03; Table 1). The absolute change in BCS for
mature and young cows did not differ (P = 0.82), yet
the proportional change was greater (P < 0.01) for mature cows (Table 2). Although differences in the proportional BW and BCS changes are subtle, they suggest a possible difference in BW gain distribution, with

Statistical Analysis
Intake and digestibility measurements were analyzed
using the MIXED procedures of SAS. The model in-

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

1581

Effects of time of weaning on cows and calves

1

Table 1. Effect of weaning date and cow age class on BW (kg) of fall-calving cows (Exp. 1)
Weaning treatment2

P-value3

LW

NW

SEM4

Mature

Young

SEM4

Weaning
treatment

Cow
age

317
310
196
110
168
120
310
310
168
168
168

448
532
562
533
531
509
83.9
+19.1
34.2
0.38
5.72

445
559
585
548
536
508
113.4
+26.0
55.5
0.62
9.18

9.2
6.5
15.8
9.7
6.9
13.1
10.7
0.03
19.1
0.21
3.13

471
572
588
559
555
529
+100
+21.8
41.3
0.46
6.5

423
519
559
522
511
488
+97
+23.4
48.4
0.54
8.4

9.4
6.8
16.3
9.6
7.6
13.2
10.8
0.03
19.2
0.21
3.2

0.58
<0.0001
0.02
0.08
0.56
0.93
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001

<0.0001
<0.0001
0.01
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
0.32
0.03
0.15
0.15
0.04

Item
April
July
Precalving
Postcalving5
Prebreeding
Postbreeding
Change, April to July
% Change, April to July
BW change, precalving to prebreeding
Rate of loss, precalving to prebreeding, kg/d
% BW change, precalving to prebreeding

Cow age class2

Data were collected from April 2004 to July 2007.

Weaning treatments: normal weaning at 210 d of age in April (NW) and late weaning at 300 d of age in July (LW). Cow age class: 4 yr
(mature), and 3 yr (young).
3
Probability values for effects of weaning treatment and cow age.
4
Most conservative SEM.
5
Yr 2 and 3 only.
2

the likelihood that more energy was directed to skeletal

and muscle growth for young cows, whereas more energy was directed to body reserves in older cows.
Regarding cow BW in July and absolute cow BW
change from April to July, a significant interaction was
observed (P = 0.03; data not shown). Cow BW gain
did not differ (P = 0.51) between NW-young (+114.6
10.8 kg) and NW-mature (+112.2 10.9 kg) cows for
this period; however, BW gain for both age classes was
greater in NW cows (P < 0.0001) than in LW-mature
and LW-young cows. As expected, LW-mature cows
gained 7.7 kg more (P = 0.03) BW than LW-young
cows during this period (+ 87.7 vs. + 80 kg). The observed differences in BW gain resulted in NW cows of
both age classes being heavier (P < 0.0001) than LWmature and LW-young cows at the July weaning date.

Postpartum Cow BW and BCS. Throughout

the postpartum period, although treatments were managed the same nutritionally, rate of BW and BCS loss
differed dramatically (P < 0.0001; Tables 1 and 2).
During the approximately 90 d from the onset of the
calving season to the beginning of the breeding season,
NW cows lost 9% of precalving BW and 22% of precalving body condition, compared with a 5.7% BW loss
and a 16% condition loss for LW cows (Table 1 and 2).
Previous research with dairy cows has shown that cows
which accumulate greater fat reserves prepartum exhibit greater postpartum fat depot mobilization (Davenport and Rakes, 1969; Lodge et al., 1975; Garnsworthy and Topps, 1982; Busato et al., 2002). Postpartum
condition loss in the present study is greater than that
reported by Coffey et al. (2005), who observed a body

Table 2. Effect of weaning date and cow age class on BCS of fall-calving cows1 (Exp. 1)
Weaning treatment2
Item
April
July
Precalving
Postcalving5
Prebreeding
Postbreeding
Change, April to July
% Change, April to July
Change, precalving to prebreeding
% Change, precalving to prebreeding
1

Cow age class2

P-value3

LW

NW

SEM4

Mature

Young

SEM4

Weaning
treatment

Cow
age

316
310
196
111
168
120
309
309
168
168

4.5
5.5
6.0
5.4
5.0
5.1
+0.99
+30.0
1.00
16.1

4.4
6.2
6.6
5.8
5.1
5.1
+1.84
+45.8
1.46
22.2

0.39
0.20
0.13
0.15
0.07
0.12
0.23
0.08
0.15
1.95

4.5
5.9
6.2
5.6
5.1
5.1
+1.44
+41.7
1.15
18.0

4.4
5.8
6.3
5.5
5.0
5.1
+1.39
+34.1
1.31
20.2

0.39
0.20
0.14
0.15
0.07
0.12
0.24
0.08
0.16
2.0

0.40
<0.0001
<0.0001
0.01
0.07
0.66
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001

0.77
0.10
0.40
0.19
0.77
0.78
0.82
0.01
0.08
0.08

Data were collected from April 2004 to July 2007.

Weaning treatments: normal weaning at 210 d of age in April (NW) and late weaning at 300 d of age in July (LW). Cow age class: 4 yr
(mature), and 3 yr (young).
3
Probability values for effects of weaning treatment and cow age.
4
Most conservative SEM.
5
Yr 2 and 3 only.
2

1582

Hudson et al.

Table 3. Effect of weaning date and cow age class on reproductive performance of beef cows in a fall calving system1
Treatment combination2
Item

LW-mature

LW-young

NW-mature

NW-young

SEM3

P-value4

Calving date, Julian date

Pregnant, %
Calving to first AI, d
Interval to pregnancy,5 d
Date of conception, Julian date
Cows serviced by AI, %
Calving interval, d change
BCS, precalving
Postpartum BCS loss, %

263 (62)
96.7ab (59)
77.0 (39)
85.2 (23)
349.6 (24)
72.0 (60)
1.13 (23)
5.87
14.7

264 (71)
89.3c (66)
75.6 (41)
86.3 (41)
348.9 (44)
65.5 (64)
2.05 (41)
6.03
17.5

259 (63)
90.2bc (59)
84.3 (33)
86.1 (27)
345.5 (27)
59.4 (59)
2.07 (27)
6.57
21.4

262 (70)
98.4a (65)
78.6 (34)
86.6 (46)
346.0 (47)
55.5 (63)
2.24 (46)
6.57
22.9

2.8
3.6
3.5
3.7
2.7
6.8
3.7
0.16
2.1

0.62
<0.01
0.36
0.92
0.81
0.84
0.92
0.41
0.61

ac

Within a row, means without a common superscript letter differ (P < 0.01).
Numbers in parentheses indicate number of observations per cell. For the percentage pregnant, the number in parentheses is cows exposed.
2
Weaning treatments: normal weaning at 210 d of age in April (NW) and late weaning at 300 d of age in July (LW). Cow age class: 4 yr
(mature), and 3 yr (young).
3
Most conservative SEM.
4
Probability values for effects of weaning treatment-cow age combination.
5
Days from calving to conception.
1

condition loss of 0.65 units (average 9% of precalving

BCS) for both spring- and summer-weaned beef cows;
however, our findings are commensurate with the findings of Renquist et al. (2006), in which fall-calving beef
cows lost 20.8% of precalving body condition before
the breeding season. As a result of the increased postpartum BW and BCS losses by NW cows in the present study, cow prebreeding BW did not differ between
weaning treatments (P = 0.56). Body condition score
tended to be greater for NW cows (P = 0.07). Further,
no differences were observed for cow BW or BCS at the
end of the breeding season.
The absolute rate of BW loss postpartum did not differ between cow age classes; however, when expressed
as a percentage of BW at precalving, young cows lost a
greater (P = 0.04) percentage of BW (Table 1). Similarly, body condition loss (either as an absolute value
or expressed as a percentage) tended (P = 0.08) to be
greater for young cows than for mature cows (Table
2).
Cow Reproductive Performance. A significant weaning date cow age class interaction (overall P = 0.007) was detected for pregnancy rate (Table
3). Normally weaned young cows had a greater (P <
0.05) pregnancy rate compared with LW-young cows
and NW-mature cows. Late-weaned mature cows exhibited greater (P < 0.05) pregnancy rates compared
with LW-young cows, but did not differ from NW-mature or NW-young cows. Neither weaning date nor cow
age class resulted in differences (P = 0.36 to 0.92) in
calving date, day from calving to the beginning of the
breeding season or first AI, date of conception, percentage serviced by AI, or AI conception rate. These
results indicate that, for mature cows, LW not only appears to be a viable practice for increasing calf weaning
BW, but is also advantageous from a cow management
standpoint because it prevents overconditioning during
the late gestation period. However, in contrast, LW det-

rimentally affects reproductive performance for young,

growing females.
When evaluating the literature regarding postpartum
BW and BCS loss and BCS at the beginning of the
breeding season, no consensus is evident regarding the
amount of loss permitted without suppressing reproductive performance. Rakestraw et al. (1986) conducted a 3-yr study to determine the effects of 3 postpartum
energy regimens on reproductive performance of fallcalving cows. Their conclusions suggest that significant
BW and body condition losses postpartum could lead
to detrimental reproductive performance, despite adequate energy reserves at calving. These data, along
with those presented by Wiltbank et al. (1962) and
Dunn et al. (1969), suggest that BCS both at calving
and at breeding are not totally reliable predictors of reproductive performance if cattle experience severe BW
and body condition losses postpartum.
Using fall-calving cows, Purvis and Lusby (1996) reported a drastic BW loss of 18.3% of precalving BW
and 24.7% (1.8 units) of body condition (entering the
breeding season at a BCS of 5.5) without suppressing
pregnancy rates compared with cows losing only 14.4%
of precalving BW and 16.4% of body condition, indicating that factors other than absolute BW or rate of
loss affect reproduction.
The reduced pregnancy rates observed for NW-mature cows in this study are consistent with those of
other studies that reported an increase in the duration
of postpartum anestrous associated with an increase
in mobilization of body fat (Butler et al., 1981). This
longer interval may be due to increased body energy
reserves causing decreased DMI during early lactation,
which results in a longer interval to maximum negative
energy balance (EB) postpartum (NRC, 1996). A putative hypothesis that fatter cows experience a longer
anestrous period if BW and BCS losses are not controlled is supported in that ovulation may be in part

1583

Effects of time of weaning on cows and calves

Table 4. Effect of weaning date on beef cow milk production and composition in a fall
calving system (Exp. 1)
Weaning treatment1
Item
Weigh-suckle-weigh
November milk yield, kg
February milk yield, kg
April milk yield, kg
Machine milking
Milk yield, kg
Milk composition
Butterfat, %
Protein, %
Lactose, %
Solids-not-fat, %
Milk urea nitrogen, mg/dL
Somatic cell count, 103 cells/mL

LW

NW

SEM2

P-value3

22
89
87

6.29
3.13
4.07

6.69
3.72
3.64

0.54
0.74
0.55

0.59
0.05
0.21

40

7.62

7.53

3.31

0.83

40
40
40
40
40
40

3.68
2.85
4.96
8.81
7.03
305

3.56
2.91
5.00
8.91
6.41
756

0.17
0.06
0.05
0.10
0.54
185

0.58
0.51
0.62
0.47
0.41
0.08

1
Weaning treatments: normal weaning at 210 d of age in April (NW), and late weaning at 300 d of age in
July (LW).
2
Most conservative SEM.
3
Probability values for effects of weaning treatment.

controlled by EB (Wright et al., 1992) and that fatter cows remain in negative EB for a longer duration
postpartum. Further, recent studies (Leroy et al., 2006;
Llewellyn et al., 2007) indicate that negative EB postpartum can affect the oocyte, the ovary, and uterus,
thus depressing reproductive performance. However, in
contrast to the present study, Renquist et al. (2006)
reported no effect of postpartum change in BCS on
pregnancy rate when BCS at breeding was included in
the statistical model. The effects of BCS at calving and
rate of body condition loss postpartum on cow and calf
performance warrant further study.
Milk Production and Composition. Milk production (Table 4) did not differ between treatments in
November (mean of 53 d postpartum) or in April (mean
of 200 d postpartum). However, when evaluated in February (mean of 156 d postpartum), NW cows produced
0.6 kg more milk than LW cows. In yr 3, milk composition was evaluated and no differences were detected for
butterfat, protein, lactose, solids-not-fat, or milk urea
nitrogen (P = 0.41 to 0.62).
Calf Preweaning Performance. No weaning
date cow age class interactions were observed for any
calf preweaning measurement (P = 0.09 to 0.77). Birth
date did not differ between weaning treatments (Table
5); however, calves from NW dams were 2.4 kg heavier
(P = 0.008) at birth, with no apparent differences in
dystocia. In December (mean calf age of 75 d), calf BW
did not differ. However, in early February (mean calf
age of 127 d), calves from NW dams were 7 kg heavier
than calves from LW dams (P = 0.04). At the April
weaning date, calves from NW dams were 8 kg heavier
(P = 0.03) than LW calves. These results indicate that
prior weaning date influences ensuing preweaning calf
BW gain by its effect on cow BW and BCS at calving.
It appears that greater cow BW and BCS at calving
led to increased calf preweaning BW gain. This is in

contrast to previous reports that milk production or

preweaning and 205-d adjusted weaning BW of calves
are not influenced by cow body energy reserves, as indicated by BCS, when cows are in moderate body condition at the time of parturition (Doornbos et al., 1984;
DeRouen et al., 1994; Spitzer et al., 1995; Ciccioli et
al., 2003).
Nevertheless, as previously noted, NW cows gave
more milk when evaluated in February compared with
LW cows. The correlation between calf BW gain and
cow milk production is intermediate, at approximately
0.55 (Knapp and Black, 1941; Gifford, 1953; Drewry et
al., 1959; Neville, 1962; Christian et al., 1965; Melton et
al., 1967; Beal et al., 1990). Sixty to 66% of the variation in calf weaning BW can be directly attributed to
milk yield of the dam (Neville, 1962; Rutledge et al.,
1971). Therefore, it is conceivable that increased BW
and BCS at calving led to increased milk production
(and possibly altered milk composition), leading to the
greater subsequent calf growth observed in the present
study.
Cow age class affected neither calf birth date nor
birth BW (Table 5). Progeny of mature cows, however,
were heavier (P = 0.01) at the end of the breeding season in February and in April (P < 0.01).
Calf Weaning and Postweaning Performance. It was shown in the previous section that time
of previous weaning affects calf preweaning and weaning BW. Despite greater BW for NW progeny in April,
when evaluated after weaning (Table 6), calves born to
NW dams having previously weaned a calf on the study
remained heavier than calves born to LW dams for the
first 10 d after the April weaning date. However, during the cumulative 84 d between weaning dates, calves
from LW dams gained more BW than calves from NW
dams (P < 0.0001), resulting in heavier BW for LW
calves at the July weaning date (P = 0.002). Addition-

1584

Hudson et al.

Table 5. Effect of prior weaning date of dam and cow age class on calf preweaning performance in a fall calving
system1 (Exp. 1)
Weaning treatment2
Item
Birth date, Julian date
Birth BW, kg
December BW, kg
February BW, kg
April BW, kg

Cow age class2

P-value3

LW

NW

SEM4

Mature

Young

SEM4

Weaning
treatment

Cow
age

154
154
121
157
158

262
34.0
107
141
188

262
36.4
109
148
196

2.8
0.7
10.0
4.0
8.1

260
35.6
109
148
199

263
34.7
107
138
185

3.1
0.95
3.7
3.6
4.8

0.85
0.008
0.63
0.04
0.03

0.25
0.34
0.51
0.01
0.003

1
Analysis included data from calves born to dams having previously weaned a calf on the study; data collected from fall 2004 through spring
2007.
2
Weaning treatments: normal weaning at 210 d of age in April (NW) and late weaning at 300 d of age in July (LW). Cow age class: 4 yr
(mature), and 3 yr (young).
3
Probability values for effects of weaning treatment and cow age.
4
Most conservative SEM.

ally, because new cows and their calves (with no prior

influence of treatment) were added to the study each
spring, data were analyzed for all calves weaned on the
trial. There appears to be no cumulative effect because
the magnitude of calf BW difference was similar for all
calves weaned on the trial (Table 7) compared with
those calves born to cows previously on trial (Table 6).
Therefore, postponing weaning until 300 d represents a
direct economic advantage for producers by increasing
marketable BW of calf in the first and subsequent years
of this system.
In April, calf BW was greater (P = 0.003) in mature
cows than in young cows when considering only cows
that had previously weaned a calf on the trial (Table
6). Similarly, calf BW tended to be greater in mature
cows in July (P = 0.06); by d 94, however, there was
no difference between the progeny of mature and young
cows (P = 0.50) because of a tendency for greater ADG
for progeny of young cows (0.94 vs. 0.66 kg; P = 0.13,
data not shown). It is important to note that 2-yr-old
cows were not included in this analysis because they

would not have weaned a calf the previous year and

therefore would not have previously experienced the
weaning treatments. When evaluating all calves that
were weaned on the study (Table 7), the progeny of
mature cows were heavier at weaning and throughout
the 94 d after NW because of the inclusion of data from
the progeny of primiparous cows.

Exp. 2
Normally weaned cows had more (P < 0.0001) energy reserves than LW cows when intake and digestibility
were measured (Table 8). Body composition is believed
to affect feed intake (NRC, 1996), with greater body fat
resulting in depressed intake per unit of BW. However,
no significant influence of weaning date was observed
for any of the intake or digestibility measurements in
the present study (Table 8). Fox et al. (1988) reported
that a 1% increase in body fat (in the range of 21.3 to
31.5%) would decrease DMI by 2.7% in cattle fed a concentrate diet during the finishing period. A cow with a

Table 6. Effect of prior weaning date of the dam and cow age class on calf weaning and postweaning performance
in a fall calving system1 (Exp. 1)
Weaning treatment2
Item
April BW, kg (d 0)
d 10 BW, kg
d 21 BW, kg
July BW, kg (d 84)
d 94 BW, kg
d 0 to 10 ADG, kg/d
d 0 to 21 ADG, kg/d
d 0 to 84 ADG, kg/d
d 0 to 94 ADG, kg/d
1

Cow age class2

P-value3

LW

NW

SEM4

Mature

Young

SEM4

Weaning
treatment

Cow
age

158
158
157
157
108
158
157
157
108

188
206
221
282
298
1.84
1.57
1.13
1.12

196
216
220
266
284
1.98
1.14
0.83
0.92

8.1
11.5
12.9
9.5
8.6
0.36
0.26
0.11
0.20

199
218
227
279
293
1.88
1.35
0.96
0.98

185
204
213
269
289
1.94
1.36
1.00
1.06

4.8
11.8
13.2
10.0
8.6
0.36
0.26
0.11
0.20

0.03
0.029
0.983
0.002
0.024
0.059
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001

0.003
0.008
0.007
0.062
0.501
0.461
0.854
0.191
0.024

Analysis included data from calves born to dams having a calf on the study; collected from fall 2004 through summer 2007.
Weaning treatments: normal weaning at 210 d of age in April (NW) and late weaning at 300 d of age in July (LW). Cow age class: 4 yr
(mature), and 3 yr (young).
3
Probability values for effects of weaning treatment and cow age.
4
Most conservative SEM.
2

1585

Effects of time of weaning on cows and calves

Table 7. Effect of weaning date and cow age class on calf weaning and postweaning performance for all calves
weaned in a fall calving system1 (Exp. 1)
Weaning treatment2
Item
April BW, kg (d 0)
d 10 BW, kg
d 21 BW, kg
July BW, kg (d 84)
d 94 BW,5 kg

Cow age class2

P-value3

LW

NW

SEM4

Mature

Young

SEM4

Weaning
treatment

Cow
age

315
315
313
312
213

194
209
223
292
297

199
218
222
276
283

6.8
7.9
8.7
11.7
6.3

204
221
231
290
295

188
206
215
278
284

7.0
8.0
8.8
11.8
6.5

0.061
0.004
0.731
<0.0001
<0.0001

<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
0.003
0.013

Analysis included data from all calves weaned from 2004 through 2007.
Weaning treatments: normal weaning at 210 d of age in April (NW) and late weaning at 300 d of age in July (LW). Cow age class: 4 yr
(mature), and 3 yr (young).
3
Probability values for effects of weaning treatment and cow age.
4
Most conservative SEM.
5
Yr 1 and 2 only.
2

BCS of 6.0 would be expected to have 22.6% body fat

(NRC, 1996) and is therefore in the range considered
by Fox et al. (1988) to be subject to decreased DMI because of body condition. In yr 3, when intake was evaluated, NW cows had greater energy reserves than LW
cows; at BCS 5.5, however, NW cows would have approximately 20.7% body fat (NRC, 1996), which would
not be great enough to depress DMI. It is important to
note that BCS for NW cows during yr 3 (5.5) was less
than that observed in yr 1 and 2 (5.9 and 6.0, data not
shown). Therefore, it remains possible that a depression in DMI could be a putative cause for the increased
postpartum decrease in BCS observed for NW cows
compared with the thinner conditioned LW cows.
In conclusion, cow BW and BCS are decreased by delaying weaning of fall-born calves. Late weaning results
in less BW and body condition gain during the late
spring and early summer when compared with cows

that are weaned normally at 7 mo of age. Thus, NW

cows are both heavier and fatter than LW cows at the
time of calving. However, despite similar management
postpartum, NW cows experienced more drastic BW
and body condition losses, resulting in similar BCS
among weaning date treatments entering the breeding
season. No differences in hay intake or digestibility were
detected when evaluated in yr 3. However, in that particular year, because of drought conditions, BCS differences were less between treatments than in previous
years. It would be worthwhile to revisit the effects of
cow BCS on intake and digestibility to determine if
DMI is decreased in fatter cows and if so, to what magnitude.
The detection of a significant interaction between cow
age class and weaning date for pregnancy rate indicates
that producers may benefit from matching weaning
date to cow age class. It appears more advantageous

Table 8. Effect of weaning date on intake and apparent digestibility in lactating, fallcalving beef cows1 (Exp. 2)
Weaning treatment2
Item

LW

NW

SEM3

P-value4

BCS
Hay DMI4
Total DMI4
Fecal output4
DM digestibility, %
NDF digestibility, %
ADF digestibility, %
CP digestibility, %
Digestible DMI5
OM intake5
OM digestibility, %
Digested OM intake5

4.48
2.64
2.80
1.17
55.6
58.8
59.1
51.1
1.48
2.50
57.4
1.44

5.50
2.63
2.78
1.19
54.7
57.6
57.7
50.0
1.44
2.48
56.4
1.40

0.21
0.09
0.10
0.08
2.8
2.7
2.7
3.4
0.11
0.09
2.7
0.10

<0.01
0.86
0.87
0.85
0.82
0.76
0.70
0.80
0.76
0.85
0.85
0.76

n = 24.
Weaning treatments: normal weaning at 210 d of age in April (NW) and late weaning at 300 d of age in
July (LW).
3
Most conservative SEM.
4
Probability values for effects of weaning treatment.
5
Kilograms per 100 kg of BW, DM basis.
2

1586

Hudson et al.

to delay weaning of calves born to dams 4 yr or older

while maintaining NW for dams 3 yr or younger at the
time of calving.
Calf preweaning growth was affected by the previous weaning date. Progeny of NW cows grew faster
preweaning and were heavier at the weaning date in
April compared with progeny of LW cows. This difference in preweaning performance appears to be related
to increased milk produced by NW cows.
Although LW depresses subsequent calf preweaning performance, increased ADG during the summer
months results in heavier calf BW for LW calves in
July. Further, with no detection of detrimental effects
on the performance of mature cows weaned at either
date, these findings indicate that LW provides producers with a viable alternative weaning option for mature
cows.

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