sis, vibriosis and other reproductive problems, based on your region or herd needs. Vaccinations against these diseases, plus sound nutritional programs, are needed to help females develop and maintain a proper body condition score, and boost reproduction and milk production, he says. Healthy cows often nurse calves to heavier weights, a trend that is helping offset the short- age of feeder calves due to the decreased herd numbers.“Some producers see that calves are weaned heavier and finished cattle are har- vested heavier,” Step says.“Twenty or 30 years ago, animals were finished at 1,100 to 1,200 pounds. Now we’re dealing with 1,500- to 1,600-pound animals. “Calves were weaned at 400 to 500 pounds after six to seven months. Now they may be weaned at 600 to 650 pounds at seven months. Generally, older animals are better equipped to respond to vaccines and disease challenges. However, the same weight animals can be younger today than in the past.” Producers and feeders are also dealing with more byproducts and co-products in grower and finisher rations.“Nutritionists and pro- ducers are doing a good job of utilizing these resources,” Step says.“Animals eat the newer rations and produce a wonderful amount of quality protein. With those come other health challenges we have to deal with.” Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University Exten- sion beef cattle nutrition specialist, adds that calf nutritional management can involve various supplemental feeding programs.“Creep feeding, or supplementing pre-weaned calves with additional feed, has been suggested to improve carcass traits by promoting early muscle and fat development,” he says.“However, studies on its long-term impact have shown mixed results. “Some suggest it might increase fatness and carcass weight at weaning, but does not con- sistently enhance marbling or USDA Quality Grade. Other research has also highlighted that pre-weaning supplements and starch content in the growing diet during preconditioning do not have a lasting effect on marbling or other measures of carcass quality following standard finishing.
“Make sure calves start nursing as soon as possible after calving,” Dr. Step advises, and ensure they receive about 4 quarts of colostrum during the first few hours of life.
Good animal health programs help producers and stocker operators get the most out of their forage.
ers and other animal health products. Make sure they’re stored properly and are the right dosage for an animal’s weight. “Following label directions and attention to detail can make a big difference in an animal’s health,” he says.“Properly stored and used vaccines, dewormers and other products can help producers wean more quality calves that receive higher prices and build a ranch’s reputation among buyers.
“Ultimately, management decisions, beginning even before the animal is conceived and throughout their productive life, can have large impacts on the meat quality of ruminant animals.” Too help better manage production costs, Step encourages producers to properly handle vaccines, antibiotics, deworm-
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CALF News
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June | July 2025
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