PRE-AND / POST WEANING MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT ENHANCE MEAT QUALITY AND MEAT SAFETY

INTRODUCTION Weaning is the removal of a suckling animal from the mother. But, what might not be so obvious are all the stressors and impacts associated with weaning, both for the calf and the cow. Weaning can also be stressful for the owner of the animals, especially if the weaned calves are placed in a pen near a person’s bedroom window. As animal managers, we should try and make weaning as stress-free as we can, while keeping productivity and profitability in line with our goals (j.w. oltijen. 1998 et. al) There are many considerations for weaning, including time of weaning, preparation for weaning, method of weaning, and post-weaning management. Different strategies of weaning affect performance of the calf (market weight, health, etc.) and the cow (reproductive efficiency, cull weights, health, etc.), and therefore can affect profitability.