Evaluation of two-stage weaning and trace mineral injection on receiving cattle growth performance and behavior

Rauch, Jordan C; Stokes, Rebecca S; Shike, Daniel W

Most beef operations wean by abruptly separating the cow and calf, usually at a much younger age than in a natural or self-weaning situation (Hudson et al., 2010) . The results of abrupt weaning are well documented and consistent, as cows and calves spend more time walking and vocalizing and less time resting or eating (Veissier and Le Neindre, 1989) . Excessive vocalizations can increase the respiratory tract's susceptibility to infectious pathogens that can lead to bovine respiratory disease (BRD; Loerch and Fluharty, 1999) , which is considered the biggest health challenge facing the cattle industry (Duff and Galyean, 2007) . Alternative weaning strategies such as fence line weaning (Nicol, 1977) and 2-stage weaning with a plastic nose weaning clip (Haley et al., 2001) have been investigated and both strategies positively influence behavior (Price et al., 2003; Haley et al., 2005) ; however, impacts on performance are inconclusive.