Some day livestock producers won’t have to hear the bawling of newly weaned calves, says Joe Stookey, a researcher in Saskatoon.
Stookey, in collaboration with other livestock behaviour and nutrition scientists from across Canada and the west-central United States, has been searching for ways to reduce calf stress at weaning time.
The associate professor in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine thinks he may be on to something.
Stookey and his associates found promise in an old technique that involves placing a device in the nose of the calf to prevent access to the teat. Calves wean easily with little or no pacing or bawling.
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After only a few days of wearing the weaning block, calves can be separated from their mothers and begin feeding.
Stookey said the technique outperforms fence line weaning, a popular technique used to reduce cow-calf stress at separation.
So far he has seen it work well at trials in Montana and Saskatchewan.
“It’s odd to watch. The calf will stand under the cow and the cow will present for the calf, and they will stand there for a long time, but no suckling takes place,” said Stookey.
The clip-on, nose-mounted calf weaner was also called a blab in 1850s Arizona cowboy lore. Its use has not been readily adopted by modern cattle producers, but was used prior to the fencing of the West to separate cows from calves when open ranges, corrals and horses were the only animal handling tools available.
Originally a small board or leather flap was attached to the nose to keep the calves from nursing.
Modern versions of the weaning devices are made of plated metal or nylon. Some use thorns or barbs on their outer surfaces, while others simply keep the calf away from the cow’s teat. The more aggressive designs theoretically cause the cow discomfort when the calf comes to suckle.
The units attach to the membrane between the calf’s nostrils and tighten into place using a wing nut tensioner or a spring load.
Stookey said the nylon versions of the device likely don’t need the sharp barbs on their outer surface.
“As far as we can tell, those plastic barbs serve only one true purpose – to poke into ranchers’ hands. The device prevents the calf from getting access to the teat without them and that appears to be all that is needed.”
The researcher said in tests this year and last, the calves could be weaned as soon as four days after having the devices fit into their noses.
“No walking, no calling. Just eating and ruminating. It is just amazing,” said Stookey.
Scientists expect to release results of the weaning device study in 2002.
The downside for producers is the extra handling of the calves, but researchers say the health benefits of lower stress on the calves and early weight gains may make the additional process pay off.
Calf weaning tools are available from several internet-based sources or through veterinarians and livestock supply houses. The cost ranges from $5 to $10 each and all are reusable.
