190 Assessment of Weaning Management on Growth Performance and Health in Southeastern Beef Calves

Abstract The beef calf weaning period is a time of transition in the cow-calf production cycle and can be one most stressful stages life calf. This have major impact on both short- long-term health, growth performance economic returns. There are several different management strategies cattle producers use this period. objective study was to assess effects practices health before backgrounding. A two-year conducted using 427 steer calves (216 year 1, average BW 297 kg; 213 2, 291 kg) from three Auburn University research farms were randomly assigned based weight method groups for 14-day observation period: fenceline, nose-flap, or abrupt weaning. On day 0, all group traveled 3 hours central location. Calves fenceline nose-flap same location 14 study. weighed 24 following any travel event. Blood samples also collected determine haptoglobin concentrations surrounding travels events blood titers vaccinations. In years study, weaned had greatest daily gain at 1.08 kg/d (P < 0.0001) abruptly least gain, losing 0.15 during 14-d Year steers significantly greater across treatments than with 1 gaining 7.72 kg more 2 calves. Over gained =0.0008) Year, (0.084mg/mL; P noseflap (0.023mg/mL; 0.020mg/mL). data demonstrates how may influence into post-weaning