Weaner management in northern beef herds
Overview
In an ideal world of fertile soils, good rainfall and lush pasture, there may be no need to wean other than to manage pregnancy in weaner heifers. But little of the breeding country in northern Australia is like this. The climate is strongly seasonal and highly variable, the soils are mostly infertile and the grazing is generally of native grasses.
This module is designed as a guide for northern beef producers. It outlines the importance of weaning for productivity and profitability, best practice management of young cattle and the animal health and welfare decisions that must be considered.
Additional resources and further reading are available in the Materials tab.
Learning objectives
At completion of this module, you will:
- understand the importance of weaning for productivity and profitability
- understand best practice management of young cattle
- become familiar with the animal health and welfare decisions that must be considered when weaning.Â
Training package Content
Want to find out more about weaner management in northern beef herds?
The full guide is available at mla.com.au/northern-weaning and includes chapters on:
- How to rear a poddy calf
- Regional case studies on different techniques and strategies
- Management of diseases affecting weaners
- Pasture evaluation and grazing management
- Photo standards for estimating the weight of weaners by their height
- Photos of different facilities
- Tables on energy and protein requirements
- Examples on how to calculate the cost of a ration.
Contact
Nigel Tomkins
E: ntomkins@mla.com.au
Training package Content
Training package Includes
- 6 Items
- 4 Quizzes