As a rancher, you’re the driving force behind the weaning process—and how it goes depends mainly on you. Weaning is when you start to see the results of all your hard work, from your breeding program to your daily care. But even now, the question remains: will this weaning season be a success? That answer lies in your hands.
Success looks different for every operation. It could be related to achieving a certain weight gain, maintaining healthy calves, or reducing stress during the transition. Whatever your goals are, defining what “success” means for your ranch is the first step.
There are numerous ways to go about weaning calves, and everyone has their own methods. But no matter how you do it, the end goal is the same—wean every calf with as little loss as possible. And to do that, it all comes down to starting them off on the right foot.
Those first 30 to 45 days after weaning are the most stressful in a calf’s life. They’re leaving the comfort of their mother, adjusting to a new feed, and learning a whole new routine. Stress can lead to poor performance if it’s not handled correctly.
So, what can you do? Please focus on the basics: make sure they’re eating well, staying healthy, and not overwhelmed by their new environment. Preventing nutritional gaps, keeping up with vaccines, and reducing stress from overcrowding or unfamiliar pens can go a long way.
Bottom line: a smooth weaning transition doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because you planned for it—and your calves will thank you for it down the road.
Minerals 
The fall season can be problematic for a beef producer. As you go into it after a dry, hot summer, the entire herd may be stressed. The combination of high heat, short grass, and low water tanks can stress cattle and make them more prone to disease.
Internal parasites are a problem that every beef producer must face. They are a constant annoyance that can rob a beef operation of its productivity. They impair production by increasing maintenance energy costs, diet digestibility, and immune activity.
