Post-weaning management strategies for cattle herds

Summary

In southern Australia, autumn and spring calving beef herds often experience poor post-weaning calf growth, particularly between weaning and the autumn break. This project aimed to identify management strategies that improve post-weaning growth and heifer conception rates, enhancing profitability.

Over five years, 11 beef businesses across Victoria’s Western District and South Australia's Limestone Coast participated, representing 18,000 ha and 6,000 breeders. Data showed wide variation in weaning methods, age, weight, and post-weaning practices.

Key findings highlight that aligning feed with weaner nutritional needs using cost-effective strategies maximises profitability and supports animal health. In contrast, expensive supplements at inadequate volumes reduce returns. Feed testing and ongoing monitoring are essential to optimise growth outcomes.

Peer-to-peer learning was a cornerstone of the project, with interactive events fostering collaboration and uptake of best practices. Producers rated the project highly, with average satisfaction at 8/10 and value at 8.5/10. All survey respondents would recommend MLA’s PDS program.

The project also delivered broader industry benefits through extension articles, case studies, podcasts, and videos. Participants expanded their networks with peers and industry professionals, supporting long-term business improvement. Establishing effective weaning practices was shown to positively influence lifetime animal performance, health, and productivity.

Objectives

By August 2022, the project will:

1. Demonstrate and conduct cost benefit analysis of 2 local strategies per year at 3 regional focus demonstration farm (FDF) sites for weaner cattle management from 1 week post-weaning until 6 weeks post autumn break, using MLA’s cost of production calculator. Local strategies may include dry paddock feed, irrigation, lucerne, fodder crops, stubble, and/or containment, in keeping with the management of individual farms. The 3 FDF sites will be on the same property each year, with the host site producer choosing the strategies to be trialled each year.

2. Assess the impact of different post weaning strategies on joining weight and conception rate of heifers by measuring:

a. Growth rate from 1 week post-weaning until 6 weeks post autumn break
b. Conception rate at pregnancy testing

3. Assess the impact of different post-weaning strategies on growth rate, turnoff time and carcass/animal value by measuring:

a. Growth rate from 1 week post-weaning until 6 weeks post autumn break
b. Days from weaning until sale
c. Carcass/animal value at sale

4. Assess the feed value and feed on offer of each management strategy.

5. Result in:

a. 100% of PDS core producers understanding and identifying their post weaning growth path and potential to improve this
b. 100% of PDS core producers adopting the most cost beneficial post-weaning strategies for their enterprises
c. 50% of observer producers who attend the annual field days implementing or planning to implement changes to their current post weaning management strategies.

Progress

This project is now complete, and the final report will be published in the coming months. 

Key findings

• Pasture-based systems are highly profitable when weaner nutritional needs are met.
• High-cost supplements (e.g. pellets, lupins) must deliver strong efficiency gains to justify their expense.
• Control groups on hay and pasture outperformed supplemented groups, especially in high-rainfall seasons.
• Strategic pasture management extends feed availability into autumn and reduces reliance on inputs.
• Dry conditions in 2024 highlighted the value of alternative feeds, which sustained growth when used appropriately.
• Rumen adaptation issues impacted profitability in some trials—smooth feed transitions are essential.
• Inadequate supplement rates often failed to improve diet quality or growth, stressing the need for precise ration formulation.
• Weaners with ADG > 0.50 kg/day consistently delivered stronger financial returns.
• Flexible post-weaning strategies are vital, especially in challenging seasons requiring higher-cost feeds.
• Balanced feeding approaches—pasture plus targeted supplementation—enhanced feed efficiency and growth.
• Producer knowledge and confidence improved, with core participants adopting cost-effective changes.
• Common changes included targeted supplementation and revised weaning timelines.
• 50% of observer producers reported or planned changes based on project learnings.
• Adoption barriers included time, labour shortages, and uncertainty around implementation.
• Extension outputs included a podcast episode and multiple newsletter articles.

Overall impact: better weaner performance, more strategic feed use, and increased confidence in data-driven decisions.

Benefits to industry

This project has enhanced producers' ability to measure, assess, and make informed decisions on beef weaner management. Strong industry connections between research, advisors, and producers reinforced the value of ongoing support in animal health, nutrition, and agronomy. Perhaps the most significant benefit to participating producers was the peer-to-peer learning with the facilitation of abundant discussion as well as the opportunity to inspect numerous different properties and farm businesses. Not only does this support learning opportunity, but it provides important networking and motivation in an otherwise often solitary work environment.

From a greater industry perspective, this project has provided case studies and gross margin analysis of different post weaning management strategies to aid producers in determining best practices for their operation. It has highlighted the need for increased awareness and increased quantification of weaner weight gain and feed quality in the beef industry.

MLA action

MLA continues to deliver the Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) program, supporting livestock producers working in peer-to-peer groups to pursue new skills, knowledge and management practices applicable to their own commercial livestock production systems.

Future research

This project has highlighted the need for more structured investigation of best practice post weaning management strategies for beef cattle, however this would require significant funding to ensure producer involvement without significant financial strain on individual businesses. A more structured approach would also allow for increased data collection improving accuracy of results, leading to a more unambiguous translation of the profitability of improving weaner weight gains. 

With one of the main benefits of this project being the facilitation of both peer-to-peer learning and collaboration between industry experts and producers, moving forward there is need for increased access to formalised discussion groups in the beef industry.