REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- Fall at Cross Cattle Company means it's time to wean calves and see how well the cattle performed for the year.

The Cross family owns Cross Cattle Company in Claresholm, Alberta, Canada, and is participating in DTN's View From the Range series, where DTN follows a year at the ranch to give readers an inside look at how the ranch operates and cares for its animals.

This segment of the series looks at what happens on the ranch when weaning time comes around and how cattle are managed after the calves are separated from the cows.

CONDITIONS DETERMINE WEANING TIME

"We typically wean calves in mid-October, but since we don't sell our calves after weaning, we really don't have a specific time it needs done," said Austin Cross, who runs the operation with his brother Malcolm. "We rely on the environment to tell us when to wean."

If the year has had ample rain and grass is available, they might wean calves later, but if they are short on grass, they can wean earlier. Weather and feed availability are the main factors the Crosses use when determining when to wean.

About two weeks prior to weaning, they will gradually move pairs closer to home and start feeding cows to teach the calves how to eat grain.

"If they see mom eating, they learn a lot faster to eat feed," he said. "This is when we also will check all the corral fences to make sure they are in good shape because we don't want anyone escaping."

The Crosses discuss their weaning plan with their neighbors since everyone helps each other on their ranches to make weaning day go smoothly. Austin said the Crosses have more flexibility than their neighbors because they retain their calves rather than selling them immediately after weaning.

LOW-STRESS WEANING DAY MANAGEMENT

On weaning day at Cross Cattle Company, all the cows and calves are gathered at the main corral and sorted within an hour and a half. The corral is designed for weaning day to make it easy to split the cows off and send them back out to pasture.

Calves are vaccinated, dewormed and given FerAppease, a topically applied stress-reducing product that mimics the natural calming pheromones a nursing cow produces. Austin said this product has made such a difference at weaning time, reducing the time calves walk and bawl and getting them through the stressful time much easier.

Since the calves were already introduced to feed, they tend to start eating faster. They will use creep feeders at times, depending on the size of the calf and how aggressive they are to the feed. After five to seven days in the corral, they can watch the calves closely for any health issues. The calves are sent back to grass, where they continue to feed them additional feed as well.

"Depending on how much grass we have available is what tends to determine how much feed they eat," he explained. "Having the calves on grass can save us 20%-30% on other feed inputs, yet they are still gaining."

BACKGROUNDING CALVES FOR FUTURE PERFORMANCE

The calves are left in one big group for the first 45 days. Then they are brought back to the corral and sometimes need to be revaccinated or treated if any are slow or sick. At this time, they sort off the smaller calves so they can be fed harder to catch up with the group. This is also when heifers are split from steers.

"Since we background all our calves, we don't have to choose which heifers we will keep as replacements until they are about a year old," Austin said. "Then we can study how they have done after weaning and know what their mother's history is. It gets us a higher-performing animal in the end.

"Every herd would be a little better if the breeder gives the heifers a chance to perform in their environment. Weaning isn't too stressful here, but the climate can change quickly, and we have to be prepared," he concluded.

Successful weaning on the Alberta ranch is when the environment and weather work on their side, and they have enough grass and water to provide for all the animals.

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Read previous stories in the series here:

-- "Alberta's Cross Family Will Offer Canadian View From the Range for DTN," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "From Calgary Stampede Co-Founder to Modern Ranch: Inside Cross Cattle Company's 140-Year Angus Legacy," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "Alberta Ranch Builds Herd to Thrive in Rugged Terrain," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "Wintery Spring Storms Test Alberta Ranchers During Calving Season," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "Alberta Ranchers Rely on 40-Year Seedstock Partnership," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "Alberta Ranchers Balance Homegrown Hay and Purchased Feed to Stretch Grazing Season," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "Alberta Ranch Focuses on Cattle Health to Preserve Genetics," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "Native Grasses and Water are Essential for Alberta Cow Herd," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

Follow her on social platform X @JennCattleGal

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