When forage production is low and it becomes necessary for producers to make management adjustments to reduce forage needed for the cow-calf enterprise, there are several options that can be employed:

• Sell cows
• Lease additional pasture
• Feed additional energy to reduce grazing
• Wean calves early

It can be challenging to cost effectively lease pasture, feed energy, or sell cows just to buy them back when forage production improves. Early weaning, especially when combined with one or more of the other options listed, can be a useful tool to manage forage supply while minimizing the need to feed energy or dramatically liquidate cattle.

In the Southwest, by September, or maybe even August for ranches at higher elevations, most producers have a fairly good idea of how much forage will be available at the end of the growing season. For example, in southern New Mexico precipitation that falls after the middle of September generally has minimal impact on forage production because temperatures are too cool for warm season forages to grow substantially. Thus, as early as the middle of September a forage budget can be developed in this region. If adequate forage is available to support the current stocking rate, no change is needed. However, if estimated forage supply by the end of the growing season is not sufficient to meet the demands of the cow herd until forage growth is expected to resume, producers must decide what management practices to implement to balance forage supply and demand.

A forage budget can be developed mathematically or visually estimated by experienced producers. Regardless of the method employed, during years of low forage production, producers should calculate or estimate stocking rate reductions needed to balance forage supply and demand. As a general rule, for every day calves are weaned earlier than normal, forage demand is reduced by about 0.6 grazing days/calf weaned if the calves and culls are removed at weaning.

Forage needs are reduced by early weaning because calves are removed from the ranch (sold, placed in a feedlot, or moved to leased pasture), cow energy requirements decline when they stop lactating, and culls are sold earlier than normal. In the short-term, less income is generated from calf sales when they are sold at a lighter weight than normal; however, there is some price per pound advantage to selling lighter calves. Additionally, regardless of the weight of the early weaned calves or culled cows, July, August and September prices have historically been higher than the normal low prices of the year in October and November.