Spring-born weanlings have a tough few weeks this time of year. Many are weaned, moved into a shed and switched from grass to silage and meal, all inside a month. Every one of those changes is a stress, and stress is what opens the door to pneumonia. Get the first winter right and they’ll keep growing; get it wrong and you can lose months of thrive.
Here’s a practical plan, drawing on the latest Teagasc advice and what we see on farms around Wexford.
Start with the air in the shed
Teagasc’s October Future Beef newsletter says ventilation matters more for calves and weanlings than any other stock, and poor air is a big driver of respiratory disease in young cattle. Walk into the shed early on a calm morning and look for the warning signs:
- Condensation dripping from the roof, or black mould and cobwebs on sheeting and timbers
- Damp bedding that won’t stay dry
- A warm, stale smell as you come in, or animals sweating while lying down
Teagasc suggests air inlets should be roughly twice the size of the outlets, and recommends a smoke test on a still day before stock come in. The Irish Farmers Journal points to simple fixes in older sheds: opening up the eaves, lifting a line of roof sheets slightly, or knocking a row of blocks near the top of the wall. Use doors carefully, though, as they can cause draughts at animal level.
Plan the health work, don’t rush it
Housing and weaning stress can trigger viruses such as IBR, RSV and Pi3. Teagasc advises that, where vaccination suits your herd, it should be done at least a month before housing so immunity has time to build. Animal Health Ireland guidance, as reported by Agriland, also warns against vaccinating calves that are already sick or stressed, and against mixing groups from different sources until vaccines have had a few weeks to work.
On parasites, Teagasc’s notes for this autumn include:
- Treat lungworm well ahead of housing, ideally a month before, so the lungs can recover
- Pick a fluke product to suit how long cattle have been in. Some products will need a follow-up dose
- Watch for lice and mange as the winter goes on
- Weigh cattle and dose to the heaviest animal in the group
- Rotate wormer groups and use faecal egg counts to check they’re working, as resistance (especially to ivermectin) is widespread
Every farm is different, so talk through your vaccine and dosing plan with your vet or Teagasc adviser.
Feed them through the change
A weanling that’s well fed has a far better chance of fighting off infection. On one Teagasc Future Beef farm, recently weaned and housed spring bulls are getting 3kg of a 16% protein ration alongside 70% DMD silage, building gradually to 4kg. The lesson for everyone: get your silage tested so you know what you’re working with, and make changes to the diet slowly.
Our FibreGold Weanling Complete and FibreGold Calf & Yearling 16% are made to keep young stock eating and growing through this changeover. If you’re not sure which suits your system, give us a shout and we’ll talk it through.
A dry bed makes a big difference
Damp, dirty bedding adds to the moisture in the shed and gives bugs a place to thrive. Weanlings lying on a clean, dry bed stay more comfortable and are cleaner going out the door. KosiBed, our dust-extracted chopped straw bedding, is made here on the farm from our own straw. It’s highly absorbent, so pens stay drier for longer, and taking the dust out means less irritation for young lungs. Top up little and often rather than letting pens get wet.
Dates to keep in mind
Teagasc reminds farmers that suckler cow and calf weights for SCEP, and dairy beef calf weights for NDBWS, are due by 1 November. Weighing weanlings now does double duty: you can submit the weights and dose accurately at the same time.
Get in touch
Need weanling feed or KosiBed bedding delivered before the weather turns? WhatsApp us on 087 283 2443, email accounts@kehoefarming.com or visit our contact page. We deliver nationwide and can quote for bulk orders.
Sources: Teagasc – October 2026 Future Beef Newsletter; Irish Farmers Journal – Key steps to improving ventilation in cattle housing; Agriland – Pneumonia in weanlings: prevention is better than cure.
