Weaning of beef calves causes acute stress for both cows and calves; management practices including fence-line weaning significantly reduce this welfare impact.
Weaning represents an acute welfare challenge for both beef cows and their calves. Abrupt complete separation causes sustained distress: calves and cows vocalise and search for each other for days, showing elevated cortisol, reduced feeding, and altered immune function. The development of fence-line weaning — where animals can still see, smell, and have nose-to-nose contact through fencing while feeding is prevented — represents an evidence-based welfare improvement that costs little to implement and achieves meaningful reduction in stress indicators. The research supporting fence-line weaning is robust and the practice is increasingly adopted by welfare-conscious beef producers.