When Jimmy Baker starts sorting calves off 1,200 mama cows at Hart Farms near West Plains, Mo., he knows exactly what he’s asking of those calves. They’ve spent their lives on big, open country with their mothers, seeing little more than a side‑by‑side, the occasional pickup or a horseback rider. Weaning day flips that world upside down.
“These cattle that we run around here, they stay out on big open property,” says Baker, farm manager. “These calves are out with their mothers and don’t have a lot of human interaction.”
Hart Farms manages about 1,200 commercial cows, mostly Brahman‑influenced crossbreds — F1 tiger stripes, baldies, Beefmaster and Angus crosses — mated to Charolais and Angus bulls.
The farm backgrounds its own calves and generally sells them as 750 to 850‑lb. yearlings on video through the local livestock barn. Baker says success at weaning depends on keeping calves healthy through that high‑stress transition.
One Trip Through the Chute
Hart Farms weans twice a year, in spring and fall. In the fall, weather is the first consideration.
“In Missouri, October can be pretty hot, but if I can get started, I’ll do it in October,” Baker says.
Calves are gathered from 10 sets of cows from 10 different locations and trailed or hauled to a couple of main working facilities.
Labor is tight: It’s basically Baker and farm owner Charlie Hart who do the day‑to‑day, plus day help when it’s time to gather and sort.
“We’ll gather the cows up, then we’ll sort all the big calves off,” he explains.
Once the calves are sorted, they get one efficient trip through the chute.
“We give them their shots. We worm them. We’ll band the bulls,” Baker explains.
Fresh‑weaned calves spend at least a week in starter lots, where he can watch them.
“We have big grass traps with feed bunks, and I just kick them out when their health is right and let them grow,” he explains.
Baker typically backgrounds the calves for 100 to 120 days before marketing them as yearlings.
A Simple 5 mL Solution for Weaning Anxiety
At weaning, most calves can’t see or hear their moms once they leave the working facility. Given that fact, anything that can help calves settle and find the feed bunk faster has a direct impact on health.
A couple of years ago, Hart Farms added SecureCattle, a topical product from Bimeda, to its weaning protocol. Baker applies it while calves are in the chute during weaning processing.
“When I give them their vaccines and worm them, we put it on them right then,” he explains.
SecureCattle is a maternal bovine appeasing pheromone that can help calves cope with stress.
“SecureCattle is a product that’s 30 years in the making,” explains Dr. Eric Moore, Bimeda director of U.S. technical services. “It’s a maternal bovine appeasing pheromone that acts on the vomeronasal organ. It dampens the stress cascade — the cortisols, catecholamines, those things in the body.”
Applied as a single 5 mL dose on the poll, the product volatilizes and is inhaled by the treated animal and cattle around it. That makes the dose the same for a weaned calf or a mature bull.
The product comes in two sizes — a 50‑dose 250 mL bottle and a 200‑dose 1‑liter bottle. Every bottle comes with its own pre‑metered applicator.
“The carrier and the volatilization allow us to use one 5 mL dose on the back of the head for any sized animal,” Moore says. “It’s a pre-metered pump on the bottle, so all you have to do is just reach over and squeeze it once, and you’re done.”
According to Baker, a behavioral change was obvious after the first use.
“When we get these cattle up and wean them, these calves will be just a little rogue, little edgy, when they’re first around people,” Baker explains. “What I’ve noticed since starting to use SecureCattle, the calves go out and calm down in that pen. Instead of pacing the fence and getting hot and worked up, they go out and just calm down.”
He sees the product take effect fast. “Within hours, I’m seeing it go to work,” he says.
Moore adds producers using the product often notice quieter pens as a first sign it’s working.
“The signs of stress in the weaned calf go back to bawling for their mother and walking the fence,” Moore explains. “When you dampen that effect, you give them the chance to relax. They’ll adapt to that new environment better. We see them go find feed sooner than running the fence. They’re quieter. They lie down instead of spending all their time pacing and calling.”
That is what happens at Hart Farms — the calm shows up in the sound — or lack of it.
“That evening you can go outside and they wouldn’t be out there bawling and pacing,” Baker says. “They were in the right mindset to come up to those bunks and eat. That’s a huge reason why sickness and death loss have dropped.”
The Sound of Success
Owner Charlie Hart also notices the difference in bawling from his home, about a mile away from the weaning traps.
From Baker’s standpoint, the health benefits track directly with the behavior change. He sees SecureCattle as a key tool making a tough day more manageable — for both calves and crew.
“The first 14 days after weaning is when you’re going to see a lot of that stress‑related sickness,” Baker says. “Since we’ve started using SecureCattle — I’m not going to say it’s non‑existent, because you just can’t get rid of all of it — but a lot of that stress‑related sickness isn’t there.”
Moore emphasizes SecureCattle is not a substitute for good management.
“It doesn’t eliminate stress, but it does dampen the effect of stress,” he stresses. “The best effect you have is getting it on there 12 to 48 hours before the stressful event. If you don’t, at least get it on when your stressful event starts.”
With today’s calf prices, he argues the economics are on the producer’s side.
“If we look at the cost of SecureCattle and we look at the cost of calves per pound, it typically costs less than a pound of gain,” he says. “Anything you do that has a 1% to 5% to 10% advantage is going to pay for itself. The cost of disease can easily be 20 or 30 lb. by the time you get them off your place, just with one subclinical case of bovine respiratory disease (BRD).”
Your Next Reads:
- Do the Common Things Uncommonly Well: Weaning Strategies That Work
- The Biggest Weaning Mistake? Having No Plan at All
This article is part of Drovers’ Weaning Strategies and Preparation Week. Weaning is a high-stakes milestone when herd health, nutrition and marketing strategies must align perfectly. Throughout the week, the Drovers team will share expert-backed tips to minimize stress on your calves — and your bottom line. Bookmark our weaning resource hub to stay updated.
