Cattle have a flight or fight response which allows them evade danger in the wild. However, if this reaction to danger or uncomfortable situations is prolonged it leads to stress.

Stress releases a hormone called cortisol, which depresses immunity. There is nothing more important when we talk about disease than a good healthy immune system. Good immunity allows cattle fight disease and infections. This is why we vaccinate cattle to help stimulate their immune system against diseases.

The biggest impact we can have on weanling health and welfare is through minimising stress. So here are nine tips to reduce stress in weanlings.

1 Quiet weaning. This can be done by removing cows in small groups over the weaning period. Weaning paddles allow calves stay with cows while reducing the ability to suckle. This helps break the bond and causes less stress at weaning time.

2 Gentle handling of animals, less noise and getting weanlings used to human interaction and being moved. This may seem obvious but can have a huge impact on stress. Quiet, calm weanlings are less prone to disease.

3 Use meal coming up to weaning. This will help from an energy perspective but it will also allow weanlings to get used to handling and human contact.

4 Avoid painful procedures such as castration around weaning. Doing this increases stress.

5 If you have to perform any painful procedures, use pain medication. It makes a huge difference to managing stress

6 When transporting weanlings, put plenty of bedding in the transport box and put in fewer animals to allow them lie down. Open air vents while travelling to allow fresh air into the box.

7 At housing time, ensure plenty water and feed space. Keep weanlings on meal for at least 10 days while housing. Give them space and a comfortable dry bed.

8 Maximising fresh air indoors is probably one of the biggest factors when reducing the risk of pneumonia

9 Anyone purchasing weanlings should try to do this direct from farm as any unnecessary mixing or transport stress can really increase the stress on weanlings.

If you underestimate the effect of stress on animals then you really can have huge impacts on your farming businesses. Minimising stress and maximising immunity will allow weanlings thrive and avoid disease.