Chemerin is highly expressed and secreted from liver and adipose tissues, and acts through its receptors in an endocrine, paracrine, autocrine manner in ruminant. We previously reported the administration of chemerin analog peptide induced insulin secretion in vivo. However, there are currently no data on the expressional regulation of chemerin and its receptors depending on weaning and nutrition. In the present study we investigated the expressional levels of chemerin and its receptors (CMKLR1 and CCRL2) gene in the liver and adipose tissue of weaning calves and young cattle fed with different diets. Japanese Black calves were divided into (1) pre-weaning and post-weaning group (euthanized before and after weaning; 1.5 or 3.5 mo of age, respectively), or (2) concentrate-fed group received concentrate (CP 12%, TDN 73%; 2.5% of BW daily) plus Italian ryegrass (CP 9.4%, TDN 55.3%; ad libitum) and hay-fed group received Italian ryegrass ad libitum from 3 to 10 mo of age. The liver and/or adipose tissue (subcutaneous, mesenteric, perirenal and epididymal) samples were collected from cattle to quantitate mRNA expressional levels of chemerin, CMKLR1 and CCRL2 by qRT-PCR. Statistical analysis was performed by Mann-Whitney U test (significant difference; P < 0.05). Chemerin mRNA level was higher in mesenteric adipose tissue of post-weaning group and CCRL2 mRNA level was higher in the liver of post-weaning group, compared with pre-weaning group. Chemerin mRNA level in liver was higher in the concentrate-fed group than in hay-fed group at 10 months of age. This study revealed the effects of weaning and dietary energy source on gene expression of chemerin and CCRL2, suggesting the role of chemerin in the regulation of insulin secretion in cattle around weaning and in different nutritional states.