January

High summer. This is when most hay will be cut as January is usually a dry month and rye grass is abundant. All animals will appreciate shade.

To prepare for hay graze the field two months prior, follow the cattle with spraying or removal of any weeds, make adjustments to your soil fertility with lime or fortified fertiliser as per soil testing. It is also possible to harrow the field to spread the manure evenly. Then shut the field with good gates and electricity to keep stock out.

Talk to your booked contractor and make sure you are on the list.

Cattle - the cows will be in their final trimester of pregnancy, they will need plenty of clean water in hot dry conditions, and high mineral blocks. Cows can be given the 5in1 vaccine which will convey passive immunity to the calf through antibodies in her milk six weeks before delivery. Check your stock every day.

February

Usually a dry month. Make sure you have saved grass or available supplement if it is a dry or drought year to keep your stock healthy and youngstock gaining weight. Ensure stock have ready access to clean water and high mineral blocks. Check the fences and electric fences.

Cattle - the cows in calf will be showing some early signs of preparation for delivery; udders will grow, abdomens will be round.

Cows, like all animals, calve most easily if they are fit and healthy, too skinny and hungry and they can run out of energy during delivery, too fat and obese is unhealthy for cattle, and the fat can get in the way of delivery of the calf. Also research shows that obese cattle will not conceive as readily as their healthy counterparts.

Keep your stock in fit and healthy condition, and they will do the rest.

March

For autumn calving this is the month we have been waiting for! Ensure the cattle have adequate feed, clean water and high mineral blocks at all times.

Ensure your fences are sound, tiny calves can slip through gaps, so checking on your stock is vital, check them every day, at least twice a day at calving.

With correct management your cows will approach calving fit, healthy, and prepared for milking.

I keep our cows due to calve close to the yards so I can easily catch the calf, tag it and weigh it for our records. It is also flatter land there, and enables the calf to easily get used to it’s legs!

Keep good records, tag your calves as soon as possible, and weigh them within 24 hours if you are performance recording.

April

Usually there is an autumn flush of grass to enable the cows to produce plentiful milk for their calves. If not, supplement their diet with hay or silage.

Check the fences, calves are curious and could wander.

Ensure access to clean water at all times, a lactating cow will need up to 70 litres of water a day. Provide high mineral blocks as milking is very demanding on the cow’s supplies. All cows will have calved, and the next management responsibility is ensuring they are at peak fitness and health for mating, they will be obviously cycling.

Health:

Calves - need the first 5in1 vaccine for clostridial diseases found in the environment from 4-6 weeks old. A booster 4 weeks later ensures maximum immunity. A yearly booster is the best protection thereafter. Leptospirosis vaccines can also be given from 4 weeks old.

Disbudding - if your calves are horned you may wish to disbud them before the horn bud grows. Contact your vet for assistance.

Castration - it is best to castrate bull calves early using the band method if you are wanting to grow steers. Contact your vet for assistance.

Bulls - make sure you have a bull ready or planned for mating. A bull provides half the genetic input to your future herd, so choose the very best example you can find.

He should be masculine, balanced, good conformation, great temperament, healthy, vaccinated, registered, and well suited to your herd in terms of predicted birth weights and growth figures.

AI - a good alternative to a bull, talk to your vet about AI and AI programs.

May

Check your stock every day. Make sure they have adequate clean water, access to high mineral blocks and adequate feed approaching mating time.

For autumn calving we mate the cows from the 21st May. Note any mating dates for your records to assist with management in the future.

The cows should be at peak health and fitness, they will be cycling and very keen to see the bull. Make sure he is doing his job, and leave them to it.

Calves - Disbud any remaining calves and castrate any bulls if you wish. Contact your vet.

A follow up booster vaccine of 5in1 and leptospirosis will be due four weeks from their first vaccine. Plan ahead with your vet.

June

Fog, cold weather and rain means the grass will not be growing too well now. Planning from earlier in the year will ensure a good grazing rotation to make the most of the farm, and ensure additional feed as needed will be stored.

Supplement in the form of hay or silage may be needed.

Check your fences, and electricity.

Ensure the cattle have access to clean water and high mineral blocks at all times. Check your stock every day. Note any activity from the bull.

A bull is only interested in the cows, and will not bother the calves. We remove the bull after six weeks of mating, that ensures two oestrus cycles of the cows will have been covered.

Calves - from four months old the BVD vaccine can be given. It is also good practice to test the animals prior to vaccination for completeness. The BVD vaccine is also a two part vaccine four weeks apart.Talk to your vet.

The calves should be thriving on the rich milk provided by their mothers, they will also be grazing now and growing at a rate of approximately 1kg/day.

July

Maintenance. Check the stock every day. Feed out supplementary hay or silage as required, ensure continuous access to fresh water and high mineral blocks. Ensure fences are sound, and cattle are happy and healthy.

August

More of the same winter management - check fences, check stock every day, maintain water supply and high mineral blocks, provide additional feed as required.

Six weeks after removal of the bull it is possible to pregnancy scan the cows for due dates of the future calves. Talk to your vet, and keep good records.

September

Same miserable weather, same farm jobs. Check your stock every day.

Some areas may see the start of spring.

October

Days are longer, the weather is warmer and the grass is starting to grow.

The cows will have done a superb job of growing fat calves throughout the winter for you. The calves will approach spring well grown, and able to make the very most of the available grass. Their rumens are fully developed and they can be weaned from their mothers onto the plentiful grass to continue their growth.

Ensure access to clean water, and high mineral blocks at all times. Good fences are essential at weaning time, the cows really love their calves.

Weaning -

Yard weaning - separate the calves from their mothers and hold them in the yards for a week fed supplementary hay, grass, or silage. They will get to know you, and welcome your arrival each day with food. Usually fully weaned and silent within five days, and able to graze alone at that time. The mothers will still call to them as they will tae a while to reduce and stop the milk supply.

Weaning across a fence - must have good fencing, and the cows and calves can see each other which might be very comforting to them. Eventually the food will run out near the fence and they will drift apart.

Removal - some farmers remove the calves from the farm to a different area, so that the cows and calves can not see or hear each other, and they get over it quickly.

Worms and drench - talk to your vet, take manure samples to your vet for analysis if you think your calves are affected. The vet can advise the accurate drench if needed.

Weaning is stressful to the calves and with stress the animal’s immunity can be lowered making them more susceptible to worms. Keep an eye on them, make sure they are gaining weight and look healthy. Talk to your vet.

Cattle gain their own immunity to worms with age, it is good practice to avoid unnecessary drenching of calves to prevent worm resistance and unnecessary expense. Talk to your vet.

November

Grass is growing fast. Plan ahead for hay or silage making. Shorten the grazing rotation length to keep the grass in it’s growth phase. Graze hay fields for the final time, and shut them up.

Allow the calves to fatten and grow!

Check fences, keep weeds controlled, ensure clean water and high mineral blocks are always available especially in the warm weather.

A good time to send fat finished cattle to market. Keep an eye on market prices, or talk to your stock agent or meat works agent.

December

Usually wetter than expected! Keep the growing hay crop well protected with good fencing and electricity. Make sure your contractor is booked.

The cattle will be fat and healthy, ensure clean water and mineral blocks are readily available. Enjoy your herd.

There are much more detailed resources available online, and in books, and from your large animal vet, contractor, fertiliser representative and from your neighbouring farmers who will know the environment and it’s challenges very well.

This is just a quick guide, and I encourage everyone to read as much as possible about cattle and farm management, as knowledge and experience just makes farming easy.

Enjoy your herd!