Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Clean out grain storage facilities thoroughly before harvest. It is critical to ensure that any meal storage facilities are spotless before the new grain is stored.
- Try to prioritise the best quality grass for the most productive stock on the farm.
- Make sure you are using appropriate fertiliser for your land type and soil indices.
- Keep an eye on the water supply for all stock.
- Start planning for reseeding this autumn. You will, at this stage, have identified your underperforming paddocks.
- Keep parasite control up to date.
- If you are approaching the end of the breeding season, take care as stock bulls tend to get more aggressive at this time of year with less work to do.
- Start looking at any repairs that need to be done to winter accommodation.
- Clean out grain storage facilities thoroughly before harvest. It is critical to ensure any meal storage facilities are spotless before the new grain is stored. This means powerwashing sheds and using an insecticide to kill any mites or similar that might carry over from last season.
- Many herds are struggling to maintain yields as grass supply and quality deteriorate.
- Underfeeding is a significant issue, and some have been too late in introducing supplementation, and the cows have not responded.
- Under-supply of protein is still an issue, as can be seen with current milk urea levels. But it is still being ignored by co-ops and advisers - WHY?
- Make sure to creep calves for a sufficient period prior and post-weaning to reduce stress and minimise weight loss post-weaning.
- Watch for mastitis in dry autumn calvers.
- Ensure that autumn calvers are provided with a good quality pre-calver mineral and/or bolus.
- Recently weaned calves should be monitored closely to ensure that they don’t get sick due to stress.
