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Look back over the year
This time of year is sometimes a good time to look back at your performance and the farm’s performance for the year. Sit down with a pen and paper and make a list of the things that you got right and a list of the things that, in hindsight, you may have done differently.
Remember, it is only a mistake if you make it twice — it’s a learning experience the first time.
Set yourself targets for 2018.
What are the key jobs you want to tackle? For example, do you want to reseed a proportion of the farm, improve fences, tighten the calving interval, weigh animals to monitor performance, improve cow quality or change the stock bull?
While it will be an endless list on most farms, it will help to focus the mind if you prioritise one or two and focus on them over the course of the next 12 months.
Scour Vaccine
If you are planning on vaccinating the spring-calving herd against scour, now is the time to take action. The timing of administration will depend on which product you use.
The three products on the market are Rotavac Corona (a one-shot vaccine that should be administered from 12 to three weeks pre-calving), Bovigen and Trivacton 6. In year one, the latter two products require a primary shot followed by a booster shot.
The primary should be administered six weeks pre-calving, with the booster administered four weeks after the primary shot.
In subsequent years, these cows will only require a booster shot two to six weeks pre-calving.
Remember, for the any of these vaccines to be effective, the calf must receive adequate colostrum from the cow within the first few hours of life.
Farmers who had issues in the past with scours should look at vaccinating their herd. While it may not fully eliminate scour incidence on your farm, it should help to reduce incidence and also make recovery faster.
There is no vaccine to protect against cryptosporidium. Lots of colostrum and good hygiene should help reduce crypto incidence.
Body Condition Score
Keep an eye on body condition score of suckler cows. With poor-quality silage on many farms, there is a risk that body condition could drop off.
Take a walk through your cows and look at the cover. They need to be around a 2.5 at calving. Calving with too much condition or calving thin cows will lead to problems.
Addressing these issues a few months from calving will lead to better results.
Break/Family time: Don’t forget to take a break over the Christmas period.
On many beef farms, workload can be kept to a minimum over the next seven to 10 days, with just daily herding tasks and feeding animals carried out. Spend some time with your family and take time away from the farm.
This can sometimes help solve problems or issues when you come back taking a fresh look at things.
Happy Christmas
I would like to wish all readers a Happy Christmas and the health and good fortune to make 2018 a prosperous year on your farm.
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