Gates ,penning and handling facilities, are most likely to be the source of injury to cattle in winter housing. Gates with narrow spacings can result in an animal choking, Penning divisions set too low can resuls in a broken leg if an animal jumps over, and inadequate handling facilities can cause injury and unnecessary suffering.
Replace broken or cracked slats. Water troughs should be cleaned and all leaks repaired. A weeping water tap wastes a considerable amount of water and electricity. If cattle are continually breaking a trough consider if they are getting enough water or if it is large enough.
Hedge Row Maintenance
September to March is the recommended time to maintain your hedges. Nesting birds are finished and have flown the nest at about this time. Trimming will strengthen a hedge and prevent the growth of just a line of trees. It is not practical to leave all hedge-cutting until Spring , especially on wet land as it may not get done. Trim when conditions suit. Cutting early removes some fruit and seed, which could be eaten by wildlife. Trimming on a three to five year rotation around the farm leaves some uncut each year. Hedge-cutting should be planned to suit the farm and the contractor. A well maintained hedge gives a scenic appearance to the farm and landscape.
Utilisation of Grass
Although growth has been good of late in most places it only takes the first cold spell to bring this to a halt. Making the best use of existing grass is a priority. Despite its green leafy appearance Autumn grass has a much lower feeding value than similar pasture in Spring. It is a mistake to graze late if it delays your turnout next year. Dry matter and sugar levels tend to be reduced in pasture as daylight recedes.
Animal Health Inspection on the Farm
Diseases and animal Health problems should be tackled before the on-set of Winter. Anything that is wrong with a beast keeps it from thriving . It usually develops into a worse problem in the lean months of the year. Look for symptoms of parasitic diseases such as hoose, worms and fluke, while the livestock are still at grass. Grass Tetany is always a risk with older stock. Young stock are very vulnerable to severe parasite attacks of hoose and worms in the Autumn. Hoose pneumonia can be a particularly severe problem and weanlings should be carefully observed. Parasites can seriously reduce the performance of animals even without showing signs of sickness. Make sure to keep moving young stock on to clean pasture to limit exposure to worms. Underfed animals are very likely to pick up parasitic diseases and a few kgs of concentrate feed will reduce the risk. Fluke is a problem on many farms. Its an attack on the liver and cattle must be treated before housing for the Winter.
