Parson, Kansas —
Summer schedules on the farm are busy and can be even more hectic if a producer has employment off the farm. But sometime between putting up hay, clipping pastures and combining fescue or wheat, checking the cattle needs to be high on the priority list.
“Close observation every few days by you or someone with a good eye for cattle can help prevent a variety of problems and will pay off,” said Eldon Cole, a livestock specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
The frequency of checking the herd will vary depending on the class of cattle, distance to the pasture and a variety of other factors. Cole says there is no set rule for how often cattle need to be seen but more often is better than “every now and then.”
A routine check should involve a head count (remember cattle theft is a possibility).
This time of year, eye irritations can create serious problems. Early awareness and treatment of bad eyes can prevent 25 to 30 percent of the animals coming down with affected eyes. Bad eyes can cause lower weight gains and reduce the market value of feeder cattle and breeding stock.
Other items to check in the pasture include the effectiveness of fly control, especially, horn flies and face flies. If fly tags were put in back in April, their effectiveness could be gone by now. Backrubbers and dust bags should be charged if they show signs of cattle traffic.
Do you notice any lameness which could be foot rot? Or, if cows calved earlier this year, do they seem to be bred or is there an unusual amount of bull activity?
“Unfortunately, most of the breeding activity takes place during evening and early morning hours when you may not notice it. Just make sure the bull is healthy and mobile,” said Cole.
It is also important to “read” pasture conditions.
“Be sure there’s plenty of pasture and that the quality is suitable for optimum performance of cattle,” said Cole. “It is also a good idea to rotate your pastures at least once a week. This helps maintain legume growth and improve forage use.”
It is also a good idea to observe the cattle for signs of fescue toxicosis. Those symptoms might be signs of heat stress such as pond standing, mud hole wallowing, slow hair shedding, dull, dry looking hair and lost tail switches. Make note of the cattle that appear to be the most affected. This helps identify cull candidates.
Other things to watch for include checking on salt and mineral levels, looking for holes in the fence, water gap problems, water problems, broken wild cherry limbs and cattle with the ADR syndrome (ain’t doing right).
“A few years ago I asked a husband and wife team what the most important management item they did to keep their herd looking good. The wife immediately said that they look at their cattle a lot. I think that pretty well sums up a vital part of beef cattle management,” said Cole.
For more information, contact any of the MU Extension livestock specialists in southwest Missouri: Eldon Cole in Mt. Vernon, (417) 466-3102 or Dona Goede in Cedar County, (417) 276-3313.
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Find time to check cattle in the summer
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