Prepare for autumn

The holidays are over and the kids are back at school which means it’s time to plan for autumn.   With the current weather being a double edged sword of glorious summer days and drying out of pastures, the question for many is whether the infrequent showers are ever going to eventuate into anything helpful. 

And if they do, will they get carried away and become something even more difficult to handle than crisp grass underfoot. 

The joys of Rural Living…..  If you do find yourself in  trouble with lack of pasture you’ll have to buy supplements so it is probably a good idea to get rid of any  stock that are not going to earn their keep.

Keep a close eye on your water supply regularly – it should be your highest priority at this time of year and is more important than feed if stock are in good condition with some good fat reserves.

If you have any skinny stock - keep a close eye on them as they  can get into serious trouble in hot, dry conditions.  If you don’t have adequate shade on your property, it’s time to plan for an autumn tree planting session.

If you have rams – check the fences unless you want the amorous bleating to turn into the bleats of lambs before you are ready for them.  Get them checked by a Vet (the rams not the fences) and make sure they are fit, lean, doing the job properly (the rams not the Vet).  Watch especially for lameness.

Now is not the time to ease back on Facial eczema prevention  - it is still a risk well into April – and be watchful for ryegrass staggers too.

Any sheep that have been consistently daggy through the season or had chronic footrot need to be amongst the cull animals.

Get rid of any cattle, especially cows that you don’t want to winter. Be realistic and ruthless if necessary when it comes to cows and if your favourite really has only the length of her lashes to her credit, ask yourself if you want to continue the cost of maintaining her.

Weaner stock should still be growing steadily at a minimum of 0.5kg /day.  If not improve their feeding levels and check health. If you send any cull cows to the works, arrange through your vet to have liver samples taken to check for mineral and trace element status. If you are not sure if a cow is in calf, get her tested.

As the temperatures cool, pasture growth with slow down. All things going to plan there will  be a bit of fresh, good-quality autumn growth so don’t waste it.

It will have high-moisture and high-protein so may need balancing with some good hay or silage. If you have pasture that is out of control and looks long and dead, just leave it till winter when you can make cattle chew it off.  Don’t waste diesel cutting it and leaving it to rot.

For pastures that have been cut for hay or silage and are not regrowing very fast, consider “strategic” use of Nitrogen by applying it only when needed and not to excess.  So think in terms of applying about 30-40kg of Urea/ha to encourage some growth for April and May before soil temperatures have dropped. 

Be especially careful to avoid spreading any fertiliser near drains, creeks or wetlands.