5 tips for August

• If grass is slow to start growing in your area, you need to ensure you have enough supplemental feed to last until it does. This needs to be a quality feed with good protein levels.

• If you have good pasture coming away, ration it carefully so it’s not trampled and wasted.

• Spray/soak navels of newborn livestock with iodine as soon after birth as possible to avoid navel ill (also known as joint ill). This is an infection that enters through the navel, is very painful, requires careful (costly) treatment and can kill a young animal.

• Lactating mothers will be drinking a lot more water than normal. They need easy access to clean water in clean troughs. Troughs also need to be made safe so gambolling lambs and kids can’t accidentally fall in and drown. The easiest option is to place boards over most of the trough so there is just enough room for animals to drink around the edge.

• If you want to rear calves, there will be a good supply available now. It is better to buy calves for rearing direct from a farmer you know and trust. Calves need to receive four days of colostrum, the relevant vaccinations and good after-birth care (eg, navels treated with iodine). If you do buy from a sale, look for strong, healthylooking calves with clear eyes, a dry navel and no signs of scouring. Try to find out their background and talk to their owner if possible. Don’t be tempted to buy a sickly-looking calf if you want to make a profit – it will never catch up or be as valuable| as a healthy calf.