Jobs for March

Worm levels will be building in most species, so keep a close eye on them, especially if it gets humid and/or rains. •

Get access to livestock scales. It's important to know an animal's correct weight so that you can draw up an accurate dose of drench. Talk to your vet or local rural supply store and ask about renting scales or check if a neighbour has a set. For smaller livestock, hold them, step onto your bathroom scales, then deduct your weight. •

A drench effectiveness test can be done by your vet 10 days after drenching. No worm eggs should be present in a faecal test after drenching (if the drench was measured and administered correctly). If there are worms, it may be a sign of drench resistance. Talk to your vet. •

If you’ve had a dry summer and feed is short, it's more economical to start feeding out supplemental feed now. Stock that maintain weight in autumn do better as they go into winter in good condition. It's almost impossible for an animal to gain weight over winter. This puts them at more risk of health issues over winter and into spring, especially if they're pregnant. •

March is a good time to do a soil test and then apply fertiliser, lime, or other soil additives. •

Work out a winter feed budget. If you haven't had the opportunity to make (or buy in) summer hay, baleage, or silage, buy it now to avoid higher prices in winter.