1. Calving supplies

Preparation and organisation are key to a successful calving season.

Looking for ropes when the first feet of 2026 appear probably isn’t the best possible start.

ADVERTISEMENT

Make sure there are ample supplies of gloves, lube gel and iodine.

Are all lights working in the calving pens and are there suitable gates to restrain a cow in the event of a C-section?

Have calving pens been cleaned out and disinfected and is there enough straw for the calving season?

2. Dosing

If cattle are housed for eight weeks, the Christmas holiday period is sometimes a good time to look at fluke dosing on farms.

Once animals have been housed for eight to 10 weeks or more, products that only kill mature fluke can be used.

Vets have been advising that due to wet conditions this autumn, fluke has become an issue on some farms, so it’s important to address any issues as soon as possible

3. Clip cattle, treat for lice

With animals housed a few weeks, lice issues can start to accelerate at this time.

With mild weather over the past few weeks, sheds have provided ideal conditions for lice to take hold.

Clipping animals can help reduce heat stress in sheds and can also help to keep cattle cleaner when tails are clipped.

Pour-ons are easy to use - be careful to use gloves and measure correct amounts when applying.

4. Weigh your weanlings

If a weighing scales is available on the farm, mid-winter is a good time to assess performance of weanlings on the farm.

Weanlings should be gaining between 0.6kg and 0.8kg/day and poor weight gains could point to health issues in animals or insufficient supplementation. Is silage quality up to scratch?

Poor thrive could also be due to underlying pneumonia issues due to poor ventilation. Take a look at lying space, feeding barriers and drinkers in the shed to make sure there is nothing limiting intakes.

Make adjustments and if animals are behind target, try to target these for early turnout if possible.

5. Take a break

I’ve listed enough jobs for a month above, but Christmas can be a quiet time on many farms.

In general, calving doesn’t start on most farms until next month at the earliest.

Take time to rest and recuperate over the holiday period and spend time with family when they are around.

Sometimes farmers are running that hard they don’t see the issues on the farm that need attention.

Take time to reflect on the operation and where improvements can be made.

Take some time away this Christmas and talk to people in different walks of life to broaden perspectives.