On many farms over the Christmas period, there will be family members on school holidays or annual leave.

Having family members home for Christmas may mean there is extra help available to tick off some jobs.

Make use of this help to get some bigger jobs sorted and ones that are awkward to complete on your own.

Talk to family members now and plan out what jobs to sort when help is available. Outlined are five examples of such tasks.

1. Vaccinate spring calving cows for scour

On farms with a history of calf scour, give thought to vaccinating cows. Vaccines should be given around six weeks prior to calving, making Christmas an ideal time for this task.

Having extra help makes it easier to move heavily pregnant cows to the handling unit and back to the shed.

2. Fluke drenching

The mild autumn saw farmers grazing cattle up to mid-November. If these animals have yet to be treated for fluke, make use of the help to complete this task over Christmas.

Again, the extra will make it easier to move cattle through the handling unit, completing the task quicker. Treating animals for lice at the same time can also be sorted.

3. Weighing cattle

Weighing cattle is another task made easy with extra help. Weigh weanlings and stores that will be sold in spring, finishing cattle and maiden heifers retained for breeding.

4. De-horning and castrating autumn calves

On farms calving in late autumn and early winter, make use of any additional help to get on top of dehorning and castration as necessary.

5. Start preparing sheds for spring calving

If spring calving gets under way in February, start thinking about getting sheds prepared. Power wash calving pens, especially if they have been used as sick pens this winter.

A bit of extra help will make it easier to fix, alter and re-position calving gates as necessary, replace work lights in the shed and add an extra drinker or two.