During the freezing winter months beef farmers kept you updated on what they were doing to keep their cattle happy and healthy. The summer isn’t any different—the task are just different.
Keeping the flies, grubs, and gnats off the cattle is important. Think about it. Would you like hundreds of bugs biting you all day and not being able to scratch them off. (Cows have tails to swish away bugs, but their tails aren’t long enough to reach some areas.) Farmers use pour-on or fly spray to keep the bugs off. The fly spray is temporary (works for just a few days) and the pour-on is longer lasting (weeks). The pour-on works the same way as the tick, lice, and flea medicine you apply to your cat or dog.
Providing mineral and salt. Essential nutrients for the cattle. Even though the cattle are out on on luscious grass they still need the mineral and salt for their daily diet. There is special mineral for the summer months that helps the mothers keep milking efficiently for their calf, while keeping them in good shape. It acts as a prenatal vitamin (since they are pregnant), but also gives them what they need to keep their calf growing.
Weather conditions are just as scary (at least in Iowa). We have to be on constant watch for flooding, heat, and tornadoes. When we know that there is flood going to come (even the SLIGHTEST chance) we move the cattle to higher ground. They may be squished for a few days, but they at least won’t drown. When heat gets to be too much for them we put on sprinklers, make sure all the waterers are running perfectly, and check them at LEAST two times a day for any signs of heat stress. Most cattle can handle the heat just fine if they have trees for shade, plenty of water, and aren’t running around. The sprinklers are for the fat cattle in the yard. They do fine most days too, because they have the shade of the building, but the sprinkler just adds a ‘plan b’ if they do get too hot. For tornadoes, we just have to wait it out. After the tornado had gone through we’re out of the basement and checking all pastures. Thank goodness I’ve never had to deal with that situation, yet. Thunderstorms are what get my cattle. I have had two cows get struck by lightening. No one knows why or how it happened (they weren’t on the highest spot on the farm).
Pasture rotations to keep the grass growing. Many farmers fence off certain parts of their pasture to allow it to grow while the cows are eating off the other half. If the grass doesn’t grow the farmers have to make sure that the cows are still getting feed. They may have to feed the cows the hay that they are making for the winter months.
On Westwind Farm (my farm) it is my duty to maintain everyone’s ‘coats’. Every summer I curry (this means brush out) all the tame animals on the farm. They all get shined up and pretty! I help get off their winter coats, get their hair silky and shiny, and it also keeps my bond with them very strong. During the winter months I don’t want to curry them because I want them to keep as much hair on as possible. The summer allows me to get that closer bond with them. And oh boy do they love it! If I can, I’ll take a video of me brushing my pet bull Otis. It’s so cute! He does this thing called, ‘the worm’. Once you see it, you’ll know what I mean!
