UF/IFAS Beef Cattle & Forage Specialists, and County Extension Agents serving the Florida Panhandle worked to develop a basic management calendar for cattle producers. The purpose of this calendar is to provide reminders for management techniques with similar timing to those used at the North Florida Research and Education Center’s Beef Unit, near Marianna, Florida. Links to useful publications with more information are also provided.
![Hay is the most expensive feed for livestock because of the shear volume needed when pastures are dormant. Photo credit: Doug Mayo](http://extadmin.ifas.ufl.edu/nwdistrictmedia/phag/2016/06/Hay-Ring-Wiregrass-REC.jpg)
November Management Reminders
Cattle Herd Management
- Check calving heifers 2-3 times daily
- Move heifers and newborn calves out of calving pasture
- Record calf birth date, weight, tag calves (optional: castrate bull calves)
- Evaluate body condition of nursing heifers and increase energy supplement as needed
- Feed best hay available to nursing heifers
- Begin hay supplementation as needed
- Move heifers and newborn calves out of calving pasture
- Develop winter supplementation plan based on forage quality test results
- Begin feeding high magnesium mineral 30 days prior to grazing winter annual pastures
- Pre-breeding bull evaluation
- breeding soundness exam (BSE)
- vaccinate for vibrio/lepto, IBR, BVD, BRSV, PI3
- Parasite control
- Move mature cows to clean, dry, calving pasture & record body condition
- Check fences in fields to be used for winter pastures and make needed repairs
Pasture Management
- Plant overseeded winter grazing on hayfields or pastures (ryegrass, clovers, vetch, and other miscellaneous winter forages)
- Fertilize winter pastures at 30-40 lbs N per acre and other nutrients as recommended by soil test report after canopy reaches 2-3 inches
- Check fences in winter pastures and make any needed repairs
Pest Management
- Scout pastures for poisonous weeds, spray, mow, or remove if found
Annual Events
- Celebrate Farm-City Week November 13-19 in your community
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Use the following link to download the entire Cattle & Forage Management Annual Calendar:
Panhandle Ag Extension Team Cattle & Forage Management Calendar
Developed by the Panhandle Agriculture Extension Livestock and Forage Team:
Doug Mayo, Cliff Lamb, Mark Mauldin, Ann Blount, Cheryl Mackowiak, Jose Dubeux, Jay Ferrell, Jennifer Bearden, Nicolas DiLorenzo, Shep Eubanks, Jed Dillard, Mike Goodchild, Roy Carter, Henry Grant, John Atkins, and Kalyn Waters