TOP FARMING ADVICE

LIVESTOCK

BREEDING BEEF CATTLE

he cheapest way of raising cattle off veld is to follow the grass. During spring the grass makes a comeback – the familiar sight to farmers of the spring flush. Calving into the spring flush means cows and their calves can take advantage of cheap, abundant, available food when they need it the most. It follows that calving cows in a seasonal pattern needs seasonal breeding and for the cow to produce a calf every year, she must conceive three months after calving. This is challenging to manage but it is something the livestock farmer can manage. If, for example, the grass is abundant in September, October and November, the farmer may decide to start his threemonth breeding season in December and continue mating until the