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.

Just like soil sampling before purchasing fertilizer, hay should be sampled and sent to a lab for evaluation before purchasing supplemental feeds. Don’t guess, forage test! Credit: Doug Mayo

October Management Reminders

October is a very busy month on cattle operations ranging from heifer vaccinations to hay harvest and winter forage planting. With so much to do, it is a good idea to review this list of management reminders to develop your own “To-Do” list. Make sure you reserve at least one day to go to Moultire for the Sunbelt Ag Expo!

Cattle Herd Management

Pre-breeding Cow & Heifer Vaccination (1 Month prior to breeding)
- vaccinate with IBR, BVD, BRSV, PI₃, vibrio-lepto, 7-way clostridial
  - Vaccinations for the Beef Cattle Herd
- remove fly tags
- deworm
- record body condition scores
Feed weaned heifers limited supplement
Inventory hay and purchase additional bales as necessary (2 tons/cow)
- Forage test hay to determine supplement needs
  - Forage Testing
- Evaluate and repair hay feeding equipment and replace as needed
  - Hay rings, spears, trailers
- Move yearling heifers to clean, dry calving pasture & record body condition
- Put together calving emergency kit
  - Vet phone numbers, O.B. chains, calf puller, gloves, lube, antibiotic, syringe and needles, prolapse S needle and surgical thread, antibacterial soap, bucket and a clean towel, colostrum and milk replacer.
    - Calving Time Management for Beef Cows and Heifers
  - Evaluate breeding bulls secure needed replacements
    - Considerations for Selecting a Bull

Increase supplementation to weaned replacement heifers and start feeding hay

Pasture Management

Plant prepared seedbeds with annual winter forages (ryegrass, oats, rye, wheat, clovers, vetch) for grazing, haylage or silage when there is adequate moisture after Oct 15
- Cool-Season Forage Variety Recommendations for Florida
- Agronomic Crop Species and Variety Selection

If considering alfalfa as a monoculture, adjust pH near 7.0 and use a prepared seedbed

Pest Management

Scout for Grass Loopers, control if 3 worms/sq. ft. threshold is reached
- Management Of Fall Armyworm in Pastures and Hayfields
Control blackberries
- Blackberry and Dewberry: Biology and Control

Scout pastures for poisonous weeds, spray, mow, or remove if found
- Poisonous Plans of the Southern US
Use nonselective herbicide on pastures that are due for renovation. Especially for heavy infestations of grass weeds such as centipede or common Bermudagrass.

Annual Educational Events

Attend Sunbelt Ag Expo October 17-19 (Stop by the UF/IFAS Barn)

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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

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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, NicolasDiLorenzo, Shep Eubanks, Jed Dillard, Mike Goodchild, Roy Carter, Henry Grant, John Atkins, Kalyn Waters, and Ray Bodrey.

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Doug Mayo

Jackson County Extension Director, Livestock & Forage Agent, Lead Editor for Panhandle Ag e-News
demayo@ufl.edu - 850-482-9620
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October Cattle & Forage Management Reminders