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.

August Management Reminders

Cattle Herd Management

• Wean, weigh, and sell calves
• Select replacement heifers
  • identify with tag, tattoo, or brand
  • deworm/external parasite control
  • start on limited supplemental feed
    • Improving the Productivity of Beef Heifers in Florida

• Pregnancy test cows and cull open cows, aged cows losing teeth, cows with bad udders, cancer eyes, and low calf weaning weight cows as replacements permit
  • Understanding Pregnancy Diagnosis in Beef Cattle
  • Culling and Replacement Rate in the Beef Cow Herd

• Sort pregnant cows into breeding herds by age and body condition score (thin vs. fat)

• Update production records with pregnancy rate, calf weaning weights, cows culled and income from sale
  • Florida Beef Cattle Ranch Record Book

• Check mineral feeders

Pasture Management

• Annual soil test recommended to prepare fertility for winter and plan for next summer (collect bahiagrass tissue sample for IFAS phosphorus recommendation)
  • Producer Soil Test Form
• Apply lime, if recommended by soil test report
  • Fertilizing and Liming Forage Crops

• Harvest bahiagrass seed from pastures set aside for late seed production

Pest Management

• Scout Pastures & control problem weeds prior to maturity
  • Weed Management in Pastures and Rangeland
• Control Smutgrass
  • Smutgrass Control in Perennial Grass Pastures

• Scout for Armyworms, control if 3 worms/sq. ft. threshold is reached
  • Management Of Fall Armyworm in Pastures and Hayfields

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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:

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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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