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Month-by-month ranch checklist

What to get done each month in a spring-calving cow-calf herd. This month is highlighted.

Every ranch is different. Weather, region, calving season and your veterinarian’s program all change the timing. Use this as a reminder list, not a rulebook.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

January

  • Check body condition on bred cows. Thin cows (below about a 5 on the 1–9 scale) need more feed before calving, not after.
  • Get calving supplies together: OB chains and handle, sleeves, lube, iodine for navels, colostrum replacer, a calf puller you trust, tag pliers and tags.
  • Keep water open on cold mornings and check for ice on tanks.
  • Count hay against the cattle you’re feeding and the weeks of winter left.
  • Look over last year’s records: open cows, late calvers, bad dispositions. Decide who stays.

February

  • Spring calving starts for a lot of herds. Check heavy cows and heifers several times a day and once at night.
  • Write down every calf: date, dam, sex, birth weight if you can, and calving ease.
  • Tag and record calves while they’re easy to catch. Dip navels.
  • Watch new calves for scours and make sure each one has nursed.
  • Plan breeding: semen ordered, bulls ready, synch schedule set if you AI.

March

  • Keep up calving records and night checks.
  • Have bulls checked by your veterinarian (breeding soundness exam) about 30–60 days before turnout.
  • Soil test pastures and hay fields if you haven’t in a few years.
  • Plan spring herbicide spraying — and calibrate the sprayer before you need it.
  • Start fly control planning so you’re ready before flies build up.

April

  • Spring shots and deworming on your vet’s program.
  • Spray weeds while they’re young and actively growing. Check the label’s grazing restrictions.
  • Start rotating pastures as grass comes on. Move cattle before they graze too short.
  • Check fences after winter and spring storms.
  • Start synch protocols for AI if you’re breeding in May.

May

  • Breeding season starts for many spring-calving herds — aim for a 60- to 90-day season.
  • Fly control: tags, pour-ons or sprays. Rotate fly-control classes from last year.
  • Watch for heat after AI and record every breeding.
  • Cut hay at the right stage for quality, not just quantity.
  • Keep mineral out and track how fast it goes.

June

  • Keep moving cattle. Rest pastures long enough to recover — often 30 days or more in summer.
  • Watch for heat stress: work cattle early in the morning and make sure there’s shade and plenty of water.
  • Check water sources every day in hot weather.
  • Second hay cutting where you get one.
  • Watch pinkeye and foot rot, and treat early.

July

  • Pull bulls at the end of the breeding season so next year’s calving season stays short.
  • Keep an eye on fescue pastures: heat-stressed cattle on infected fescue suffer more.
  • Inventory hay you’ve made so far against what you’ll need this winter.
  • Plan weaning: date, vaccines, and where calves will go.
  • Check fly control is still working.

August

  • Preweaning shots for calves 2–6 weeks before weaning, on your vet’s program.
  • Pregnancy check cows bred early in the season if your vet does ultrasound.
  • Watch the markets and your sale barns. Know your breakeven before sale day.
  • Plan fall weed control and fertilizer.
  • Stockpile fescue for winter grazing by resting pastures now.

September

  • Fall deworming on your vet’s program.
  • Wean calves — fence-line weaning is easier on them.
  • Preg check the whole herd and decide on open and late cows.
  • Fall-calving herds start calving now.
  • Sell or background calves. Compare your barns before you haul.

October

  • Cull open cows, old cows and problem cows. Sell them while cull prices are good.
  • Body condition score the herd and sort thin cows for extra feed.
  • Frost watch: keep cattle off sorghum, sudangrass and johnsongrass for several days after a killing frost.
  • Get hay where you can reach it in wet weather.
  • Fall booster shots for replacement heifers if your program calls for them.

November

  • Count hay bales and work out days of feed for the herd.
  • Feed and mineral plan for winter. Test hay so you know what you’re feeding.
  • Check winter water: heaters, floats, and a backup if the tank freezes.
  • Fill the semen tank and check its level.
  • Get records in order for next year’s breeding decisions.

December

  • Keep body condition up on bred cows heading into calving.
  • Check windbreaks and dry bedding for cold snaps.
  • Look at the year’s numbers: calves weaned per cow, weaning weights, cost per head.
  • Plan next year’s vaccine, deworming and fly-control program with your vet.
  • Order calving supplies before the rush.

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