As we head into August and gear up towards winter housing, now is a good opportunity to get your farm winter-ready.
Ideally by now, all sheds will have been power washed and prepared for stock to enter them later in the year. However, there are some finer details that may need to be tuned – and now is as good a time as any to do just that.
Lights
During the winter months the majority of activity on farms takes place in or around the yard.
The shorter days and the darkness that they bring mean that good lighting is extremely important to ensure that all work is completed in a safe manner.
For example, lights within the cubicle shed make it much easier to complete jobs such as liming cubicles, or simply just walking through the rows.
Lighting around the yard is also important, particuraly if there are a number of people working in the yard.
With this in mind, now is a good time to install or update lights inside sheds and around the yard.
Any other repairs that are needed around the yard should also be completed in the next few weeks. These may include gates, feeding barriers or water troughs that need fixing prior to stock being housed.
Machinery
As the winter months approach, now is also a good time to get machinery serviced and ready for use.
Machinery plays a key role on farms at all times of the year, but especially during the winter months.
Machinery is required for the foddering of stock and a breakdown could lead to serious disruption.
The shear grab and feeder should also be inspected to ensure they are working fully and any repairs that are required are completed.
Ensure that everything has been greased and any hoses that are damaged are replaced too.