WELFARE

Good animal husbandry principles are essential for meeting the welfare requirements of cattle:

• providing adequate feed and water to sustain good health and welfare

• enabling social contact with other livestock

• using handling facilities, equipment and procedures that minimise stress to livestock

• minimising the risk of pain, injury or disease

• providing appropriate treatment including humane killing if necessary

• selecting and breeding livestock appropriate for the environment and planned level of herd management

• assessing the need for husbandry procedures that inflict significant short-term pain in the light of alternative strategies for the long-term welfare of livestock

• undertaking husbandry procedures in a manner that minimises stress and pain to livestock and risks to livestock welfare.

• Considering seasonal and climatic conditions before working livestock

• All personnel involved in working our livestock are trained and supervised so as to maintain the above principles

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HUSBANDRY PROCEDURES​

• Branding, dehorning and castration are only conducted when the animals are between  two and four months of age and still suckling. These procedures are done in the cooler time of day early am after calves have been separated from the cows overnight and effort is made to keep the animals placid. 

• Care is taken with all procedures to optimise effectiveness and minimise stress. Calves and their mothers are immediately turned out onto fresh pasture so as to enhance a fast recovery. 

• Tri Sulfen, an anesthetic and antiseptic fly deterrent, is applied at dehorning, castrating and any other necessary procedures. 

• Calves are all vaccinated with a 5 in 1 vaccine at Branding.

• Calves are no longer Earmarked and speying is no longer conducted.  Breeders and Bulls are all vaccinated annually for Pesti Virus.

 

FEED AND WATER

• All livestock are given adequate and appropriate feed and water to maintain good condition at all times. We have for some years operated a paddock rotation system that ensures we have 4-6 paddocks rested at any one time. This system works around mustering breeders four times per year and shifting them into a fresh paddock after each muster.

• Each paddock is spelled for 5 to 6 months each year under this system which is designed to improve, ground cover, biodiversity and pasture quality at the same time as increasing soil carbon. Stocktake principles are used in managing our feed levels.

• Cattle numbers are maintained at what is deemed conservative stocking levels however numbers are further reduced at what could be the onset of an unplanned dry period  In drought situations vulnerable cattle are supplemented and our paddock rotation system is advance to ensure adequate feed.

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FACILITIES AND HANDLING

• Facilities and equipment are constructed, operated and maintained so as to minimise the stress to each animal whilst conducting necessary husbandry and reducing the risk of danger to man and beast. We have recently rebuilt our main cattle yards in a manner that reduces, bruising, and stress and increases ease and safety of handling to both man and beast.

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TRANSPORTATION

• The transporting of our livestock has always been an aspect of serious management whilst under our control.  Only selected transport operators with good quality equipment and considerate drivers are engaged.  Drivers are required to not use a jigger unless necessary.

• Care is taken to ensure that cattle are in strong condition, density levels are desirable and that the timing of the journey is conducive to low stress for the animals.

• We also insist that cattle are immediately given access to good feed and water after being unloaded at the destination.

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HANDLING

• As a means of optimising Animal Welfare outcomes Low Stress Stockhandling principles and practises are used in all aspects of working our cattle. 

• Mustering is done on horseback, only well controlled dogs are allowed, weaner education is conducted over a 2 to 3 week period each May and electric prodders are only used as a last resort.

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SICK OR INJURED ANIMALS

• Sick , injured or diseased livestock are given appropiate treatment with urgency.

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HUMANE DESTRUCTION

• Livestock suffering from extreme disease, distress or injury  that do not have hope of recovery will be destroyed in an urgent and humane manner.

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