Animal admin is part of farm management and keeping flock records up to date helps the stockfarmer with forward planning.

Draw up a month by month table that you break down into weekly segments. Animals don’t always fit neatly into rigid parameters so there should be some flexibility allowed. Once you have the structure, it’s easier to adapt the programme when you encounter the unexpected.

Follow nature for the most effective farming plan. Begin your programme by starting with the lambing season and plan it for the 2 or 3 months when available food is at its best.

• The lambing season should last for about 2 months.
• Go back 5 months (20 weeks) to get the breeding (mating) period, which should also last for about 2 months.

With these 2 anchor points in your seasonal plan, you can identify the key periods for feeding – before and after breeding and lambing. Plan supplementary feeding if it is necessary.

Once you have set up the breeding and feeding plan add weighing, condition scoring, dosing and dipping programmes. Keep dosing flexible rather than fixed. Examine and treat according to individual animal needs.

Finally add vaccination times, planned foot treatments, pregnancy testing and flock checking.