● Environment: rainfall, temperature, soil type
● Nutrition - very important for production (inadequate nutrition could lead to grazing of toxic plants)
● Pregnancy testing - mostly a vet’s job, but some farmers carry out themselves → important for making decisions w.r.t. “empty “ cows still taking up resources but not producing output (Cull? Try to join in the next cycle? etc.)
● Topography and paddock size
● Yard location and set up, particularly crush and “force” area
● Breed of cattle
● Breeding/ fatting or both
● Herd structure - heifer retention, age structure, bull ratio
● Target market - store or finished
● Animal health program
● Vaccination
● Parasite control - internal and external
● Castration
● Identification
● Dehorning
