The categories of cattle in a cow-calf operation are:
1) Dry, mature pregnant cow
2) Cows nursing calves
3) Weanling replacement heifers
4) Bred yearling heifers
5) Growing steers and heifers
6) Herd bulls.
Stalls and areas for feed and water are sites for fly breeding.
Feeding is often accomplished with hay racks which may be covered or open (pictured below and right)
Racks may be fixed on a paved apron or movable. As an alternative to a hay rack, a solid-bottom bunk for hay and silage may be used. Bunks are also needed to feed grain and minerals.
Since calves require a different nutrient composition in their diet, they are fed in a facility which excludes the brood cows. Such a facility is called a creep (pictured below).
A creep in the fenceline restricts grazing.
Movable grain creep feeders (usually on skids) may be used. Although arrangements vary, the creep feeder basically consists of some kind of fenced area or structure with openings of about 1m by 40cm wide which allow access only by calves.
In the creep feeder, calves have access to high nutrient feeds, including feed grain, molasses and protein supplements. Spillage from these feeders and wet feed in the feeders can provide prolific fly breeding areas.
In addition to feed, there has to be an ample supply of drinking water in a cow-calf operation.
In typical summer weather, cows and heifers require 40–56 litres of water per day, while nursing calves require 64–68 litres.
Calves drink about 8% of their body weight per day in the winter and up to 19% in the summer.
The resulting urine mixed with faeces and spilled feed provides ample substrate for fly breeding when the animals are confined in high densities.
