GILSTON GALLOWAYS
Cattle Care
Before your Cattle Arrive
Please ensure you have:
Enough land to support two galloways. We suggest 5 or more acres with paddocks to rotate.
✓ Secure fencing suitable for cattle.
✓ Clean drinking water available at all times.
✓ Adequate pasture or quality hay.
✓ Shelter from extreme weather.
✓ Mineral lick or cattle mineral supplement.
✓ Safe cattle yards or an area for handling and administering medicines .
Settling into their New Home
Moving to a new property is a big change.
For the first week:
● Allow your cattle time to quietly explore their surroundings.
● Provide fresh water and good quality hay or pasture.
● Avoid unnecessary handling while they settle.
● Speak calmly and move slowly around them.
● Expect them to be a little cautious initially - this is perfectly normal.
Within a few days they will begin to recognise your routine and become increasingly relaxed.
They Need Company
Galloways are naturally social animals and are happiest with companions.
We strongly recommend they are never kept alone.
Whether they are with another Galloway, another breed of cattle or suitable livestock companions, having company helps reduce stress and encourages natural behaviour.
Shelter & Fencing
Although Galloways are exceptionally hardy, they still appreciate:
● Shade during hot Australian summers (Trees)
● Shelter from severe storms
● Dry areas during prolonged wet weather
Good fencing is essential.
Well-maintained cattle fencing will keep both your animals and neighbouring livestock safe.
Health Care
Healthy cattle begin with good management.
We recommend:
● Regular observation
● Maintaining parasite control as advised in your region (we inject with Cydectin long acting for tick control and Swat pour on for fly control)
● Annual vaccinations where appropriate (we inject 7-in-1 annually)
This treats the prevention of enterotoxaemia, tetanus, black disease, malignant oedema, blackleg and leptospirosis.
● Routine hoof checks
● Prompt veterinary attention if illness is suspected
Knowing your cattle’s normal behaviour is often the best way to notice if something isn’t quite right.
Food, Water & Feeding
Miniature Galloways are very efficient grazers.
Most thrive on:
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Good quality pasture.
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We like to rotate cattle when there is no less than 30% grass left in the paddock.The paddock then gets rested to regenerate and also to break the tick and parasite cycle.
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Occasionally, depending on the season and the pasture extra nutrition may be needed. Introduce oaten hay if it is too wet and lucerne hay if it is too dry. You can tell by the texture of their manure what they require.Supplement as needed.
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Feeding and behaviour: IF you need to supplement feed, do it with little fuss. Place it down at different times and places, call them over and walk away. Extra feeds are like treats to them and they become very excited, loud and demanding if you over feed. They basically become demanding and hard to handle!
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Fresh, clean drinking water at all times
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A quality salt lick/ mineral block for your area ensures they get all the vitamins and minerals they need. Licks are tailored for specific purposes like breeding , weight gain, or overcoming deficiency in grazing . Place block in a robust weather resistant well draining container away from the water troughs.
Avoid sudden dietary changes and introduce any supplementary feeds gradually. Watch the manure ! Too solid or too wet needs attention.
Handling Your Galloways
Our cattle are bred for their quiet beautiful temperaments.
The best way to maintain that trust is through calm, confident handling.
They respond best to:
● Quiet voices
● Slow calm movements
● Consistent routines
● Patience
Avoid loud shouting or chasing whenever possible.
Kind handling creates calm relaxed cattle that trust you.
If You’re Breeding
If you’ve purchased breeding stock, congratulations!
Miniature Galloways are well known for their fertility, maternal instincts and ease of calving.
Registration & Records (We use an app called Herd Boss)
Please keep a record of:
● Identification number
● Date of purchase
● Vaccinations
● Treatments
● Calving dates
● Weight and height records
● Breeding records
Useful Links
These are a few useful links for you :
The eNVD app
The HerdBoss app
Australian Galloway Association (Great to join up! This is our national association)
Department of Primary Industries
Livestock Production Assurance
Meat and Livestock Australia
Queensland Tick Vaccine
FarmCraft: A huge product range for farm a rural property owners
Produce stores:
Farmcraft Beenleigh 0732 872 796
Norco AgriSolutions store Beaudesert 0755 424 500
Canungra Hardware and farm supply 0755 434 780
Bernies Produce Advancetown 0407 033 951
Canungra Vet 0755 435 622
Biosecurity
Please help protect your herd by:
● Quarantining new arrivals where practical.
● Keeping yards clean.
● Monitoring for signs of illness.
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Maintaining secure fencing.
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Check for you responsibilities in culling pests in your area