https://australiancow.com/ Stories, guides and honest advice about Australian farm life, cattle breeds, station living and keeping cows. en-AU Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +1000 https://australiancow.com/blog/what-happens-at-a-cattle-saleyard.html https://australiancow.com/blog/what-happens-at-a-cattle-saleyard.html Sun, 26 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 The curfew, the catwalk, cents per kilogram, who is bidding and why, and whether Australian saleyards are really in decline. https://australiancow.com/blog/cattle-yards-small-block.html https://australiancow.com/blog/cattle-yards-small-block.html Sun, 26 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 The components a small herd genuinely needs, the dimensions the state design guides specify, real 2026 prices, and the siting decisions you cannot undo. https://australiancow.com/blog/bore-water-windmills-solar-pumps.html https://australiancow.com/blog/bore-water-windmills-solar-pumps.html Sun, 26 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 The Great Artesian Basin, the open drains that wasted 95% of it, why stations swapped windmills for solar, and how far cattle really walk to drink. https://australiancow.com/blog/fencing-a-small-block.html https://australiancow.com/blog/fencing-a-small-block.html Sun, 26 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 What cattle fencing materials cost in 2026, the spacings and strainer specs that matter, how the dividing fence laws differ by state, and the errors worth avoiding. https://australiancow.com/blog/pasture-improvement-basics.html https://australiancow.com/blog/pasture-improvement-basics.html Sun, 26 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 Soil tests, lime, phosphorus targets that match your enterprise, what the Australian grazing trials really found, and why resowing is usually the last thing to try. https://australiancow.com/blog/how-australian-farmers-get-through-drought.html https://australiancow.com/blog/how-australian-farmers-get-through-drought.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 Destocking decisions, containment feeding, the support that actually exists, and the mental health side nobody used to talk about. https://australiancow.com/blog/how-to-get-a-job-on-a-cattle-station.html https://australiancow.com/blog/how-to-get-a-job-on-a-cattle-station.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 What it pays under the Pastoral Award in 2026, when stations actually hire, and how to apply so you get an answer. https://australiancow.com/blog/year-on-an-australian-cattle-farm.html https://australiancow.com/blog/year-on-an-australian-cattle-farm.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 Calving, hay, joining, weaning and the autumn break - and why the north runs on a completely different calendar. https://australiancow.com/blog/buying-your-first-cow-checklist.html https://australiancow.com/blog/buying-your-first-cow-checklist.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 Temperament, udder, feet, vaccination history, the NLIS paperwork most beginners miss - and when to walk away. https://australiancow.com/blog/halter-training-a-calf.html https://australiancow.com/blog/halter-training-a-calf.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 A calm, step-by-step method that takes about a fortnight - the right gear, pressure-and-release, and the mistakes that undo everything. https://australiancow.com/blog/cost-of-keeping-cattle-small-block.html https://australiancow.com/blog/cost-of-keeping-cattle-small-block.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 Real 2026 dollar figures for fencing, water, hay, vaccines and levies - plus an honest list of the costs nobody publishes. https://australiancow.com/blog/australian-beef-labels-explained.html https://australiancow.com/blog/australian-beef-labels-explained.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 What's backed by law, what's an audited standard and what's pure marketing - including the pasturefed scheme that closed in January 2026. https://australiancow.com/blog/beginners-guide-house-cow.html https://australiancow.com/blog/beginners-guide-house-cow.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 How much land and water she really needs, what it costs to feed her, and the four health problems that catch every first-timer. https://australiancow.com/blog/10-cattle-breeds-australian-farms.html https://australiancow.com/blog/10-cattle-breeds-australian-farms.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 Brahman, Angus, Droughtmaster, Shorthorn and Wagyu - the breeds behind Australia's 30-million-head herd. https://australiancow.com/blog/living-on-a-cattle-station.html https://australiancow.com/blog/living-on-a-cattle-station.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1000 Dawn musters, School of the Air, wet seasons that cut the roads. Daily life on a station the size of a small country.