If you happen to own a small ranch, but you aren’t planning to live permanently on the property, there are a few ways to keep the ranch running smoothly, so the bulk of your time can be with your profession and family in the city. Below are three important tips to keep in mind when you head down to your ranch on the weekend.

1. Replace Old Fences

Fences on a ranch are often made of barb wire in an effort to keep the cows inside their pastures. These fences may hinder the cows from jumping over them, but they are flimsy in bad weather. Replace them with portable cattle panels made of metal. They are higher, sturdier, and will not require mending on a regular basis, saving ranchers time and money.

2. Take Care of the Pastures

The health of the pasture plays a big part in the overall health of the cows on a ranch. To keep the land from suffering the effects of overgrazing, it is important to rotate pastures if possible. This means hiring a cowboy or two to move the cattle from one side of the property to the other; the pasture the cows just vacated will have time to regrow. The other upside of rotating pastures is the opportunity given to you to spray weeds, fertilize, and remove any hazards, like fallen trees.

3. Maintain Farm Equipment

In order to keep a ranch of any size running smoothly, the equipment needed to work the land and cattle needs to be properly maintained on a regular basis. The equipment could be anything from a tractor, a small four-wheel vehicle, a shredder, and a tractor trailer to haul cattle to and from the ranch. Taking preventative measures every time you happen to be working on the ranch will save you a lot of time and money when you visit your property on the weekends.

By protecting your cattle and caring for your equipment, you can operate a small ranch on the weekends with success.