Before the animals return to pasture and alpine pastures, the existing fences must be checked and repaired. This often involves running down kilometers of fences and repairing or renewing damaged areas over the winter. It seems like a small thing, but fences play an essential role in the life of a mountain farmer. They not only mark the borders of pastures, but also protect livestock from wild animals. Fence work in spring and regular monitoring of this is therefore an essential task to secure the herd and protect the natural environment.

With the arrival of spring, the moment of stabling is also getting closer and closer. The sun is increasingly displacing frost and the animals are finally back on the pasture. A long-awaited moment for animals and humans, because the switch from stable to green spaces marks a turning point in the annual agricultural cycle. The cows, which often greet the moment of stabling with joy, can finally graze in the pasture again and live out their natural instincts. The young animals of the Maurer family can clearly see this joy. For mountain farmers, this change not only means relief from the end of winter hardships, it also has an important economic and ecological effect: The use of pastures enables farmers to save feed and reduce costs. At the same time, it helps to preserve ecological diversity in mountain regions by encouraging natural grazing and supporting landscape management.

When maintenance, fertilization and reseeding are completed at the end of April and beginning of May, the grassland is mowed for the first time. This first cut is of crucial importance for our mountain farmers, as it often accounts for half of the total grassland yield and significantly influences the subsequent cut. In addition, the time of pruning determines the nutrient content and the feed yield: if you harvest too early, the yield is low, but it is of very high quality and if you harvest too late, you have a high yield but of low quality. A demanding decision and often a matter of experience and tact, which is heavily dependent on the current weather conditions. It is therefore an advantage to have the necessary equipment yourself and to be able to effectively use the usually tight time windows with ideal conditions without having to pay attention to rental periods of appropriate mowers or similar restrictions. Michael Maurer therefore emphasizes the independence they gain through self-sufficiency: “We do everything ourselves. If we decide in the morning to mow, we hook up the tools and mow what we have set out to do for the day.” With proper storage, for example in an airtight silo such as with the Maurer family, this guarantees the animals' supply of food all year round.

Optimal care for animals also includes regular examination and care of the claws, as healthy claws are crucial for the mobility and well-being of the animals. This is the only way to identify and treat potential problems at an early stage. For the Schreyer family, visiting the claw cutter twice a year is therefore an elementary part of animal care, which ensures the health and performance of the herd. Despite the devices and equipment that looks martial, it is noticeable that the cows are very calm when used and the pedicure seems like a pleasant change for them.