Livestock top stories DAIRYDairy teat care products: 6 things to considerWith a huge range of teat dips available, it can be difficult to know what the best choice is for your herd. Tom Greenham offers expert advice on how to… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Lack of management could harm farming areasI quite enjoy farming in the Vale of York. We have varied soil types, including heavy land suited to grass and wheat, and light land for maize, as well as… DAIRYVideo: How a new parlour improved herd efficiency and healthInvestment in a rotary parlour has helped a Devon dairy maximise efficiencies during milking of its 350-head Holstein Friesian herd, with milking time slashed by more than 50%, labour burdens… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Herd zero-grazed for 254 days this yearThey say that well sown is half grown. I’m not sure who “they” are, but I’ll go along with the theory. We’ve been lucky. We finished drilling winter wheat in… HEALTH AND WELFAREHow mineral blood test helps cut barren ratesAnalysis of ewe bloods for minerals in late gestation prompted a change in supplementation that has cut barren rates from 5% to 1.6% for an Aultbea-based sheep breeder. Ryan MacLean… YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENTFirst bovine coronavirus vaccine hits UKCalf rearers and finishers now have another tool in the battle against respiratory disease in newborn calves, in addition to colostrum boosters. An intranasal vaccine for bovine coronavirus (BCov) has… LIVESTOCK DISEASESFour further cases of bluetongue found in KentLivestock farmers in the South East are being urged to stay extra vigilant after a further four cases of bluetongue virus in cattle were detected. Defra has confirmed that four… Livestock news LIVESTOCKLivestock's contribution to society celebrated in new filmThe AHDB has joined forces with ITN Business to produce a new documentary-style film demonstrating the positive role of farmed livestock, both to the environment as well as food production.… LIVESTOCKGame simulator helps teach cow handling to US farmersA cow-handling game based on a flight simulator is helping US dairy farmers to train their staff in low-stress cow handling. Trademarked as “Mooving Cows”, users can update their skills… SHEEPEnglish Winter Fair exhibitors advised to isolate sheepSheep farmers who exhibited stock at the English Winter Fair have been recommended to isolate their animals for at least four weeks following “an unconfirmed health issue” in the sheep… BOVINE TBWelsh plans for increased TB testing provoke backlashWelsh rural affairs minister Lesley Griffiths is facing a backlash from farmers after announcing additional testing requirements to tackle bovine TB. In a statement to the Senedd on Tuesday (14… More articles Explore livestock Know How Business advice Essential guides Practical tips Case studies Dairy Beef Sheep Pigs Other livestock Grassland management Slurry and manure management Explore all topics Latest from livestock Know HowSee all DAIRYDairy teat care products: 6 things to considerWith a huge range of teat dips available, it can be difficult to know what the best choice is for your herd. Tom Greenham offers expert advice on how to… DAIRYVideo: How a new parlour improved herd efficiency and healthInvestment in a rotary parlour has helped a Devon dairy maximise efficiencies during milking of its 350-head Holstein Friesian herd, with milking time slashed by more than 50%, labour burdens… HEALTH AND WELFAREHow mineral blood test helps cut barren ratesAnalysis of ewe bloods for minerals in late gestation prompted a change in supplementation that has cut barren rates from 5% to 1.6% for an Aultbea-based sheep breeder. Ryan MacLean… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTHow satellite biomass mapping tech could optimise grazingWith traditional grass-measuring techniques limited in their flexibility, a new trial has shown that physical measurement and accuracy can be improved by using a combination of satellite technology and algorithms.… LIVESTOCKWhat makes a good employer on a dairy farm?Finding – and keeping – good-quality staff is a growing problem for dairy farm owners and managers. To help tackle this, LIC consultant Piers Badnell asked employees of 20 dairy… LIVESTOCKHow to group calves for successful social rearingTo successfully rear calves in pairs or groups, use benchmarks to select for calf health: below 3% mortality and less than 5% of calves with poor transfer of passive immunity.… DAIRYWhat you need to know about Q fever in dairy herdsDairy herds with sub-optimal fertility, unexplained abortions or weak calves are being advised to test for Q fever. Dubbed the “subtle disease”, it is now thought to be behind underlying… DAIRYWhy regular foot-bathing strategies need to changeRoutine foot-bathing should be part of a farm strategy for digital dermatitis, rather than viewed as the cure. Dr Laura Solano of Lactanet, Canada’s largest milk organisation, says dairy farmers… DAIRYAdvice on milking machine maintenance for spring block-calversSpring-calving herds with a tight block and a full parlour shutdown can plan to do their milking machine maintenance, servicing and any upgrades during the dry period. But parlour servicing… SHEEPFlock genetics beat challenges to hit 170% reared budgetProlific flock genetics and skilful management have overcome setbacks to get a lowland sheep flock hitting budgets, three years after being established. Farm manager Ben Smith says the accounts at… LIVESTOCKWhy a mixed farm’s focus is on local food for local peopleA mixed, tenanted farm in the Scottish Borders is using agritourism to help create a more resilient business and promote local food to the local community. The first idea for… LIVESTOCKHow a Norfolk dairy diversified into tourism and hospitalityConverting a set of Georgian barns into holiday lets 20 years ago involved market research by post for dairy farmers Joanna and David Burroughs. Today, their daughter, Lindsay Miller, is… OTHER LIVESTOCKWhy an Irish beef producer diversified into snailsSnails may not be a regular choice in British and Irish diets, but in mainland Europe they remain popular as an everyday staple and delicacy. Yet, in Ireland, snail farming… HEALTH AND WELFAREThe risks of dog faeces to livestock and how to prevent themHaving five carcasses condemned for discolouration caused by cysts has cost a farm dearly and highlighted the issue of the dangers of dog muck. The costly case happened in 2021… HEALTH AND WELFAREHow to stop calf pneumonia reducing heifer longevityCalf pneumonia has stayed in the top 10 of the most frequent diagnoses from carcass submissions* in Great Britain for almost a decade. And while heifers can recover and eventually… DAIRYHow a greenfield dairy targets 'resilient' 50% yield liftAn autumn-calving herd is targeting 7,500 litres from 1.5t of parlour cake after moving farm, breed and system. The Barnes family of Alma Bank Farm, near Oakham, have endured six… Outwintering livestock Eliminating winter housing for cattle: options compared 4 farmers outline bale grazing benefits in field lab trial Why diverse forage mixtures could improve outwintering Benefits of winter sheep grazing for silage performance Meat markets and pricesSee all MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESLamb trade holds firm in build-up to ChristmasFavourable exchange rates and improved demand on the Continent for exports have helped to support lamb prices during the autumn so far. Liveweight lamb prices averaged 259.2p/kg for the week… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESPig prices drop to 217p/kg as throughputs riseFinished deadweight pig prices have fallen by 8.5p/kg since peaking in mid-August and the standard pig price is currently at its lowest level since April. Demand remains fairly steady, both… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESIrish Angus beef closer to protected geographical statusIrish beef farmers are a step closer to achieving protected geographical indication (PGI) status in the EU for certified Irish Angus Beef. If successful, this could allow beef producers in… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESWelsh secure new lamb deal with JapanWelsh sheep farmers are set to benefit from new interest for lamb exports from Japan and Germany. Hybu Cig Cymru (Meat Promotion Wales) announced at the Welsh Winter Fair in… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESBeef prices stay firm with tight supply outlook for 2024Deadweight beef prices remain close to 40p/kg above this time last year, hovering around 480p/kg since mid-September. Prices are being supported by tight supplies of cattle and improved retail demand… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESBeef trade holds strong with support at auction martsTighter supplies of prime cattle and some early festive demand reported among industry from butchers and abattoirs have been supporting both liveweight and deadweight prices. Finished cattle prices in the… Livestock communitySee all FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Lack of management could harm farming areasI quite enjoy farming in the Vale of York. We have varied soil types, including heavy land suited to grass and wheat, and light land for maize, as well as… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Herd zero-grazed for 254 days this yearThey say that well sown is half grown. I’m not sure who “they” are, but I’ll go along with the theory. We’ve been lucky. We finished drilling winter wheat in… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Weaning day tweaked with fingers crossedIt has become apparent in recent months that the livestock industry’s favourite abbreviation, AI, has been hijacked. Just about every news bulletin I hear contains a reference to AI, but… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Cattle aren’t the problem, but we can do better“Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something you’re passionate about.” That's what Amy Hughes, my predecessor as chairman of the British Cattle Breeders Club (BCBC), said when I asked for… Dairy DAIRYDairy teat care products: 6 things to considerWith a huge range of teat dips available, it can be difficult to know what the best choice is for your herd. Tom Greenham offers expert advice on how to… DAIRYVideo: How a new parlour improved herd efficiency and healthInvestment in a rotary parlour has helped a Devon dairy maximise efficiencies during milking of its 350-head Holstein Friesian herd, with milking time slashed by more than 50%, labour burdens… LIVESTOCKWhat makes a good employer on a dairy farm?Finding – and keeping – good-quality staff is a growing problem for dairy farm owners and managers. To help tackle this, LIC consultant Piers Badnell asked employees of 20 dairy… LIVESTOCKHow to group calves for successful social rearingTo successfully rear calves in pairs or groups, use benchmarks to select for calf health: below 3% mortality and less than 5% of calves with poor transfer of passive immunity.… DAIRYWhat you need to know about Q fever in dairy herdsDairy herds with sub-optimal fertility, unexplained abortions or weak calves are being advised to test for Q fever. Dubbed the “subtle disease”, it is now thought to be behind underlying… DAIRYWhy regular foot-bathing strategies need to changeRoutine foot-bathing should be part of a farm strategy for digital dermatitis, rather than viewed as the cure. Dr Laura Solano of Lactanet, Canada’s largest milk organisation, says dairy farmers… LIVESTOCKLivestock's contribution to society celebrated in new filmThe AHDB has joined forces with ITN Business to produce a new documentary-style film demonstrating the positive role of farmed livestock, both to the environment as well as food production.… DAIRYAdvice on milking machine maintenance for spring block-calversSpring-calving herds with a tight block and a full parlour shutdown can plan to do their milking machine maintenance, servicing and any upgrades during the dry period. But parlour servicing… LIVESTOCKGame simulator helps teach cow handling to US farmersA cow-handling game based on a flight simulator is helping US dairy farmers to train their staff in low-stress cow handling. Trademarked as “Mooving Cows”, users can update their skills… SLURRY AND MANURE MANAGEMENTHow water treatment technology could cut slurry storageAdapting water treatment technology to a farm setting could reduce slurry storage requirements by 10-15%, make better use of farm nutrients and produce an effluent that is suitable for discharge… LIVESTOCKHow a Norfolk dairy diversified into tourism and hospitalityConverting a set of Georgian barns into holiday lets 20 years ago involved market research by post for dairy farmers Joanna and David Burroughs. Today, their daughter, Lindsay Miller, is… DAIRYHow early life calf nutrition affects long-term metabolismResearchers are discovering more about early life programming and how critical this is for adulthood, according to Trouw Nutrition’s Dr Leonel Leal. This starts with colostrum, but also includes feeding… Advertisements Livestock machinerySee all TELEHANDLERSClaas swaps diesel for electric in Scorpion 732e telehandlerFarmers open to switching their diesel-powered telehandler for an electric alternative might soon have another option. Claas and Liebherr have worked together to develop a Scorpion 732e packing one 90kW… FORAGE WAGONSEx-Claas forage wagons reborn under Fliegl bannerFliegl has revived the Cargos forage wagon range deemed surplus to requirements by Claas. There was little time for major design changes, with just six months separating the completion of… RAKES AND MERGERSLightweight R8 Compact joins Reiter Respiro merger rangeReiter has slimmed down its merger design for the latest Respiro R8 Compact, with a new chassis and shorter linkage being the primary contributors to a substantial 30% weight saving… 100HPTafe swaps vintage rebuilds for electric and hydrogen powerTafe might be best known for its reproductions of classic Massey Ferguson tractors, but the Indian brand has been beavering away on a host of more modern products. Additions include… Most popular this week
