Know How / Assessing performance Case studiesSee all DAIRYHow a dairy business course set new entrant up for first herdA business course covering the essentials of running a dairy farm, from milk markets, budgeting and people skills, to banking and accounting, has helped a new entrant secure his first… BEEFHow efficiencies are cutting beef unit’s carbon footprintLess reliance on bought-in cereals and greater use of home-grown forage in cattle rations, as well as a sharper focus on herd health, are driving down greenhouse gas emissions from… ASSESSING PERFORMANCEHow data management drives decision making for Romney flockA pocket data management system combined with automated handling has improved workflow and decision making for sheep farmer Tom Hadley. With a flock of Romneys, together with shearing and other… PIGSHow collecting weight data helps improve pig unit efficiencyRoutinely weighing a batch of pigs helps improve farm efficiency and creates a business that is attractive to staff, ultimately leading to better pig welfare and more profit. Northants pig… YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENTHow passive transfer testing gives calves a good startOn-farm blood testing to check dairy calves for successful passive transfer from colostrum has helped a 780-cow herd validate its protocols. Within six months, correlating the outcomes with calf health,… ASSESSING PERFORMANCESheep and cattle new entrant shares 4 key lessonsA small grassland farm is turning profits from sheep, sucklers and dairy heifer rearing for a dairy breeding consultant cum part-time farmer. Tom Sellers runs a 25ha (62-acre) Powys County… Practical adviceSee all DAIRYWhen are the best times to condition-score the herd?Body condition scoring the whole herd at two key stages in lactation will repay the time and effort it takes only if the results are reviewed and used to change… SHEEPHow a flock health plan can help improve performanceUse of flock health plans and KPIs can be invaluable for any sheep farmer to monitor output, reduce costs and improve flock health. They are also a positive way to… SHEEPAdvice on using flock data to set achievable goalsA diary or a whiteboard in the lambing shed next season can start a good habit that will improve barren rates, lamb survivability and, in time, overall flock performance. Decent… BUSINESS MANAGEMENTTips on essential beef production costingsMaking a profit from beef remains a constant challenge, despite finished prices tracking 30% higher than a year ago. The outlook is for strong trade to continue on the back… ASSESSING PERFORMANCEHow milk recording revival is identifying most efficient cowsThirty years ago, milk recording was dropped from spring-calving herds intent on cutting out superfluous cost. Breeding replacements became a simple strategy that focused only on the most fertile cows… DAIRYAdvice on measuring milk from forage in grass-based herdsFarmers Weekly’s recent dairy sustainability survey revealed the average herd is producing 3,258 litres from forage. But is this metric still a reliable measure of efficiency in a grass-based business?… InsightsSee all LIVESTOCKStockmanship still vital amid rise in artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence is a brilliant tool, but not “the tool”, according to Prof Jude Capper from Harper Adams University. She says that there is “still a massive place” for stockmanship.… LIVESTOCKCan farmers survive without using artificial intelligence?A combination of poor rural connectivity and a negative mindset threaten the development and uptake of artificial intelligence on livestock farms. Yet data-driven decisions lead to economic resilience – with… BEEFBeef breeding index combines efficiency and environment gainsA beef breeding index that combines improvements in performance efficiency with a reduction in greenhouse gases is not only good for the environment and farm profit. It also offers a… ASSESSING PERFORMANCEAre smaller dairy cows a concern for the beef supply chain?The drive for smaller dairy cows has gained momentum over recent years as more milk producers appreciate the efficiencies of a lower cow maintenance cost. But while this trend has… DAIRYWhy efficiency is the route to dairy farm sustainabilityEvery time dairy farmers think about sustainability, they should be thinking instead about efficiency. This was the conclusion of a roundtable of farmers, independent experts and industry representatives who gathered… DAIRYData collection for dairy herds: What to considerDeveloping cow technology in response to the trend for fewer dairy farms milking more cows, and ongoing labour shortages, has to be more than just a data generating system. Capturing… BEEFSuckler cow depreciation: Why it mattersSuckler producers looking to improve profitability should consider calculating cow depreciation and creating strategies to manage value loss in their herd. This is the advice of rancher and consultant Dallas… LIVESTOCKFeed efficiency research reveals importance of cow groupingBreeding dairy herds for feed efficiency can be negatively impacted on-farm by managing lactating cows in mixed parity groups. This is because of competition at the feed bunk and a… LIVESTOCKData drives business decisions on US dairyA data-driven culture operates at High Plains Ponderosa Dairy in Kansas, with all business decisions and performance goals based on data. This is according to chief executive and managing partner… ASSESSING PERFORMANCECarbon study shows scope for beef and sheep efficiency gainsFirst-year results of a major carbon footprinting study have shown a huge variation in greenhouse gas emissions from beef and sheep farms across the UK. The average carbon footprint of… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTWhy cell grazing beat set stocking in Devon trialCell grazing is a more sustainable and productive grazing method than set stocking, results from a four-year grazing trial have shown. Cell grazing consistently outperformed set stocking plots at Rothamsted… BEEFHow beef units could improve efficiency with camera techA camera and electronic identification system that has been successfully used in the dairy sector to measure body condition scores and mobility of cows is now being trialled in the… Advertiser contentSee all DAIRYLet’s take a closer look at dry cow managementIs drying off a well-defined and flawlessly executed management task on your dairy farm? There’s no point in cutting corners if you wish to improve your dairy farm’s sustainability. The… BUSINESS MANAGEMENTFarm management app helps Emmerdale star digitise operationsIn our brand new AgVentures by Herdwatch series we visit farms across the UK, Ireland and beyond, showcasing different farming methods, tales and much more. In the latest episode, we… LIVESTOCKFarm data: confidence to make the best decisionsFocusing on performance and profitability are key to livestock farming success. It makes sense. After all, the more information we have, the better the chances of making the best decision.… LIVESTOCKThe farm app helping to increase livestock performanceHerdwatch, the number one farm management software, is now used on over 18,000 farms across the UK. The app which allows farmers to manage their farms at their fingertips caters… LIVESTOCKGathering data on your cows: How Tru-Test makes life easyDatamars is a livestock management company that owns a number of trusted, respected brands, including Tru-Test which many farmers will be familiar with from things like weighing scales, stick readers… LIVESTOCKSustainability key to driving success for BFA winnersKate and Kevin Hoare are full time dairy farmers in Tideford in South-East Cornwall and have been running their own farm business since January 2018. Kate told us “We are…
