Livestock Farmer Focus FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: No downside in switch to shorter mating periodsWhat a tremendous spell of weather. March came in like a lamb and went out like a lamb – thankfully no lion this year. Sunshine on the backs of beasts… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Our maize is off to a good start under filmThe maize and barley are drilled. We had it all finished by 4 April – a full two weeks before we had even started in 2024. Early drilling of maize… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Biosecurity bonus with new boundary fenceIt’s been a refreshing change this spring, with lambing going well thanks to the good dry weather. After last year’s relentless rain and mud, the dry spell has been a… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Spring warmth boosts mood but not lamb priceWell, what beautiful weather we have enjoyed since I last wrote. Farming seems much easier and enjoyable when Mother Nature is on our side. After the past two awful springs,… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Ration tweaks cut soya but sums not adding upI hope everyone is well. Dare I say it, but we could do with some rain now. That said, the dry start to the year has been a blessing for… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Calving complete and silage ground preparedCalving is complete and calves are back at market, so all is going well. With calving finished, it’s now a good time to reflect on how it all went. In… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Rotten posts and cut fence wires delay turnoutSpringtime is always a busy time of year. For every job that gets ticked off the list, another two get added. The ground is hard and, while there isn’t a… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Tentative start for zero grazingDry and cold weather for the past month has finally given way to spring. It certainly makes this job an awful lot easier when the weather co-operates. We finished drilling… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Basic skills still key to measure pig successFor the past few years, we have started off the year by scheduling in staff appraisals for all our team, including myself. At the end of the meeting, I set… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Timing just right for overseeding cloverA dry spring always seems to be a productive one. Slurry, grass seed, and getting the hang of farming with robots seem to have taken my time this past month.… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Extra land gives us winter forage resilienceA delightful spell of weather in March has catered for an easy turnout, which has been comparatively less demanding than previous springs. Production remains up on the past year, due… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Step count at lambing hits marathon levelHow many steps are there in a marathon? Apparently, it is more than 42,000. That means, according to my phone, I'm completing two marathons every two days. No wonder we… More articles
