Livestock top stories SHEEPHow failed succession plan led to new beef and sheep setupA progressive beef and sheep farmer in the Scottish Borders served notice to vacate the family farm after 32 years has succeeded in rebuilding a profitable business. Determined it would… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Lambs on pellets as ewes pick at dry grassLast month, I said we were making second-cut silage. That was optimistic: weeks of strong, hot winds have ripped all the moisture out of everything. Stock have eaten all that… LIVESTOCK DISEASESEmergency grants for farmers hit by bluetongue and droughtFarmers facing a double hit from drought and bluetongue are being offered emergency financial support as concern grows over the disease’s spread across the South West. The Addington Fund has… LIVESTOCK DISEASESFarmers warned fleece will not protect sheep from BTV-3Farmers are being warned not to delay shearing in an attempt to protect sheep from bluetongue BTV-3, amid concerns the practice could create serious welfare risks. Industry leaders and vets… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Drought focuses minds on water resilienceThe stream that runs past our house has completely dried up. Two other streams on the farm are just about running with enough water for some of the sheep. Our… LIVESTOCKHot weather fuels early rise in poultry salmonellaPoultry producers are being urged to maintain strict biosecurity as hot, dry conditions contribute to an earlier-than-usual rise in salmonella cases. Cases have risen across breeder, broiler, and layer units,… DAIRYAdvice as drought pressures dairy forage stocksWeeks of dry weather have taken their toll on forage crops, raising fears that many farmers will face winter feed shortages. Nearly three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales… LIVESTOCK DISEASESBluetongue deaths drive up fallen stock costsFarmers hit by severe bluetongue losses are facing thousands of pounds in additional fallen stock collection costs as sheep deaths mount in hotspots. The National Sheep Association (NSA) says some… DAIRYGenosource Jumpstart P heads young Holstein sire rankingStrong health and production credentials have put a new bull at the top of the latest AHDB young Holstein sire evaluations, published 11 August. Genosource Jumpstart P transmits 56.8kg (+0.28%)… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Drought mitigation priority as smoke clearsIn my last article, I commented how great our spring grass growth had been. Silage crops were abundant and we were set up for a fruitful grazing season. Well, how… LIVESTOCK DISEASESBluetongue vaccine stocks run low as cases surgeBluetongue vaccine supplies are under severe pressure in Britain, with one leading manufacturer exhausting its stocks as rapidly rising BTV-3 cases drive demand. Boehringer Ingelheim said its own stores were… ASSESSING PERFORMANCEHow poor ewe condition hits flock productivity hardKeeping ewes in a consistent body condition score of 4 throughout the year is the way to maximise lifetime performance, according to results from AHDB’s Challenge Sheep project. See also: How… FARM POLICYWelsh bovine TB farm trials extendedTwo Welsh pilot projects testing farmer-led approaches to reducing bovine TB risks are being extended until March 2027 following encouraging results. The Pembrokeshire and North Wales projects involve 28 farms… LIVESTOCKMass farmer demo as NI minister defends emergency cattle cullNorthern Ireland agriculture minister Andrew Muir has issued a robust defence of his department’s actions in relation to the destruction of 51 cattle on a farm at Fivemiletown in County… Livestock news LIVESTOCK DISEASESEmergency grants for farmers hit by bluetongue and droughtFarmers facing a double hit from drought and bluetongue are being offered emergency financial support as concern grows over the disease’s spread across the South West. The Addington Fund has… LIVESTOCK DISEASESFarmers warned fleece will not protect sheep from BTV-3Farmers are being warned not to delay shearing in an attempt to protect sheep from bluetongue BTV-3, amid concerns the practice could create serious welfare risks. Industry leaders and vets… LIVESTOCKHot weather fuels early rise in poultry salmonellaPoultry producers are being urged to maintain strict biosecurity as hot, dry conditions contribute to an earlier-than-usual rise in salmonella cases. Cases have risen across breeder, broiler, and layer units,… LIVESTOCK DISEASESBluetongue deaths drive up fallen stock costsFarmers hit by severe bluetongue losses are facing thousands of pounds in additional fallen stock collection costs as sheep deaths mount in hotspots. The National Sheep Association (NSA) says some… 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 SHEEPHow failed succession plan led to new beef and sheep setupA progressive beef and sheep farmer in the Scottish Borders served notice to vacate the family farm after 32 years has succeeded in rebuilding a profitable business. Determined it would… DAIRYAdvice as drought pressures dairy forage stocksWeeks of dry weather have taken their toll on forage crops, raising fears that many farmers will face winter feed shortages. Nearly three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales… DAIRYFW Awards: Meet the 2026 Dairy Farmer of the Year finalistsThis year’s finalists are profitable block-calving herds with a good work/life balance and high standards in staff management. See also: FW Awards: Meet the 2026 Poultry Farmer of the Year finalists… LIVESTOCK DISEASESAdvice for dealing with bluetongue as cases spread rapidlyNorth Devon-based Torch Farm and Equine Vets were called out to their first suspected case of bluetongue (BTV) on 7 July. In less than a month (up to 3 August),… HEALTH AND WELFAREBenefits of practical approach to dry cow therapy protocolsResearch and tighter rules on antibiotics use have given one Somerset dairy farm the push it needed to move away from blanket dry cow therapy and adopt a more selective… DAIRYThe five non-negotiables of a resilient dairy businessFarming with one eye on the future – hoping some of their nine grandchildren will want to join their dairy business – Rodney and Dorothy Elliott are also learning from… LIVESTOCKFW Awards: 2026 Poultry Farmer of the Year finalistsUnlike last year when all three finalists were egg producers, this year sees three poultrymeat producers vying for the coveted title. See also: FW Awards 2026: Meet the finalists The… DAIRYAdvice on protecting dairy staff from workplace dangersDairy farmers may have a legal responsibility to protect their workers – family and staff – but everyone on farm has a collective responsibility for health and safety. Rather than… FEED AND NUTRITIONTips on choosing brassicas for home-grown winter forageBrassicas dovetail neatly with grass production, producing forage in the months of lower grass growth, from August to February, depending on the variety. Given good growing conditions, they can provide… HEALTH AND WELFAREHow wide hedges tightened farm's biosecurityNew 5m-wide, double-fenced hedges are helping protect stock from infectious disease as well as enhancing biodiversity on a Northumberland beef and sheep farm. “It’s good biosecurity before the trees have… DAIRYTips on improving people skills from a NZ dairy managerManaging a herd of cows may be far easier than managing a team of staff, but dairy farmers can develop their people skills. All it takes is a willingness to… HEALTH AND WELFAREHow multi-pronged health focus raised flock performanceLower-than-average scanning and rearing percentages on a Denbighshire sheep farm persuaded a father and daughter team to seek help for a solution. As they discovered, it is rare to get… HOUSING AND HANDLINGHow two farmers improved handling facilities for TB testingTB testing can be one of the most demanding and dangerous jobs on a cattle farm, particularly in high-risk areas where frequent testing is required. Well-designed handling facilities can transform… DAIRYHow to identify outliers to raise herd performanceTargeting average numbers to track performance and monitor changes takes too long to have impact – it is also misleading because a herd’s average can hide a huge range in… FEED AND NUTRITIONHow willow can help provide vitamin B12 to growing lambsThe use of willow for browsing by lambs is being rolled out on a Northumberland farm to help address a cobalt deficiency. The move follows on-farm field trials which, despite… BEEFFW Awards: Meet the 2026 Beef Farmer of the Year finalistsThis year’s finalists are maximising self-sufficiency and lowering costs by growing as much home-grown feed as possible. See also: FW Awards 2026: Meet the finalists Finalists Hawes Farms, Meads Farms, Aylesbury,… Grazing advice Benefits of digestible cocksfoot and tall fescue in drought 3 ways for dairy units to make on/off grazing work Advice on grazing management to reduce tick risk to cattle Spring grazing strategies to maximise lamb performance Meat markets and pricesSee all MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESCalf prices stay strong as buyers chase depleted numbersThe UK calf market continues to be in a strong position for farmers, with the Livestock Auctioneers Association (LAA) reporting “incredible” prices in some areas, driven by a shortage of… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESBreeding sheep set new records at Thame summer saleBreeding sheep enjoyed an exceptionally firm trade at the recent Thame Summer Sheep Fair, despite ongoing challenges presented by grass shortages and bluetongue disease. The event, sponsored by Shearwell Data,… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESFarm groups fear influx of Brazilian meat after EU banOrganisations representing UK farmers and meat processors are demanding the suspension of imports of meat and animal products from Brazil in line with action the EU will instigate next month.… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESMeat exporters challenge new French border inspectionsLegal action by UK meat suppliers is being prepared to challenge new border inspections of meat carcasses destined for France. Since 1 August, hauliers are being ordered to assist French… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESPig prices remain subdued in oversupplied marketPig prices remain suppressed amid ongoing supply and demand imbalances, both in the UK and further afield. In the week to 25 July, the UK Standard Pig Price stood at… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESBeef prices hold firm as cattle supplies tightenFinished cattle prices remain strong, moving up across most categories in early July, before stabilising again by the middle of the month. At the same time, slaughtering numbers are down,… Livestock communitySee all FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Lambs on pellets as ewes pick at dry grassLast month, I said we were making second-cut silage. That was optimistic: weeks of strong, hot winds have ripped all the moisture out of everything. Stock have eaten all that… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Mother Nature still controls 90% of the outcomeWell, my optimism for harvest of 12t/ha average yield was short-lived once the combine started to roll. We planned to start wheat harvest at the start of August, but we… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Drought focuses minds on water resilienceThe stream that runs past our house has completely dried up. Two other streams on the farm are just about running with enough water for some of the sheep. Our… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Drought mitigation priority as smoke clearsIn my last article, I commented how great our spring grass growth had been. Silage crops were abundant and we were set up for a fruitful grazing season. Well, how… Dairy DAIRYAdvice as drought pressures dairy forage stocksWeeks of dry weather have taken their toll on forage crops, raising fears that many farmers will face winter feed shortages. Nearly three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales… STAFF MANAGEMENTArla launches schools drive to tackle dairy skills gapArla is targeting more than 100 schools and 100,000 young people in a drive to tackle a persistent skills gap in British dairy farming. The dairy cooperative’s new outreach programme… DAIRYGenosource Jumpstart P heads young Holstein sire rankingStrong health and production credentials have put a new bull at the top of the latest AHDB young Holstein sire evaluations, published 11 August. Genosource Jumpstart P transmits 56.8kg (+0.28%)… DAIRYFW Awards: Meet the 2026 Dairy Farmer of the Year finalistsThis year’s finalists are profitable block-calving herds with a good work/life balance and high standards in staff management. See also: FW Awards: Meet the 2026 Poultry Farmer of the Year finalists… LIVESTOCK DISEASESAdvice for dealing with bluetongue as cases spread rapidlyNorth Devon-based Torch Farm and Equine Vets were called out to their first suspected case of bluetongue (BTV) on 7 July. In less than a month (up to 3 August),… HEALTH AND WELFAREBenefits of practical approach to dry cow therapy protocolsResearch and tighter rules on antibiotics use have given one Somerset dairy farm the push it needed to move away from blanket dry cow therapy and adopt a more selective… DAIRYThe five non-negotiables of a resilient dairy businessFarming with one eye on the future – hoping some of their nine grandchildren will want to join their dairy business – Rodney and Dorothy Elliott are also learning from… DAIRYWhat makes a good employee on a dairy unit?Punctuality is top of the list when it comes to the attributes dairy farmers seek in an employee, closely followed by someone who has a “happy personality” and is “willing… DAIRYAdvice on protecting dairy staff from workplace dangersDairy farmers may have a legal responsibility to protect their workers – family and staff – but everyone on farm has a collective responsibility for health and safety. Rather than… DAIRYTips on improving people skills from a NZ dairy managerManaging a herd of cows may be far easier than managing a team of staff, but dairy farmers can develop their people skills. All it takes is a willingness to… MAIZEWhy UK faces growing mycotoxin risk in silageExtreme weather patterns are increasing the risk that mycotoxins will cause problems for the UK’s high-yielding dairy herds. A global shift in crop production fuelled by climate change is expected… HOUSING AND HANDLINGHow two farmers improved handling facilities for TB testingTB testing can be one of the most demanding and dangerous jobs on a cattle farm, particularly in high-risk areas where frequent testing is required. Well-designed handling facilities can transform… Advertisements Livestock machinerySee all TEDDERSMid-range Claas Volto tedders get major driveline revampClaas has revamped its mid-range tedders to bring them into line with the larger trailed machines. Five models span working widths from 6.6m to 10.8m, with the largest available in… TECHNOLOGYConverted Leyland 255 powered by used electric car partsA quick drive-by of Ben Bament’s low-key workshop in Farmborough, Somerset would reveal nothing of the wizardly engineering cloaked under the most ordinary of machines berthed outside. Among his curious… DIET FEEDERSTrioliet offers more accurate Solomix feed ration weighingLivestock mixer-feeder specialist Trioliet has devised a new weighing system for its Solomix tandem-axle models designed to be more accurate and easier to maintain than previous installations. The snappily titled… LOADING SHOVELSClaas Torion 537e gets battery-electric powertrainBattery power has reached Claas' Liebherr-built Torion 537, signified by its "e" designation and flash of blue across the bonnet. The zero-emissions mini shovel has a 32.2kWh pack as standard,… Most popular this week
