Livestock Farmer Focus FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Figures are good despite very wet lambingLambing for 2024 is now complete here at Gelston, Lincolnshire. It’s been a long, hard couple of months, but we’ve done it, and the sun has finally started to make… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Seasonality takes 2p/litre – for now...I seem to start every article by discussing the weather, but at this time of year, it really is in charge. Things improved during the last two weeks of April… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Agriculture bears brunt of changing weatherFrom the start of the 2023/24 season, all that seems to have happened is that I’ve dug myself into a deeper and deeper hole. I have no option but to… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Sheep numbers likely to stay lowWhen I wrote my last column, I thought we were on the cusp of spring. I was sure the longer days and sunshine were just around the corner – how… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Let’s keep the anti-meat agenda honestNot all heroes wear capes, or in this case, not all heroines. Bear with me because this is convoluted. I like to read The Guardian newspaper for its good coverage… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Hoping New Zealand genetics do the businessThere was a sudden scramble to get up to speed. The list of weather-delayed tasks was immense: slurry tanks were full and sheds needed cleaning out as the stock were… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Gilts to trial condition-scoring camera techI hope everyone is well and has seen at least some improvement to weather conditions. It’s better here now, albeit still not as warm as we would like it to… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Behind with spreading work and short of strawI’m struggling for inspiration this month, and I’m not allowed to use expletives here, so all I’ll say is it’s rained – a lot. Here was me thinking when I… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Mind whirring with five days of silage leftI’ve got the mower on and greased up ready for tomorrow, 16 April. Although, as I write this looking out of the window, I could do with a few more… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Applicants for skilled pig staff hard to findTwo years ago, I wrote about the disappointing start we had experienced farrowing the first of our then, new, Landrace gilts. These pigs are the dams of our home-bred commercial… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Outdoor calving of heifers hinges on weatherThe arrival of two sets of twin calves early on the morning of 7 April signalled the start of calving for 2024. Their smooth delivery brought a little optimism for… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Teaser rams gave us busy lambing fortnight Another lambing season is behind us. I must admit, it hasn’t been the best one we’ve ever had. We started off this year with a better-than-usual scanning percentage of 160%.… More articles