Livestock Farmer Focus FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Forage stocks get 37t/ha maize boostWell, the rain has finally come, but maybe too late for some. Our grass has really taken off in the past 10 days and should be ready to cut before… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Pig tent flaps are up and down like a yo-yoI have come to the conclusion that making hay in September on our coast is either for the brave or the foolhardy. The rain at the end of August warranted… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Finished lambs disappoint at marketSo far, we have missed most of the promised rain. A fantastic crop of maize came off on the Glorious Twelfth in 37C temperatures, but the herbal ley seed stayed… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Extreme weather prompts grassland rethinkWe have seen a return to what is a more typical weather pattern in north-east Scotland in late summer: a real mix of sunshine and rain. Grass growth has found… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Rain comes too late for reseeding plansIn my last column, I mentioned that the farm was still more green than brown. That didn’t last long. The next heatwave in early to mid-August tightened its grip and… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Late calvers go to reduce stocking rateWith September upon us and summer drawing to a close, what does your grass situation look like? Are you still feeding silage reserves? Ask any farmer in Northern Ireland and… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Morale and winter forage up after rainIt finally rained, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. We had been holding off drilling the forage crop as the forecast was looking very hit and miss.… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Bluetongue confusion ahead of ram saleAs I write my penultimate article, I am watching a beautiful shower of rain: not too heavy, just enough to soak in. I hope it’s not my imagination, but I… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Herd fertility takes hit in summer heatI am reluctant to say how well harvest has gone for fear of upsetting those who have struggled. But there have been plenty of bad weather years farming in Cumbria,… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Drought won’t disappear with first rainfallNot much has changed in terms of drought conditions since my last article. I think we are all starting to realise that the drought of 2026 is not something that… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Managing risk is the essence of farmingThis farming job seems pretty good, doesn’t it? Well, no, not if you believe the doom-laden videos filling up my social media feed over the past couple of weeks. Or,… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Cell counts and mastitis up in heatwaveRain is still nowhere to be seen. We’ve had barely a drop since mid-June, and the second-cut aftermaths haven’t come back at all. The forecast doesn’t show much hope for… More articles
