Livestock Farmer Focus FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Easy-calving heifers biggest success of yearIt is hard to believe that we are fast approaching the end of yet another year. Last year was quite a challenging one for us as a family. However, 2025,… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Cows dry and culls gone for a good priceAnnual shut down is here. The herd was all dried off this week – though we had already dried off 150 over the previous month. They all get a teat… FARMER FOCUSFarmer focus: Pig educational unit will help industry careersAt this festive time, we look back on the year that’s been, writing with triumph on the many achievements while also reflecting on the inevitable, but occasional, low points. I’m… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Slurry storage gap filled by friend’s lagoonI think the less said about the Budget, the better. But surely Leeds West and Pudsey had a better candidate for MP at the last election than Rachel Reeves. She… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Milk solids holding up nicely to meet demandIt seems no time since the clocks went back, and now we’re thinking about Christmas. I retreated to the office to write this and left my wife, Kathryn, tangled up… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Beef and lamb prices must be viewed with cautionWe processed our Charolais cross Wagyu heifer this month. My friend Ben has the patent on the name and he has always been very enthusiastic of the quality. It hasn't… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: 200-day calf weights up 6kg despite dry summerWe have just experienced our first dump of snow this winter. It causes more hassle for us than it does for the cattle outside. About a foot of snow fell… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Tax and disease risk threaten ‘best ever’ yearAnother month, another article, and, in this case, another year. This will be my last article for 2025. Looking back over the year, I must admit it could be one… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Data-driven dry cow therapy decisions under wayWith only a couple of weeks until dry-off, we are focusing on selective dry cow therapy and culls. Both of these have been determined by our milk recordings and health… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Cow body condition picking up on autumn grassSince my last article, we have had the Stirling bull sales, and the Highland Wagyu/Netherton production sale, where I purchased a cow. She is from an imported New Zealand family… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Stubble turnips 'best for years' after droughtAfter a long, dry summer, the weather has finally broken and now seems determined to deliver all the rain we missed – in one go. Fortunately, most of our stock… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Livestock market so much more than sale ringWe tried the store lamb market this past week with my daughter’s Black Welsh Mountains, achieving a very respectable £92. The main flock is managed through to finishing, but these… More articles
