Livestock Farmer Focus 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… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Biochar in broiler bedding on testNovember is one of the quietest times of the year on the farm, giving everyone a bit of a breather and me the chance for a valuable few days away… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Better silage storage proves ongoing conundrumGrass has never stopped growing: the unseasonally mild weather means we still have an abundance of it, and a few team members kept joking we should have taken a sixth… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Family getaway no escape from milk price dropWith the clocks turned back, the weather has turned wet here in west Wales. We're hoping to do some on/off grazing till mid-November and are aiming at closing farm cover… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Sucklers gain condition after arid summerAll things considered, it has been a good autumn here so far. With the crops in the ground and the drill tucked up in the barn until next spring, we… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Abattoir deal rewards higher pig productivityWhat a refreshing change it was to have had all winter cereals in the ground, everything rolled and pre-emergence treatments done by the end of October. Well done to Ed… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Careful handling reduces weaning stressOne of the greatest challenges we face on an outdoor breeding unit is the efficient execution of weaning day. Not least because the task often starts in darkness with head… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Rising Bactoscan prompts parlour checksFirst, I have to admit to being “influenced” by something I saw on social media, and impulse buying it. Amazingly, it actually worked! We were due to change liners in… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Buy feed or cull only choices in drought yearNow, at the end of October, the grass looks the best it has all year. Unfortunately, it is unlikely we are going to see a suitable weather window to harvest… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Flock reduction opens door to new challengeIt’s never boring at Beanhill. The big news this month is I have a new job. With sheep numbers down and me stepping back from my voluntary position at British… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Dry window for liming and hedgetrimmingThe weather over the past month has been kind. We were able to get the second-cut silage from our reseedings by the end of September, which seemed very unlikely a… More articles
