Livestock top stories DAIRYHow difficult succession talks led to dairy expansionDespite being a partner in the business at the age of 18 and driving many key decisions, John Cartledge found his ambition had outgrown the acreage at his family’s dairy… LIVESTOCK MARKETINGDiverse cattle tracing systems could undermine disease controlMeat industry representatives have warned that the development of separate livestock movement recording systems in England, Scotland and Wales could undermine the effectiveness of a previously unified traceability system. But… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Farming skills feted at long-service awardsSince I last wrote, a great deal has happened. The Stirling Bull Sales, which I unfortunately missed, proved highly successful for both Aberdeen Angus and Beef Shorthorns, reflecting the buoyant… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTAdvice on cost-effectively overseeding a tired swardOverseeding can be an easier, cheaper, quicker way to rejuvenate a tired sward, but it will only be cost-effective if it leads to successful establishment. This year’s waterlogged fields and… DAIRYAdvice on balancing fibre and concentrates in dairy dietsDairy farmers who capitalise on a positive milk-to-feed-price ratio by upping concentrates in herd diets risk triggering acidosis and other metabolic issues if they fail to consider fibre. Although milk… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Turnip fields drying out to finish store lambsSpring has arrived, and after such a prolonged wet winter, it couldn’t be more welcome. I even managed to apply 125kg/ha of polysulphate to the oilseed rape before the end… DAIRYAdvice for producers on navigating falling milk pricesAfter a sustained period of strong returns, milk prices have fallen sharply and cashflow is now tightening. Advisers are urging producers to take proactive steps to manage milk volumes and… LIVESTOCKWhat to do if you have trespassers on your livestock farmVideos made by animal rights activists and shared on social media pose reputational risks to agriculture, but the physical presence of activists on your farm adds another layer of complexity.… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Anti-inflammatories prove their worth in herdThe cows had a real wobble at the beginning of February. We’ve put it down to a winter dysentery but can’t be really sure. We typically have three or four… BOVINE TBTB fight in Wales shows little progressWales is failing to make meaningful headway in eradicating bovine TB, according to a damning position paper from the Bovine TB Programme Board. The board’s data (opens in PDF) shows… SHEEPHow performance recording led to a 30p/kg lamb price premiumPerformance recording has helped a Powys hill farm capture a £6 a lamb price premium, while higher-index ewes are weaning an average 4.2kg more lamb than the lower-index ones. Estimated… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Could easier local tip access cut fly-tipping?We have finished scanning our ewes and we are pretty happy with the results. We never expect terribly high scanning percentages as we are pretty low input and run majority… FEED AND NUTRITIONHow one farm is trialling a regen approach to forage maizeFaced with a reliance on maize but driven by a commitment to regenerative farming principles, Lucy and Rob Noad set out to prove that maize can be grown more sustainably.… LIVESTOCKAdvice on growing successful maize crops after a wet winterChallenging wet weather, waterlogged soils and flooded sites mean growers must be flexible and develop a farm-specific strategy to get maize seed in the ground this year. Conditions are not… Livestock news LIVESTOCK MARKETINGDiverse cattle tracing systems could undermine disease controlMeat industry representatives have warned that the development of separate livestock movement recording systems in England, Scotland and Wales could undermine the effectiveness of a previously unified traceability system. But… SHEEPSheep sector braces for shake-up over tailing and castrationSheep farmers have less than a week to respond to Defra’s consultation on tail docking and castration – proposals that could reshape flock management across the country. The UK-wide consultation,… PIGSPig industry responds to London Underground ad campaignThe pig industry has expressed frustration over a two-week campaign by Animal Justice Project on the London underground, which has placed 22 large posters across 12 stations, urging commuters to… LIVESTOCK DISEASESBVD movement restrictions to start in Northern IrelandFarmers in Northern Ireland are being reminded of the impending movement restrictions for breeding‑age females in herds where bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) has been confirmed. The new measures come into… 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 DAIRYHow difficult succession talks led to dairy expansionDespite being a partner in the business at the age of 18 and driving many key decisions, John Cartledge found his ambition had outgrown the acreage at his family’s dairy… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTAdvice on cost-effectively overseeding a tired swardOverseeding can be an easier, cheaper, quicker way to rejuvenate a tired sward, but it will only be cost-effective if it leads to successful establishment. This year’s waterlogged fields and… DAIRYAdvice on balancing fibre and concentrates in dairy dietsDairy farmers who capitalise on a positive milk-to-feed-price ratio by upping concentrates in herd diets risk triggering acidosis and other metabolic issues if they fail to consider fibre. Although milk… DAIRYAdvice for producers on navigating falling milk pricesAfter a sustained period of strong returns, milk prices have fallen sharply and cashflow is now tightening. Advisers are urging producers to take proactive steps to manage milk volumes and… LIVESTOCKWhat to do if you have trespassers on your livestock farmVideos made by animal rights activists and shared on social media pose reputational risks to agriculture, but the physical presence of activists on your farm adds another layer of complexity.… SHEEPHow performance recording led to a 30p/kg lamb price premiumPerformance recording has helped a Powys hill farm capture a £6 a lamb price premium, while higher-index ewes are weaning an average 4.2kg more lamb than the lower-index ones. Estimated… FEED AND NUTRITIONHow one farm is trialling a regen approach to forage maizeFaced with a reliance on maize but driven by a commitment to regenerative farming principles, Lucy and Rob Noad set out to prove that maize can be grown more sustainably.… LIVESTOCKAdvice on growing successful maize crops after a wet winterChallenging wet weather, waterlogged soils and flooded sites mean growers must be flexible and develop a farm-specific strategy to get maize seed in the ground this year. Conditions are not… DAIRYHow slurry investment will slash dairy unit’s energy billsIt takes courage to spend more than £700,000 on a small-scale anaerobic digestion plant and slurry separator when milk prices are under pressure. However, the new setup at a Cumbrian… PIGSHow a scoring tool can help close gaps in pig biosecurityBiosecurity is the foundation of disease control on pig farms and a powerful driver of performance. But despite its importance, it can feel abstract on farm, leaving producers unsure what… BREEDING AND FERTILITYAdvice on long-term dairy crossbreeding strategiesEarly adopters of crossbreeding as a tool to produce the right kind of cow for their block-calving, grazing-based systems, found that longer term breeding strategies could become haphazard. Selecting the… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTHow farm’s electronic weather station aids grazing decisionsDitching multiple Met Office weather forecasts in favour of their own, precise, weather predictions has allowed Georgina and Adam Roberts to fine-tune grazing management – and reduce poaching at Trye… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTHow one dairy grows top-quality grass for grazing and silageCheshire farmer James Witter mowed a fifth cut of grass silage on 28 December 2025, picking it up on New Year’s Eve, just before the weather turned cold. This additional… DAIRY3 ways for dairy units to make on/off grazing workA combination of low (or no) silage stocks and a falling milk price means there are dairy farmers turning cows out, despite wet conditions. On/off grazing is the most effective… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT6 tips on producing grass silage at optimal dry matterGood-quality grass silage is the foundation of the winter ration for livestock, and throughout the year for housed systems. A key metric for achieving the best intakes and performance from… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTBenefits of hay over silage for outwintered suckler cowsConserving multispecies swards as hay instead of silage has cut losses from spoilage and saved wrapping and disposal costs for Sam Pearman’s outwintered suckler cows on a bale-grazing system. See… Lambing advice How to identify and treat five sheep 'iceberg diseases' Step-by-step guide to dealing with vaginal prolapse in sheep 5 tips for successfully feeding newborn lambs How to recognise and manage ringwomb in livestock in labour 5 top tips to prevent watery mouth in lambs Expert advice on assessing and managing lambing difficulties Guide to preventing enzootic abortion in ewes Video: How to successfully wet-adopt a lamb Meat markets and pricesSee all MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESUK finished pig prices fall to three-year lowFinished pig prices have fallen by 13p/kg since the start of the year, and have dropped to their lowest levels since the industry backlogs of 2022. The Standard Pig Price… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESGlobal demand for meat set to grow as production risesGlobal meat consumption is expected to increase over the next five years, with demand for red meat and poultry projected to climb. Dr Phil Hadley, secretary general of the International… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESScottish cattle numbers still falling but decline slowsQuality Meat Scotland (QMS) has projected that UK beef production could be on course for an 8% decline by 2030, if the domestic beef herd continues to fall. The Scottish… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESWelsh levy body sets four-year red meat strategyHybu Cig Cymru (Meat Promotions Wales) has published a new strategic action plan setting out its priorities for the next four years to support the Welsh red meat industry. The… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESSmall abattoirs at ‘dangerous tipping point’A Welsh abattoir owner has warned the UK’s network of small slaughterhouses is at a “dangerous tipping point”, as rising regulatory costs threaten to force more local facilities out of… BUSINESSAuction marts left owed thousands by cull ewe buyersA number of auction markets in the north of England have been caught up in an ongoing bidding war between a handful of major cull ewe buyers operating in the… Livestock communitySee all FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Farming skills feted at long-service awardsSince I last wrote, a great deal has happened. The Stirling Bull Sales, which I unfortunately missed, proved highly successful for both Aberdeen Angus and Beef Shorthorns, reflecting the buoyant… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Turnip fields drying out to finish store lambsSpring has arrived, and after such a prolonged wet winter, it couldn’t be more welcome. I even managed to apply 125kg/ha of polysulphate to the oilseed rape before the end… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Anti-inflammatories prove their worth in herdThe cows had a real wobble at the beginning of February. We’ve put it down to a winter dysentery but can’t be really sure. We typically have three or four… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Could easier local tip access cut fly-tipping?We have finished scanning our ewes and we are pretty happy with the results. We never expect terribly high scanning percentages as we are pretty low input and run majority… Dairy DAIRYHow difficult succession talks led to dairy expansionDespite being a partner in the business at the age of 18 and driving many key decisions, John Cartledge found his ambition had outgrown the acreage at his family’s dairy… DAIRYAdvice on balancing fibre and concentrates in dairy dietsDairy farmers who capitalise on a positive milk-to-feed-price ratio by upping concentrates in herd diets risk triggering acidosis and other metabolic issues if they fail to consider fibre. Although milk… DAIRYAdvice for producers on navigating falling milk pricesAfter a sustained period of strong returns, milk prices have fallen sharply and cashflow is now tightening. Advisers are urging producers to take proactive steps to manage milk volumes and… FEED AND NUTRITIONHow one farm is trialling a regen approach to forage maizeFaced with a reliance on maize but driven by a commitment to regenerative farming principles, Lucy and Rob Noad set out to prove that maize can be grown more sustainably.… DAIRYHow slurry investment will slash dairy unit’s energy billsIt takes courage to spend more than £700,000 on a small-scale anaerobic digestion plant and slurry separator when milk prices are under pressure. However, the new setup at a Cumbrian… BREEDING AND FERTILITYAdvice on long-term dairy crossbreeding strategiesEarly adopters of crossbreeding as a tool to produce the right kind of cow for their block-calving, grazing-based systems, found that longer term breeding strategies could become haphazard. Selecting the… FEED AND NUTRITIONForage maize yield more than double under film, trial showsThe impact on a farm’s cost of production from more than doubling forage maize yield, from 7t dry matter/ha to 18t, is significant. This yield benefit was seen when the… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTHow one dairy grows top-quality grass for grazing and silageCheshire farmer James Witter mowed a fifth cut of grass silage on 28 December 2025, picking it up on New Year’s Eve, just before the weather turned cold. This additional… DAIRY3 ways for dairy units to make on/off grazing workA combination of low (or no) silage stocks and a falling milk price means there are dairy farmers turning cows out, despite wet conditions. On/off grazing is the most effective… DAIRY MARKETS AND PRICESAnalysis: Milk price crash tests dairy resilienceWith farmgate milk prices down by more than a quarter since the autumn, dairy producers are dealing with a margin squeeze few producers have experienced at this pace. Since October,… BEEFNorthern Ireland consults on mandatory EID tags for calvesFarmers in Northern Ireland are being urged to share their views on mandatory electronic identification (EID) for newborn cattle as the government consultation nears its end. The Department of Agriculture,… CALVINGAssisted calving: Advice on how and when to helpSome calving cows and heifers may just need more time to go through the different stages of labour, rather than have immediate assistance to get the calf out quickly. Yet… Advertisements Livestock machinerySee all GRASSLAND AND MAIZE EQUIPMENTTwo-in-one Visqueen silage cover speeds up clamp sheetingVisqueen has developed a twin-layer sheet that halves the time it takes to properly seal a silage pit. The first part of the Synergy combination is the firm’s Clingseal vacuum… LOADING SHOVELSDriver’s view: The good and bad of JCB’s 435S loading shovelJCB’s self-proclaimed “king of the clamp” underwent some subtle surgery last winter, giving it more power, more torque and a nifty new lever-steer system. An early example of this latest… MOWERSRT Sales’ stabilising frame reduces mower strain on tractorsMowing tractors could be in for an easier life, thanks to a nifty stabilising frame developed by RT Sales that promises to reduce the strain on cross-shafts and linkages. The… DIET FEEDERSDutch contractor establishes self-propelled mixer operationIt’s rare to find a contracting operation in the UK devoted exclusively to one line of work. A spread of jobs generally helps ensure year-round cashflow, employment for staff, and… Most popular this week
