Livestock top stories DAIRYWhat makes a good employee on a dairy unit?Punctuality is top of the list when it comes to the attributes dairy farmers seek in an employee, closely followed by someone who has a “happy personality” and is “willing… LIVESTOCKFW Awards: 2026 Poultry Farmer of the Year finalistsUnlike last year when all three finalists were egg producers, this year sees three poultrymeat producers vying for the coveted title. See also: FW Awards 2026: Meet the finalists The… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Dry weather great for site work but not cowsAfter almost two years of planning and waiting, the electricity transformer blocking the new parlour site has been moved. That’s allowed us to make the most of the dry weather… DAIRYAdvice on protecting dairy staff from workplace dangersDairy farmers may have a legal responsibility to protect their workers – family and staff – but everyone on farm has a collective responsibility for health and safety. Rather than… FEED AND NUTRITIONTips on choosing brassicas for home-grown winter forageBrassicas dovetail neatly with grass production, producing forage in the months of lower grass growth, from August to February, depending on the variety. Given good growing conditions, they can provide… LIVESTOCK DISEASESBluetongue cases surge as vets warn of severe seasonRapidly rising numbers of bluetongue cases (BTV-3) have sparked growing concern among vets and industry leaders, who say this year’s outbreak is proving far more severe than previous seasons. Speaking… HEALTH AND WELFAREHow wide hedges tightened farm's biosecurityNew 5m-wide, double-fenced hedges are helping protect stock from infectious disease as well as enhancing biodiversity on a Northumberland beef and sheep farm. “It’s good biosecurity before the trees have… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Misting system averts disaster in broiler shedBy the time you read this, I am hoping the prolonged dry spell we have been experiencing will have come to an end, because we certainly do need some rain.… DAIRYTips on improving people skills from a NZ dairy managerManaging a herd of cows may be far easier than managing a team of staff, but dairy farmers can develop their people skills. All it takes is a willingness to… HEALTH AND WELFAREHow multi-pronged health focus raised flock performanceLower-than-average scanning and rearing percentages on a Denbighshire sheep farm persuaded a father and daughter team to seek help for a solution. As they discovered, it is rare to get… LIVESTOCK DISEASESBluetongue cases rise as farmers urged to stay alertFarmers are being urged to monitor livestock closely after 24 cases of BTV-3 bluetongue were confirmed across the UK since 1 July. The latest figures show 21 cases in England… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Hats off to sheep shearers in sauna-like shedIt's dry, hot and our ground is burning, turning a lovely shade of reddish brown. It's the constant topic of conversation among neighbours, how desperately we are in need of… MAIZEWhy UK faces growing mycotoxin risk in silageExtreme weather patterns are increasing the risk that mycotoxins will cause problems for the UK’s high-yielding dairy herds. A global shift in crop production fuelled by climate change is expected… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Schoolkids look on as crews tackle field fireIt has been a busy time in the run-up to harvest. The silage yielded better than expected, thanks to a bit of rain beforehand. Salisbury Plain is currently very burned… Livestock news LIVESTOCK DISEASESBluetongue cases surge as vets warn of severe seasonRapidly rising numbers of bluetongue cases (BTV-3) have sparked growing concern among vets and industry leaders, who say this year’s outbreak is proving far more severe than previous seasons. Speaking… LIVESTOCK DISEASESBluetongue cases rise as farmers urged to stay alertFarmers are being urged to monitor livestock closely after 24 cases of BTV-3 bluetongue were confirmed across the UK since 1 July. The latest figures show 21 cases in England… LIVESTOCKPig producers achieve 72% drop in antibiotics useUK pig farmers have slashed antibiotic use by 10% in a single year, bringing overall use down by 72% in a decade. Data captured by the electronic Medicines Book (eMB)… BOVINE TBDaera launches NI bovine TB wildlife consultationNorthern Ireland’s agriculture minister has launched a consultation on wildlife intervention measures to help tackle bovine TB, including options ranging from badger culling to vaccination. Daera minister Andrew Muir said… 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 LIVESTOCKFW Awards: 2026 Poultry Farmer of the Year finalistsUnlike last year when all three finalists were egg producers, this year sees three poultrymeat producers vying for the coveted title. See also: FW Awards 2026: Meet the finalists The… DAIRYAdvice on protecting dairy staff from workplace dangersDairy farmers may have a legal responsibility to protect their workers – family and staff – but everyone on farm has a collective responsibility for health and safety. Rather than… FEED AND NUTRITIONTips on choosing brassicas for home-grown winter forageBrassicas dovetail neatly with grass production, producing forage in the months of lower grass growth, from August to February, depending on the variety. Given good growing conditions, they can provide… HEALTH AND WELFAREHow wide hedges tightened farm's biosecurityNew 5m-wide, double-fenced hedges are helping protect stock from infectious disease as well as enhancing biodiversity on a Northumberland beef and sheep farm. “It’s good biosecurity before the trees have… DAIRYTips on improving people skills from a NZ dairy managerManaging a herd of cows may be far easier than managing a team of staff, but dairy farmers can develop their people skills. All it takes is a willingness to… HEALTH AND WELFAREHow multi-pronged health focus raised flock performanceLower-than-average scanning and rearing percentages on a Denbighshire sheep farm persuaded a father and daughter team to seek help for a solution. As they discovered, it is rare to get… HOUSING AND HANDLINGHow two farmers improved handling facilities for TB testingTB testing can be one of the most demanding and dangerous jobs on a cattle farm, particularly in high-risk areas where frequent testing is required. Well-designed handling facilities can transform… DAIRYHow to identify outliers to raise herd performanceTargeting average numbers to track performance and monitor changes takes too long to have impact – it is also misleading because a herd’s average can hide a huge range in… FEED AND NUTRITIONHow willow can help provide vitamin B12 to growing lambsThe use of willow for browsing by lambs is being rolled out on a Northumberland farm to help address a cobalt deficiency. The move follows on-farm field trials which, despite… BEEFFW Awards: Meet the 2026 Beef Farmer of the Year finalistsThis year’s finalists are maximising self-sufficiency and lowering costs by growing as much home-grown feed as possible. See also: FW Awards 2026: Meet the finalists Finalists Hawes Farms, Meads Farms, Aylesbury,… BREEDING AND FERTILITYHow NZ genetics added hybrid vigour to wool-shedding flockAs direct subsidies are phased out and significant changes made to agricultural support, sheep farmers are thinking outside the box by adjusting their systems to become more resilient. For John… LIVESTOCK8 tips to optimise brooding of free-range turkey poultsThe arrival of free-range turkey poults and goslings on rearing farms marks a critical stage in the production cycle for the Christmas market. This is when the foundations for the… BREEDING AND FERTILITYHow an annual ram MOT can help optimise flock performanceSuccessive heatwaves this summer could have a lasting effect on tup fertility well into September. While a tup can recover its semen quality six weeks after experiencing high temperatures, the… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTGrassland focus on upland farm lays foundation for expansionThe return of the fourth generation to Cwmbrynich Farm has given the Havard family renewed confidence in the future of livestock farming in the uplands. See also: Top tips on tailoring… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTAdvice on when – and if – to ted grass cut for silageTedding a swath of grass needs to reduce metabolisable energy losses by 0.3MJ/kg of dry matter, otherwise it may not justify a contractor’s charge for the job. A single pass… HEALTH AND WELFARE10-step checklist to prevent and control heifer mastitisHeifers with an elevated somatic cell count in early lactation might remain in trouble for their whole lactation. Data suggests they may average about 1kg/day less milk over the lactation,… Grazing advice Benefits of digestible cocksfoot and tall fescue in drought 3 ways for dairy units to make on/off grazing work Advice on grazing management to reduce tick risk to cattle Spring grazing strategies to maximise lamb performance Meat markets and pricesSee all MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESPig prices remain subdued in oversupplied marketPig prices remain suppressed amid ongoing supply and demand imbalances, both in the UK and further afield. In the week to 25 July, the UK Standard Pig Price stood at… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESBeef prices hold firm as cattle supplies tightenFinished cattle prices remain strong, moving up across most categories in early July, before stabilising again by the middle of the month. At the same time, slaughtering numbers are down,… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESTighter supplies underpin summer lamb pricesReduced stocking densities and tighter domestic demand are supporting lamb prices, despite the usual seasonal drop in values as new-season lamb enters the market. “Supply has been quite tight in… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESDefra minister rejects call for targeted pig supportDefra farming minister Stephen Morgan has rejected calls for targeted support for beleaguered pig producers, insisting current market difficulties do not warrant any government intervention. The case was made by… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES£2m in direct support offered to Scotland's pig producersA new £2m support scheme for Scotland’s independent pig producers has been launched by the Scottish government to help with the significant market challenges facing the sector. Scotland has lost… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESStrong calf trade helps lift dairy farmer marginsThe run of consistently strong calf values shows no signs of easing, with prices staying firm until at least mid-August when autumn-calving herds start to boost supply. Auctioneers nationwide report… Livestock communitySee all FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Dry weather great for site work but not cowsAfter almost two years of planning and waiting, the electricity transformer blocking the new parlour site has been moved. That’s allowed us to make the most of the dry weather… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Misting system averts disaster in broiler shedBy the time you read this, I am hoping the prolonged dry spell we have been experiencing will have come to an end, because we certainly do need some rain.… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Hats off to sheep shearers in sauna-like shedIt's dry, hot and our ground is burning, turning a lovely shade of reddish brown. It's the constant topic of conversation among neighbours, how desperately we are in need of… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Schoolkids look on as crews tackle field fireIt has been a busy time in the run-up to harvest. The silage yielded better than expected, thanks to a bit of rain beforehand. Salisbury Plain is currently very burned… Dairy DAIRYWhat makes a good employee on a dairy unit?Punctuality is top of the list when it comes to the attributes dairy farmers seek in an employee, closely followed by someone who has a “happy personality” and is “willing… DAIRYAdvice on protecting dairy staff from workplace dangersDairy farmers may have a legal responsibility to protect their workers – family and staff – but everyone on farm has a collective responsibility for health and safety. Rather than… DAIRYTips on improving people skills from a NZ dairy managerManaging a herd of cows may be far easier than managing a team of staff, but dairy farmers can develop their people skills. All it takes is a willingness to… MAIZEWhy UK faces growing mycotoxin risk in silageExtreme weather patterns are increasing the risk that mycotoxins will cause problems for the UK’s high-yielding dairy herds. A global shift in crop production fuelled by climate change is expected… HOUSING AND HANDLINGHow two farmers improved handling facilities for TB testingTB testing can be one of the most demanding and dangerous jobs on a cattle farm, particularly in high-risk areas where frequent testing is required. Well-designed handling facilities can transform… DAIRYHow to identify outliers to raise herd performanceTargeting average numbers to track performance and monitor changes takes too long to have impact – it is also misleading because a herd’s average can hide a huge range in… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTAre longer rest periods feasible in grazing dairy herds?Changing grazing management to allow taller entry covers and residuals can be successfully used to improve degraded pastures on dairy farms, a three-year trial has shown. Soil health improved and,… FEED AND NUTRITIONAdvice on supplementing dry cows with magnesiumMagnesium is an essential mineral in preventing milk fever in fresh calvers. When dry cow nutrition is based on a total mixed ration, magnesium can be integrated in the mix.… HEALTH AND WELFARE3 milking settings to check that help lower mastitis riskHerds with excellent control of environmental hygiene can nevertheless struggle with environmental bacteria infecting cows during lactation. In such cases, a milking time assessment may provide some answers. While parlour… HEALTH AND WELFARE3 focus areas for managing mastitis risk in robotic herdsA focus on key problem areas for mastitis control in automatic milking systems has informed updates to the Mastitis Control Plan for robotic dairy units. Deliverers of the plan are… HEALTH AND WELFARETeat dip choice key to mastitis protection, study findsThe type of teat disinfection product used post-milking can have a big impact on the level of protection against environmental pathogens. New findings from vet and researcher Sofie Piepers and… HEALTH AND WELFAREHow fore-milking can increase mastitis detection by 146%Research conducted on Irish dairy farms showed fore-stripping increased clinical mastitis detection by up to 146%. The finding led PhD student Rachael Millar to conclude that clinical mastitis may be… Advertisements Livestock machinerySee all DIET FEEDERSTrioliet offers more accurate Solomix feed ration weighingLivestock mixer-feeder specialist Trioliet has devised a new weighing system for its Solomix tandem-axle models designed to be more accurate and easier to maintain than previous installations. The snappily titled… LOADING SHOVELSClaas Torion 537e gets battery-electric powertrainBattery power has reached Claas' Liebherr-built Torion 537, signified by its "e" designation and flash of blue across the bonnet. The zero-emissions mini shovel has a 32.2kWh pack as standard,… RAKES AND MERGERSKrone adds Pro spec option to compact 12.5m Swadro rakeAdvanced control and automated features currently found only on Krone’s two biggest four-rotor grass rakes are now available on the smaller Swadro TC 1250 with the introduction of the new… BALERS AND WRAPPERSCompostable bale net accompanies Case IH baler updatesA solution to the age-old issue of how to conveniently – and responsibly – dispose of bale net is on its way from CNH in the form of biodegradable netting.… Most popular this week
