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DAIRY

How herd exceeds 12,000 litres on twice-a-day milking

A simple, consistent system is helping a Cornish dairy to achieve the UK’s highest yield on twice-a-day milking. According to the National Milk Records’ annual production report, cows at Sixty…

DAIRY

How spate of returns to service led to Q fever diagnosis

Striving for high health status together with efficient production from a block-calving, grazing system hit a snag in 2023 for Dorset dairy farmer Nick Tuke. A portion of cows in…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Nant Ffrancon project spells end for farmers

I've been thinking about the resilience of the farming community while attending the breeding sheep sales dotted about North Wales. We have endured a really tough time over the past…

DAIRY

Ways housed herds can plan for the next heatwave

Mitigating heat stress needs to be a key element of a farm’s management strategy for cows housed in summer. But taking inspiration from hot climates and simply investing in an…

DAIRY

Tips to minimise fetch cows in a free-access robot system

Dairy farmers who have settled their cows into free-access automated milking need to regularly monitor their list of fetch cows. It’s important to take care that being escorted to milking…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Show win softens fifth-cut silage fiasco

September is always extremely busy, and this year was no exception. We harvested the maize in three days during the first week of the month, and it was a very…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Farmers urged to watch for Shamonda virus

Farmers in Northern Ireland are being urged to monitor livestock closely after Shamonda virus (Shav) was detected on two farms in the Republic of Ireland. Department of Agriculture, Environment and…

DAIRY

Curious cows produce more milk, NZ study reveals

Personality influences performance: the “curious” cow has been shown in a New Zealand study to produce a higher milk yield and more milk solids. She also spends more time grazing…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Just enough forage to see us through winter

The recent good weather here meant we managed to cut some more forage this month. That’s more than we have done so far throughout this year. It is good to…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Advice on building drought resilience into grazing plans

Grazing managers are advised to review the lessons learned from this year’s prolonged drought and successive heatwaves, then use them to plan for the same conditions forecast for next year.…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Five ways to get more from grass on suboptimal soils

Weather patterns have a big influence on farm profitability, not least on holdings with less-than-perfect soils. New challenges have been added to the management of fields with heavy or poorly…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: No mud on road as maize brought in

The day my previous article was published, the weather finally turned and we had some very welcome showers. The grass turned green within hours and it hasn’t stopped growing since.…

BOVINE TB

Residual TB infection puts cleared herds at risk

Governments across Great Britain have been grappling with bovine TB for decades, yet many farmers continue to experience repeated breakdowns and prolonged disruption. Questions over skin test interpretation, wildlife management…

Livestock news

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Farmers urged to watch for Shamonda virus

Farmers in Northern Ireland are being urged to monitor livestock closely after Shamonda virus (Shav) was detected on two farms in the Republic of Ireland. Department of Agriculture, Environment and…

DAIRY

NFU rejects claims that large dairy farms are bad for nature

Claims that so-called “mega-dairies” pose a disproportionate risk to nature have been rebuffed by farmer representatives, who say farm size alone is not a reliable indicator of environmental performance. The…

BLUETONGUE

NI farmers warned over rising bluetongue threat

Northern Ireland farmers are being warned to remain vigilant after bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) was detected in the Republic of Ireland, bringing the livestock disease closer to the border than…

ENVIRONMENT

Dairy farms trial 200 measures to cut emissions

Dairy farmers are trialling more than 200 practical measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions through the UK Dairy Carbon Network (UK-DCN), including nutrition, breeding, animal health and nutrient management. The…

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DAIRY

How herd exceeds 12,000 litres on twice-a-day milking

A simple, consistent system is helping a Cornish dairy to achieve the UK’s highest yield on twice-a-day milking. According to the National Milk Records’ annual production report, cows at Sixty…

DAIRY

How spate of returns to service led to Q fever diagnosis

Striving for high health status together with efficient production from a block-calving, grazing system hit a snag in 2023 for Dorset dairy farmer Nick Tuke. A portion of cows in…

DAIRY

Ways housed herds can plan for the next heatwave

Mitigating heat stress needs to be a key element of a farm’s management strategy for cows housed in summer. But taking inspiration from hot climates and simply investing in an…

DAIRY

Tips to minimise fetch cows in a free-access robot system

Dairy farmers who have settled their cows into free-access automated milking need to regularly monitor their list of fetch cows. It’s important to take care that being escorted to milking…

LIVESTOCK

Advice on reducing the risk of dry-period mastitis

The first few weeks of lactation are one of the most valuable times to collect mastitis data, yet it’s easy for data recording to slip down the priority list. Mastitis…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Advice on building drought resilience into grazing plans

Grazing managers are advised to review the lessons learned from this year’s prolonged drought and successive heatwaves, then use them to plan for the same conditions forecast for next year.…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Five ways to get more from grass on suboptimal soils

Weather patterns have a big influence on farm profitability, not least on holdings with less-than-perfect soils. New challenges have been added to the management of fields with heavy or poorly…

DAIRY

7 things dairy farms need to grow their businesses

Growth in the dairy sector will be needed to meet future food demand and environmental targets, but planning remains a major “choke” to investment. This was the message from NFU…

HOUSING AND HANDLING

How farm's cattle-handling revamp ups efficiency and safety

Regularly weighing cattle is central to Robert Neill’s beef operation in the Scottish Borders. Progeny from his 380-cow suckler herd are taken to finishing weight – bulls this year are…

HOUSING AND HANDLING

How updating slats helped sheep farm cut lameness and labour

A purpose-built slatted lambing shed that was put up in the 1960s on a Monmouthshire farm has reduced labour and straw while keeping flock lameness below 1%. Over this time,…

HOUSING AND HANDLING

Dairy roofs: What is best for cows in a changing climate?

A clear roof has created pleasant working conditions for staff, a great living environment for cows in winter – and has been keeping cows cool during this summer’s heatwaves. See…

BLUETONGUE

Farmers told 'not too late' to vaccinate against bluetongue

Dairy farmers are being urged to vaccinate against BTV-3 if they haven’t already, with vets warning midges are still active and the disease will overwinter. “Everybody in England should consider…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

What worked on dairy units to combat this year’s heatwaves?

“Soakers”, space, diet and shade have been effective tactics in reducing heat stress in dairy cows this year – Britain’s hottest on record, with five official heatwaves logged since May.…

LIVESTOCK

Benefits of heat exchangers for poultry performance

It makes a lot of sense to reuse heat that is present in poultry housing. Warming up the incoming fresh air to provide the necessary ventilation keeps the internal atmosphere…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How lucerne kept lambs growing as grass turned brown

Scaling up the acreage of drought-tolerant lucerne from 6.9ha (17 acres) to 12ha (30 acres) maintained grazing for lambs through the summer drought at Newton Farm, Brecon. While grass growth…

PIGS

FW Awards: Meet the 2026 Pig Farmer of the Year finalists

This year’s finalists run very different systems, but all focus on high-welfare, sustainable businesses to optimise productivity. See also: FW Awards: Meet the 2026 Mixed Farmer of the Year finalists…

Grazing advice

Meat markets and prices

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BUSINESS

Scottish cattle herd edges higher after years of decline

Scotland’s cattle herd has increased for the first time since 2021, providing a tentative sign of stabilisation for the livestock sector after years of decline. The June Agricultural Census 2026…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Tight supplies underpin slightly firmer beef market

Tight supplies are supporting GB cattle prices, with steers gaining nearly 8p in the week ending 26 September, to average 631p/kg deadweight. Heifers rose by 7p to average 627p/kg dw,…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Steady pig prices reflect sector challenges

Four weeks of consecutive increase in the GB EU-spec Standard Pig Price (SPP) ended in the week to 26 September, with prices dropping from 180.84p/kg deadweight to 180.25p/kg dw. As…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Prime cattle prices rise as autumn demand strengthens

Stronger autumn demand and continued limited availability have driven GB prime cattle prices up another 4p/kg to 615p/kg deadweight in the week ending 12 September. At the same time, steers…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

20,000gns Texel tops record £3m Builth ram sale

A 20,000gns Texel shearling led a record £3m-plus trade at the National Sheep Association (NSA) Wales and Border Main Ram Sale at Builth Wells on Monday (21 September). Some 2,857…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Lamb trade holds firm despite export market caution

The prime lamb trade is starting to strengthen, with latest auction returns showing prices holding well despite an increase of lambs now coming forward. “The dry weather conditions experienced in…

Livestock community

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FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Nant Ffrancon project spells end for farmers

I've been thinking about the resilience of the farming community while attending the breeding sheep sales dotted about North Wales. We have endured a really tough time over the past…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Show win softens fifth-cut silage fiasco

September is always extremely busy, and this year was no exception. We harvested the maize in three days during the first week of the month, and it was a very…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Just enough forage to see us through winter

The recent good weather here meant we managed to cut some more forage this month. That’s more than we have done so far throughout this year. It is good to…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: No mud on road as maize brought in

The day my previous article was published, the weather finally turned and we had some very welcome showers. The grass turned green within hours and it hasn’t stopped growing since.…

Dairy

DAIRY

How herd exceeds 12,000 litres on twice-a-day milking

A simple, consistent system is helping a Cornish dairy to achieve the UK’s highest yield on twice-a-day milking. According to the National Milk Records’ annual production report, cows at Sixty…

DAIRY

How spate of returns to service led to Q fever diagnosis

Striving for high health status together with efficient production from a block-calving, grazing system hit a snag in 2023 for Dorset dairy farmer Nick Tuke. A portion of cows in…

DAIRY

Ways housed herds can plan for the next heatwave

Mitigating heat stress needs to be a key element of a farm’s management strategy for cows housed in summer. But taking inspiration from hot climates and simply investing in an…

DAIRY

Tips to minimise fetch cows in a free-access robot system

Dairy farmers who have settled their cows into free-access automated milking need to regularly monitor their list of fetch cows. It’s important to take care that being escorted to milking…

LIVESTOCK

Advice on reducing the risk of dry-period mastitis

The first few weeks of lactation are one of the most valuable times to collect mastitis data, yet it’s easy for data recording to slip down the priority list. Mastitis…

DAIRY

Curious cows produce more milk, NZ study reveals

Personality influences performance: the “curious” cow has been shown in a New Zealand study to produce a higher milk yield and more milk solids. She also spends more time grazing…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Advice on building drought resilience into grazing plans

Grazing managers are advised to review the lessons learned from this year’s prolonged drought and successive heatwaves, then use them to plan for the same conditions forecast for next year.…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Five ways to get more from grass on suboptimal soils

Weather patterns have a big influence on farm profitability, not least on holdings with less-than-perfect soils. New challenges have been added to the management of fields with heavy or poorly…

DAIRY

7 things dairy farms need to grow their businesses

Growth in the dairy sector will be needed to meet future food demand and environmental targets, but planning remains a major “choke” to investment. This was the message from NFU…

DAIRY

NFU rejects claims that large dairy farms are bad for nature

Claims that so-called “mega-dairies” pose a disproportionate risk to nature have been rebuffed by farmer representatives, who say farm size alone is not a reliable indicator of environmental performance. The…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society launches Dairy Beef Index

The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society has launched a breeding tool to help dairy farmers select genetics that will suit the dairy herd while also producing a good beef calf. See also: Why…

HOUSING AND HANDLING

Dairy roofs: What is best for cows in a changing climate?

A clear roof has created pleasant working conditions for staff, a great living environment for cows in winter – and has been keeping cows cool during this summer’s heatwaves. See…

Livestock machinery

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BALERS AND WRAPPERS

Krone refreshes Big Pack baler line-up with new models

The beefed-up flagship in Krone’s Big Pack square baler line-up is being joined by more “Gen6” models with uprated features and two levels of specification to suit different user needs…

TRACTORS

Zetor moves tractor production from Czech to India and China

Tractor maker Zetor has finally acknowledged it can no longer manufacture and assemble its products competitively in the city of Brno, its long-standing home in the Czech Republic. Dwindling sales…

RAKES AND MERGERS

Pottinger’s mounted rake trails in corners for neater swaths

For neatly laid swaths that a baler, forage harvester or silage wagon can easily follow through corners, Pottinger’s latest tractor-mounted rake behaves like a trailed unit. The two-rotor Top V…

BALERS AND WRAPPERS

Harvest Assist app records bale weight, moisture and location

Baling contractors and operators keen to learn more about the efficiency of their operations can gather a whole load of potentially useful data by using the latest version of Pottinger’s…

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