Livestock top stories LIVESTOCKHow a Portuguese green oasis inspired a move to agroforestryMike Adams had never seen the point in growing trees in fields. But visits to farms in southern Europe and Turkey proved transformational; he is now sold on their benefits… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTBenefits of embracing NZ grazing techniques – 30 years onAn influx of New Zealand consultants – led by the late Jerry Ryder, Wiltshire dairy farmer and the-then president of the British Grassland Society – set off a rotational grazing… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Will robot shed be ready for Christmas?It soon comes round, does Christmas. There never seems to be enough time in December to get everything done, especially when there’s an ongoing project – in this instance, our… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTHow gauchos, Incas and advisers evolved Welsh farm systemA Welsh grazier has taken life lessons from indigenous peoples and farming lessons from leading farmers and consultants to ring the changes at home. Wil Evans’s experiences inspired him to… DAIRYDairy farmer contraction shows first signs of slowingThe exodus of British dairy farmers is slowing after a year when near-record numbers quit the industry. New figures show that, although around 300 ceased milk production in the 12… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Good and bad of farming social mediaOver the past few weeks we’ve seen the positive impact and negative impact of social media within agriculture. First, a positive impact gathering people together from across Britain to demonstrate… DAIRYAdvice on installing a new dairy parlourA parlour is a significant investment and should not be given the green light before carefully considering the business’s future, options and design. David Ball, lead environment specialist at the… Livestock news LIVESTOCK DISEASESWeybridge research institute gets £200m cash injectionThe UK’s ability to deal with a major disease outbreak is being strengthened with a new £200m “science hub” at the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (Apha) Weybridge laboratories. Weybridge… LIVESTOCK DISEASESBSE case confirmed on Scottish farmThe Scottish government have confirmed a single case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) on a farm in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. This follows a case earlier in the year… COMPLIANCETime running out to complete sheep records in WalesFarmers in Wales must complete their annual sheep and goat inventory a month earlier this year as the country brings its deadline in line with England’s. For the first year,… LIVESTOCK DISEASESUFU calls Daera’s bovine TB review an ‘insult’The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has delivered a scathing critique of the latest government review of Northern Ireland’s bovine tuberculosis (TB) strategy, labelling it an insult to farmers grappling with… 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 LIVESTOCKHow a Portuguese green oasis inspired a move to agroforestryMike Adams had never seen the point in growing trees in fields. But visits to farms in southern Europe and Turkey proved transformational; he is now sold on their benefits… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTBenefits of embracing NZ grazing techniques – 30 years onAn influx of New Zealand consultants – led by the late Jerry Ryder, Wiltshire dairy farmer and the-then president of the British Grassland Society – set off a rotational grazing… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTHow gauchos, Incas and advisers evolved Welsh farm systemA Welsh grazier has taken life lessons from indigenous peoples and farming lessons from leading farmers and consultants to ring the changes at home. Wil Evans’s experiences inspired him to… DAIRYAdvice on installing a new dairy parlourA parlour is a significant investment and should not be given the green light before carefully considering the business’s future, options and design. David Ball, lead environment specialist at the… DAIRYWhy low-mastitis herd helps keeps tabs on medicines cabinetThe downside of a dairy herd with less than 5% mastitis is having to maintain a stock of in-date antibiotics. This is the case for the Hodginkson family, who run… PIGS4 steps to tackle porcine respiratory disease complexAs winter sets in, so the risk of respiratory disease goes up. I have seen an increase in cases on several pig farms recently, especially following cold, dank days and… FEED AND NUTRITIONHow growing lucerne could build resilience for Welsh farmIntegrating drought-tolerant lucerne into its sheep rotation has helped a Welsh livestock farm reduce the risk of feed shortfalls. Nitrogen fixing as well as deep rooted, lucerne has leaves with… LIVESTOCKAdvice for livestock farmers considering a switch to organicFarmers considering converting to organic production should take a whole-farm view when weighing up their options. Talking to other farmers with first-hand experience is also time well spent, says the… LIVESTOCKHow a shift in grazing grew more beef for less moneySoils with greater water-holding capacity, more diverse pastures and big savings on winter housing are among the standout results of a four-year grazing project at FAI Farms near Oxford. The… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTStaff loss catalyst for Highland organic conversionGoing organic is a natural step for one Highland farm as it takes steps to reduce risk and restructures. The maternal stock of beef and sheep farmers David and Barbara… DAIRYHow new lagoon will drive silage quality and milk from forageA major slurry lagoon project is a Lanarkshire family farm’s next step in their organic journey. Andrew Stewart, of Draffan Marshill, Kirkmuirhill, says the simplicity of organic farming, and the… YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENTBenefits of dedicated calf rearer for split block-calverFeeding calves is not a low-ranking job at Lower Park Farm. Instead, an employee dedicated to calf rearing is considered the key to consistency in feeding, weighing and following protocols… DAIRYHow stocking rate is hitting the sweet spot for a dairy farmThe “sweet spot” for a Staffordshire dairy farm is a stocking rate of 2.2 cows a hectare, allowing a spring block-calving herd to become self-sufficient in forage, while maintaining milk… HEALTH AND WELFAREAdvice on maintaining a healthy rumenThe dairy cow’s rumen is a large bioreactor, home to a diverse and dense population of microbes. A single teaspoon of ruminal content contains 150bn micro-organisms, which act in co-ordination… DAIRYFive ways to achieve zero treatments and losses in calvesGetting the basics right – consistently – and putting calves first led to a four-year period of zero treatments and zero losses in calves for Canadian vet and dairy farmer… DAIRY5 heritable traits to improve mastitis and cell countsUdder health traits can have a profound effect on milk price and herd profitability. Genetics are among many factors that have helped improve udder health, such as better tools for… Silage advice Guidance on analysing and targeting forage quality this year Tips on improving silage quality in a wet season How self-feed silage allowed autumn-block herd to expand 5 steps to covering silage pits for an airtight seal Meat markets and pricesSee all MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESCull cow base tipped to narrow gap with prime cattleA 140p/kg gulf between cull cow and prime cattle base prices is expected to close over the coming weeks as processors seek cheaper cuts. Trade sources predict a 430p/kg deadweight… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESFlying lamb trade showing no sign of stopping next yearFinished lamb prices have flourished throughout 2024, with deadweight values on the cusp of £7/kg this week. The trade has been primarily driven by tight supplies, with UK clean sheep… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESMeat wholesalers warn of empty shelves in ScotlandGaps could appear in the red meat sections at UK supermarkets in 2025 amid a warning that domestic supplies are “nearing a critical tipping point”. The downward trajectory in cattle… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESFestive trade on fire at Christmas fatstock showsFinished cattle achieved exceptional prices at Christmas fatstock shows and sales across the country in December, lifting the trade to new record highs. Regular buyers were joined by butchers and… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESFine margins for pig producers as finished prices waverFinished pig prices have been steadily falling throughout 2024 and have fallen by more than 7p/kg since the beginning of the year. The EU-spec standard pig price (SPP) has been… BUSINESS£80m uplift for British pork as China lifts export banBritish pork is back on Chinese menus as the UK government announces the end of Covid-era restrictions on unprocessed pork exports to China, unlocking an estimated £80m revenue boost for… Livestock communitySee all FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: A year of TV highs and disease lowsReflecting on the year, I’d say 2024 has been a roller coaster. I have gained enormous satisfaction from creating a pig unit set up on self-drilled grass leys in early… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Bovaer fallout shows the struggle we haveI can’t believe we’ve reached this stage of the year already – it seems to have flown in. What I also can’t quite get my head around is the fact… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Will robot shed be ready for Christmas?It soon comes round, does Christmas. There never seems to be enough time in December to get everything done, especially when there’s an ongoing project – in this instance, our… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Good and bad of farming social mediaOver the past few weeks we’ve seen the positive impact and negative impact of social media within agriculture. First, a positive impact gathering people together from across Britain to demonstrate… Dairy GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTBenefits of embracing NZ grazing techniques – 30 years onAn influx of New Zealand consultants – led by the late Jerry Ryder, Wiltshire dairy farmer and the-then president of the British Grassland Society – set off a rotational grazing… DAIRYDairy farmer contraction shows first signs of slowingThe exodus of British dairy farmers is slowing after a year when near-record numbers quit the industry. New figures show that, although around 300 ceased milk production in the 12… DAIRYAdvice on installing a new dairy parlourA parlour is a significant investment and should not be given the green light before carefully considering the business’s future, options and design. David Ball, lead environment specialist at the… DAIRYWhy low-mastitis herd helps keeps tabs on medicines cabinetThe downside of a dairy herd with less than 5% mastitis is having to maintain a stock of in-date antibiotics. This is the case for the Hodginkson family, who run… DAIRYTop EnviroCow sire leads latest Holstein rankingsA genomic profitable lifetime index of £928 and the best EnviroCow score of the breed has put Denovo 20893 Harmony at the top of the AHDB’s latest Holstein sire rankings,… DAIRYHow new lagoon will drive silage quality and milk from forageA major slurry lagoon project is a Lanarkshire family farm’s next step in their organic journey. Andrew Stewart, of Draffan Marshill, Kirkmuirhill, says the simplicity of organic farming, and the… YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENTBenefits of dedicated calf rearer for split block-calverFeeding calves is not a low-ranking job at Lower Park Farm. Instead, an employee dedicated to calf rearing is considered the key to consistency in feeding, weighing and following protocols… DAIRYHow stocking rate is hitting the sweet spot for a dairy farmThe “sweet spot” for a Staffordshire dairy farm is a stocking rate of 2.2 cows a hectare, allowing a spring block-calving herd to become self-sufficient in forage, while maintaining milk… LIVESTOCKFeed efficiency research reveals importance of cow groupingBreeding dairy herds for feed efficiency can be negatively impacted on-farm by managing lactating cows in mixed parity groups. This is because of competition at the feed bunk and a… DAIRYCow health strategy rethink needed after bolus lossDairy farms need to review their strategies for preventing metabolic disease in transition cows as monensin boluses are no longer on the market, said independent veterinary consultant Dr David Charles.… LIVESTOCKData drives business decisions on US dairyA data-driven culture operates at High Plains Ponderosa Dairy in Kansas, with all business decisions and performance goals based on data. This is according to chief executive and managing partner… HEALTH AND WELFAREAdvice on maintaining a healthy rumenThe dairy cow’s rumen is a large bioreactor, home to a diverse and dense population of microbes. A single teaspoon of ruminal content contains 150bn micro-organisms, which act in co-ordination… Advertisements Livestock machinerySee all TELEHANDLERSDriver's View: Harry Whiteman's Claas Scorpion 741 Gen 2As the name suggests, the Scorpion 741 Generation 2 is the second iteration of Claas’ Liebherr-built 7m/4t telehandler. The standout upgrade from the original is a power hike from 136hp… TELEHANDLERSDriver's view: Adam Symonds' Bobcat TL38.70 HFBobcat might be the first name in skid-steers, but it’s yet to find the same success on the telehandler scene. That’s gradually changing, with the Czech-based manufacturer focused on growing… TELEHANDLERSDriver's view: Steve Miller's Manitou MLT 741-130 PS+There’s no shortage of choice as far as Manitou’s telehandler range is concerned, with most shapes, sizes and specs accounted for in a line-up that runs from 35hp and 1.25t/4.3m… TELEHANDLERSDriver's View: John Walker's JCB Loadall 542-70 Agri Xtra As the second largest telehandler in JCB’s extensive agricultural range, the Loadall 542-70 is geared up for handling large grain buckets, bale grabs and bag lifters. Four versions are available… Most popular this week
