Know How / Assessing performance Case studiesSee all ASSESSING PERFORMANCESheep and cattle new entrant shares 4 key lessonsA small grassland farm is turning profits from sheep, sucklers and dairy heifer rearing for a dairy breeding consultant cum part-time farmer. Tom Sellers runs a 25ha (62-acre) Powys County… DAIRYHow milking robots have driven upland dairy’s expansionBromfield Farm, near Wigton in Cumbria, has embraced cutting-edge technology with the installation of seven robotic milking systems and two robotic feed pushers. This has eased workloads and improved cow… LIVESTOCKMeet the 2024 NMR RABDF Gold Cup finalistsSix herds breeding robust cows, developing their staff, and reducing their farm’s carbon footprint, are competing for the 2024 Gold Cup award. Sponsored by the Royal Association of British 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… 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… DAIRYHow three dairy farmers maintain high-yielding herdsWhat is the secret to achieving high yields of more than 10,000 litres a cow a year? Asked how they maintain high levels of production in their dairy enterprises, three… Practical adviceSee all DAIRYAdvice on flexible milking as a management toolBuilding flexibility into milking frequency could boost production, alleviate staff shortages, or create a better work-life balance at certain times of the year. There is scope for farm owners to… DAIRYAdvice on calculating cull cow costs accuratelyFluctuating cull cow prices across the year can result in an average cull value for a herd that may be below expectation. The result can give a false impression of… BREEDING AND FERTILITYWhy refreshing cattle insemination technique mattersAll-year-round calving herds carrying out their own inseminations need to ensure operators attend a refresher course at least every two years. For block-calving herds, it should be an annual event,… PIGSHow pig data management can lead to small but crucial gainsFarrow-to-finish businesses that are good at recording their breeding KPIs can turn this same level of detail to their grow-finish herd to realise incremental gains – and savings. But this… LIVESTOCKWhy it is important to do a staff learning reviewTreating staff training as a tick-box exercise will still cost a farm money and time, but will not necessarily make a difference to the business. Seeing it as a priority… SHEEPAdvice on buying replacement ewes for breedingMost sheep farmers scrutinise rams before purchase, but how many pay the same attention to ewe replacements? They should – not only do they make up half of a flock’s… InsightsSee all DAIRYData collection for dairy herds: What to considerDeveloping cow technology in response to the trend for fewer dairy farms milking more cows, and ongoing labour shortages, has to be more than just a data generating system. Capturing… BEEFSuckler cow depreciation: Why it mattersSuckler producers looking to improve profitability should consider calculating cow depreciation and creating strategies to manage value loss in their herd. This is the advice of rancher and consultant Dallas… 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… 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… ASSESSING PERFORMANCECarbon study shows scope for beef and sheep efficiency gainsFirst-year results of a major carbon footprinting study have shown a huge variation in greenhouse gas emissions from beef and sheep farms across the UK. The average carbon footprint of… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTWhy cell grazing beat set stocking in Devon trialCell grazing is a more sustainable and productive grazing method than set stocking, results from a four-year grazing trial have shown. Cell grazing consistently outperformed set stocking plots at Rothamsted… BEEFHow beef units could improve efficiency with camera techA camera and electronic identification system that has been successfully used in the dairy sector to measure body condition scores and mobility of cows is now being trialled in the… BEEFWhy radical change is needed for sustainable beef industryPlanning ahead to face upcoming issues and working to improve efficiency and build beef businesses with resilience were among the key conclusions from a round table discussion held at Rothamsted… BEEFStruggle for survival revealed in wide-ranging beef surveySome 66% of beef producers will have difficulty in surviving without the farm subsidy – and only 33% reckon their beef enterprise makes a profit every year. This is according… DAIRYRevised methane method pegs dairy emissions 20% lowerNet carbon emissions from a sample of livestock farms fell significantly when analysed by a carbon methodology that accounts for biogenic methane. Distinguishing between biogenic (methane from ruminants) and fossil… LIVESTOCKAdvice on using data to deliver consistent rationsDairy farmers need to make efforts to use their farm data to manage nutrition, monitor the results, then train staff correctly. This is because cows respond to consistency, says professor… LIVESTOCK6 livestock tech developments to look out forFrom driverless tractors to cameras for identifying diseases, several high-tech innovations are coming down the track. Farmers Weekly looks at six highlights. See also: NI farm transforms slurry and food… Advertiser contentSee all DAIRYLet’s take a closer look at dry cow managementIs drying off a well-defined and flawlessly executed management task on your dairy farm? There’s no point in cutting corners if you wish to improve your dairy farm’s sustainability. The… BUSINESS MANAGEMENTFarm management app helps Emmerdale star digitise operationsIn our brand new AgVentures by Herdwatch series we visit farms across the UK, Ireland and beyond, showcasing different farming methods, tales and much more. In the latest episode, we… LIVESTOCKFarm data: confidence to make the best decisionsFocusing on performance and profitability are key to livestock farming success. It makes sense. After all, the more information we have, the better the chances of making the best decision.… LIVESTOCKThe farm app helping to increase livestock performanceHerdwatch, the number one farm management software, is now used on over 18,000 farms across the UK. The app which allows farmers to manage their farms at their fingertips caters… LIVESTOCKGathering data on your cows: How Tru-Test makes life easyDatamars is a livestock management company that owns a number of trusted, respected brands, including Tru-Test which many farmers will be familiar with from things like weighing scales, stick readers… LIVESTOCKSustainability key to driving success for BFA winnersKate and Kevin Hoare are full time dairy farmers in Tideford in South-East Cornwall and have been running their own farm business since January 2018. Kate told us “We are…
