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Know How / Beef / Feed and nutrition

Providing the best feed and nutrition for the beef herd is crucial if growth rate targets are to be hit. Keep up-to-date with latest developments in grazing management, silage-making and ration formulation for the best results.

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AHDB resource

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Case studies

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LIVESTOCK

Why Angus breeder prioritises health and forage-only diets

High health status, easy calving genetics and performance from forage are the foundations of Angus Stovold’s Aberdeen Angus herd. His cattle, although largely sold for breeding, also have to succeed…

BEEF

Why a suckler unit joined an integrated beef scheme

For Stephen and Gretta Hodges, an integrated supply chain offered a beef enterprise with less risk, a smaller workload and more flexibility in terms of succession. They had been farming…

BEEF

Tips to help make beet and bale grazing work in a wet winter

Last winter's heavy rains meant a Welsh family went in at the deep end when they trialled bale grazing for suckler cows to build soil health and cut the housing…

BEEF

How genetic switch grew margin £165 a cow on NI farm

A decision to breed functional, easy-fleshing livestock was taken just in time to spare a high-output grassland farm from the full pressures of monetary inflation.  Sam Chesney, who farms at…

BEEF

Video: Robotic cattle feeder on track for five-year payback

Labour requirements and fixed costs have been cut by an automatic cattle feeding system that has also improved grower-stage performance by 100g a day on a beef finishing unit. James…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

What is behind French Salers breed’s calving ease?

Any breed growth in a sector that is contracting is worth attention. This is true of many of Great Britain’s native breeds: ease of fleshing, calving ease and functionality have…

Practical advice

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LIVESTOCK

How feeding methane inhibitors can help cut emissions

Methane inhibitors supplied in feed rations could play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in ruminants. However, no one size fits all, advises Annie Williams, ruminant nutritionist and…

LIVESTOCK

How soil and crop can contribute to ruminant nutrition

Livestock farmers are advised to take a holistic approach to animal nutrition, accounting for soil, crop and stock when formulating diets to avoid mineral imbalances and optimise animal performance. Independent…

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

Tips on teat cleaning – for calf feeding equipment

Feeding milk to calves through a teat meets the calf’s biological need to suckle, but excellent standards of hygiene are needed to avoid digestive upsets and disease spread. Daily cleaning,…

LIVESTOCK

Tips to prepare a contingency plan to beat another bad winter

Farmers must put in place a contingency plan following this year’s wet spring and carry out a feed budget well in advance. Independent sheep and beef consultant Liz Genever advises…

LIVESTOCK

Guidance on analysing and targeting forage quality this year

Beef and sheep farmers should earmark bales according to which field or cut they came from, so the forage can be targeted at the most appropriate livestock class.   A…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How to assess farm mineral status after high rainfall

Prolonged rainfall has led to concerns about mineral supplementation on farm, due to leaching from the soil.  A mineral audit may be a better investment than reaching straight for boluses,…

Insights

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BEEF

16 ways to improve suckler herd profitability

British beef farmers can check their management practices against a list of tried and tested ways to make their suckler herds more profitable and productive. A joint levy board initiative…

LIVESTOCK

Why diverse forage mixtures could improve outwintering

Findings from a recent trial in Devon have concluded that outwintering cattle on a diverse mix of forages can help improve both animal and soil health, while also benefiting the…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How ‘chemichanical’ approach is aiding maize production

About 180,000ha of maize is grown in Denmark, with the majority of production concentrated in the South West. However, continuous rotations and a reduced chemical armoury mean weed control is…

LIVESTOCK

Calf bottles and tube feeders on test

It is unsurprising many farmers are switching from bottles to buckets with teats for feeding milk to older calves. Our test, carried out over a four-month period at my family…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Why urea-based products should be avoided to preserve grain

Urea-based products used to preserve rolled grain lose at least 40% of nitrogen content before they are consumed by the animal, new research has shown. Urea acts as a preservative,…

ENVIRONMENT

Scientists developing EBV for lower methane emission

Farmers could be selecting cattle bred to produce lower methane emissions in the near future, according to a leading scientist. Methane is an important greenhouse gas, with 28-times the potential…

MAIZE

Rain puts pressure on maize with tricky harvest

Prolonged rain has made maize harvesting difficult in recent days, with some suffering with flooding and high rainfall. Maize maturity has already been slowed by rain as green plants have…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

How to profit from forage-based dairy-beef system

Forage-based dairy-beef systems are profitable even in extreme weather conditions, a two-year study at Harper Adams University has concluded. The project investigated whether it was feasible to finish dairy-bred beef…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How feeding wholecrop to dairy-beef steers can cut costs

Diets made up mainly of wholecrop wheat can offer a suitable alternative to bought-in cereals for finishing cattle, a recent study has found. Research at Harper Adams University found that…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Trial shows high iodine cow diet can hinder colostrum uptake

A survey of iodine supplementation in beef herds has revealed that over supplementation pre-calving can negatively affect calves’ ability to absorb colostrum. A collaborative research project between Moredun Research Institute,…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Cattle bounce back after poor fodder beet growth rates

A project at Harper Adams is investigating if it is feasible to finish dairy-bred beef calves on forage alone.  The project, led by Adas and funded by AHDB Beef &…

FEED AND NUTRITION

What are the benefits of milk replacer for calf rearers?

More than half of all dairy and beef farmers in Great Britain now rear their youngstock on calf milk replacer (CMR) instead of whole milk, with potential disease risks a…

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