Livestock Farmer Focus FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Buoyed by sight of cattle egrets in pig paddocksThere’s nothing quite like a leisurely coastal walk along a Norfolk beach with a big sky above you to welcome in the new year. That’s exactly how I kicked off… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Paying the price of variable maize maturity The holiday period was challenging. The herd dropped 700 litres/day and scoured just before Christmas. I must own up and say it was entirely my fault. I had just got… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Freezing conditions ease slurry storageJanuary seems to have disappeared alarmingly quickly. I remember the older generation saying that the years seem to go faster, but I’m completely unprepared for actually being that generation. Luckily,… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Fencing change should help calving next timeAs the busy calving, followed by 12 weeks of breeding, draws to a close by early February, it’s often a good chance to review how the hectic season has progressed… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Climate change is affecting farm outputMany of us know “global warming” as a buzzword created by science and used by scientists. But should we farmers be considering what it could mean for us and for… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Long housing period is looking attractiveI have learned a lot, again, in the past year. First, a twin to a Schmallenberg lamb is a runt, will hang around forever and come to nothing – even… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Crazy temperature swings hard to work withAt the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’m reporting more wild fluctuations in temperature. My last article opened with the weather situation, with 9in [22.5cm] of snow falling,… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Carbon confusion reigns Down UnderReflecting on a recent trip to Australia in my previous article, I mentioned the serious risk of bushfires. During my stay, two farms we visited in the Grampians region of… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Festive lamb demand pushed sales up 35%December was fabulous but manic. The pop-up shop was a massive success, even beating Easter sales. We also had our best-ever Grantham farmers’ market and the most orders ever received… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Expecting another good year of lamb tradeBlwyddyn Newydd Dda (Happy New Year)! I write this article on New Year’s Day, a time that always brings a sense of optimism and hope, as if the turning of… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Cost of new broiler rules needs coveringThis is my first Farmers Weekly article, and I am excited about the prospect of sharing some of my farming exploits and opinions here. I am writing between Christmas and… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Maize was a major letdown of 2024Reflecting on 2024, we had a busy year here as usual with plenty going on, but in many respects it was a year of consolidation. There was less building work… More articles
