Menu

Livestock top stories

POULTRY

Labour peer warns of salmonella risk from US chicken

Labour peer Lord Rooker has issued a warning to the UK government about the potential risks to public health if a trade deal with the US allows imports of chicken…

BOVINE TB

Dead badger study points to southern 'edge area' TB spread

New research has revealed the presence of Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis, in badgers found dead along the southern edge of England’s expanding TB epidemic. The study,…

CALVING

Benefits of giving heifers pain relief at calving

Giving all heifers a pain relief injection after calving will help them through the transition process of joining the milking herd and thereby prevent metabolic issues and lameness. In the…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Why fertiliser rates are key to N-free first-cut silage

With about a month until the start of multicut silage season, recent cold temperatures have slowed grass growth. This means accurate nutrient applications will be essential to avoid excess nitrogen…

CALVING

Causes of calving caesareans and how to reduce interventions

A vet audit of more than 600 caesarean sections performed on cattle showed that the majority – 77% – took place in suckler herds. And in 62% of all cases,…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Bluetongue restrictions to change in April as new cases emerge

Tougher bluetongue movement restrictions for livestock are due to be reintroduced from 23 April by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (Apha). The UK is presently in a seasonally vector…

LIVESTOCK

Calving detection technology: 3 options compared

From smart boluses to cameras and tail-mounted devices, the evolution of technology means unnecessary late-night trips to the calving shed can be a thing of the past. Three farmers share…

LIVESTOCK

How to influence good people to help your farm business

Winning friends and influencing people is not just a job description for an individual who earns a living from persuading others to follow their lifestyle choices on social media. Dairy…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Ready for calving, lambing and succession

Has spring arrived? I’m not sure. The daffodils and snowdrops appear to be later than usual, and are nature’s way of telling us that soil temperatures are still not very…

DAIRY

Advice for grazing high-yielding Holsteins

It is no surprise that many year-round calvers with higher-yielding cows find grazing stressful. Allocating grass is difficult when cows are at different stages of lactation, and, unlike a total…

LIVESTOCK

Welsh government continues fight against AMR

The Welsh government has announced plans to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animals across Wales for the next five years, with a cash injection and a new advisory group to…

DAIRY

Top leadership tips to help dairy workforce thrive

How is profitability increased by focusing on employee wellbeing and a positive work environment? Dr Ellen Joan Ford, a leadership expert from New Zealand, says that a leader’s job is…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Indoor lambs tagged and out in 24 hours

The end is now in sight with the indoor lambing flock, and the majority have lambed in the first two weeks, which is great. These ewes go to terminal sire…

Livestock news

LIVESTOCK

Welsh government continues fight against AMR

The Welsh government has announced plans to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animals across Wales for the next five years, with a cash injection and a new advisory group to…

LIVESTOCK

Last chance to get free biosecurity advice for TB

Farmers in England are encouraged to book their slot for a free bovine TB advice session before funding runs out in September. Free vet visits, through the TB advisory service…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Sheep farmers encouraged to monitor nematodirus risk

Sheep farmers are encouraged to monitor their flock’s risk of nematodirus following recent warm weather, which can influence when this parasite's larvae hatch. Nematodirosis affects lambs and can cause a…

BOVINE TB

Record 27% rise in TB cattle slaughterings in Wales

A dramatic 27% increase in the number of cattle culled in Wales due to bovine TB in 2024 underlines the urgent need for a new approach to managing the disease,…

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 How

See all

CALVING

Benefits of giving heifers pain relief at calving

Giving all heifers a pain relief injection after calving will help them through the transition process of joining the milking herd and thereby prevent metabolic issues and lameness. In the…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Why fertiliser rates are key to N-free first-cut silage

With about a month until the start of multicut silage season, recent cold temperatures have slowed grass growth. This means accurate nutrient applications will be essential to avoid excess nitrogen…

LIVESTOCK

Calving detection technology: 3 options compared

From smart boluses to cameras and tail-mounted devices, the evolution of technology means unnecessary late-night trips to the calving shed can be a thing of the past. Three farmers share…

LIVESTOCK

How to influence good people to help your farm business

Winning friends and influencing people is not just a job description for an individual who earns a living from persuading others to follow their lifestyle choices on social media. Dairy…

DAIRY

Advice for grazing high-yielding Holsteins

It is no surprise that many year-round calvers with higher-yielding cows find grazing stressful. Allocating grass is difficult when cows are at different stages of lactation, and, unlike a total…

DAIRY

Top leadership tips to help dairy workforce thrive

How is profitability increased by focusing on employee wellbeing and a positive work environment? Dr Ellen Joan Ford, a leadership expert from New Zealand, says that a leader’s job is…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Benefits of magnesium for suckler cows ahead of calving

If beef farmers are assisting a high proportion of cows at calving, or if stillbirth rate is higher than wanted, then cow magnesium status could be to blame. Magnesium is…

SHEEP

Contracts and grazing lets grow family livestock business

A can-do attitude has seen a husband-and-wife team capitalise on grazing lets, putting them on track to run 1,000 ewes and 30 suckler cows of their own. Sussex graziers David…

POULTRY

Advice on managing mycotoxin risks for poultry

Despite the rollout of new stricter limits on the permitted levels of mycotoxins in cereals for human consumption, no changes have been made to recommendations for parameters in animal feed.…

SHEEP

How a new entrant built 1,000-ewe flock 125 miles from home

A Monmouthshire anthropologist-cum-sheep-breeder has built and rebuilt a flock of 1,000 ewes and is still looking for the security of a tenancy.  James Edwards, now 39, has spent most his…

DAIRY

How to plan and set goals for dairy farm business success

Inheritance tax has brought into sharp focus the importance of having a business plan for the family dairy farm. Setting a target yield, or specific herd size, then channelling all…

DAIRY

Advice for dairy farms on accessing finance for growth

Resilience is the capacity to withstand and recover quickly from difficulty. Greg Ricketts, farm business consultant at GSC Grays, believes such toughness will be a prerequisite for farmers, because he…

LIVESTOCK

How to solve on-farm problems effectively

Making time to take a structured approach to solving a problem will avoid endless firefighting and find farm-specific solutions that work and are easy to implement. As a result, time…

LIVESTOCK

What is the future for flexible farrowing systems?

Uncertainty remains about potential new farrowing system regulations requiring the industry to switch from conventional to flexible farrowing systems. These provide sows with extra space and enable them to be…

BEEF

Red clover allows sustainable intensification on beef farm

Double-cropping has made Farmers Weekly’s 2024 Beef Farmer of the Year self-sufficient in home-grown feed for his 1,600-head enterprise.  Red clover is the bedrock of North Wales beef finisher Dylan…

SHEEP

What role do sentinel lambs play in liver fluke control?

Testing young lambs through their first grazing season is becoming an increasingly popular technique to monitor fluke risk, say animal health experts. Focusing on these “sentinel” lambs for signs of…

Ewe management advice

Meat markets and prices

See all

BUSINESS

FSA’s 25% meat inspection fee hikes set to take effect

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is set to impose at least a 25% increase in meat inspection fees at abattoirs in England and Wales from 1 April 2025, adding more…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Meat processor Pilgrim’s scales up lamb production for Easter

Pilgrim’s Europe has confirmed it will be ramping up production at its sites in order to meet retail demand for lamb in the run-up to Easter on 20 April. The…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Spring lambs sell for £180 a head at auction markets

The first spring lambs have started to come forward at auction markets and, so far, have been selling to a decent trade. Bridgnorth Livestock Market had its first batch of…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Sainsbury’s aims for 'net-zero' pork range by 2030

Sainsbury’s has announced plans to work with its suppliers to deliver a “net-zero” fresh pork range on shelves by 2030. It hopes this will be achievable by utilising more sustainable…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Auction markets see uptick in buyers as heifers near £4/kg

Exceptional demand for beef has led to an increase in the number of buyers at Scottish livestock markets, as processors look to secure greater numbers of prime cattle. Heifers have…

MARKETS AND TRENDS

Sheepmeat imports at highest level since 2018

Sheepmeat imports to the UK, both fresh and frozen, have surged by 40% to reach 67,880t in 2024, marking the highest level since 2018, trade figures have revealed. The majority…

Livestock community

See all

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Time to simplify while beef trade is strong

It wouldn’t be a Scottish spring without sleet and snow. We had a couple of weeks of “fool’s spring” in early March before reality set in again. The brief period…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Ready for calving, lambing and succession

Has spring arrived? I’m not sure. The daffodils and snowdrops appear to be later than usual, and are nature’s way of telling us that soil temperatures are still not very…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Indoor lambs tagged and out in 24 hours

The end is now in sight with the indoor lambing flock, and the majority have lambed in the first two weeks, which is great. These ewes go to terminal sire…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Artificial intelligence relies on good data

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Landex Annual Conference through my commitments with working at the college. Landex is a membership organisation of land-based colleges and universities coming…

Dairy

CALVING

Benefits of giving heifers pain relief at calving

Giving all heifers a pain relief injection after calving will help them through the transition process of joining the milking herd and thereby prevent metabolic issues and lameness. In the…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Why fertiliser rates are key to N-free first-cut silage

With about a month until the start of multicut silage season, recent cold temperatures have slowed grass growth. This means accurate nutrient applications will be essential to avoid excess nitrogen…

CALVING

Causes of calving caesareans and how to reduce interventions

A vet audit of more than 600 caesarean sections performed on cattle showed that the majority – 77% – took place in suckler herds. And in 62% of all cases,…

LIVESTOCK

Calving detection technology: 3 options compared

From smart boluses to cameras and tail-mounted devices, the evolution of technology means unnecessary late-night trips to the calving shed can be a thing of the past. Three farmers share…

LIVESTOCK

How to influence good people to help your farm business

Winning friends and influencing people is not just a job description for an individual who earns a living from persuading others to follow their lifestyle choices on social media. Dairy…

DAIRY

Advice for grazing high-yielding Holsteins

It is no surprise that many year-round calvers with higher-yielding cows find grazing stressful. Allocating grass is difficult when cows are at different stages of lactation, and, unlike a total…

DAIRY

Top leadership tips to help dairy workforce thrive

How is profitability increased by focusing on employee wellbeing and a positive work environment? Dr Ellen Joan Ford, a leadership expert from New Zealand, says that a leader’s job is…

DAIRY

Why efficiency is the route to dairy farm sustainability

Every time dairy farmers think about sustainability, they should be thinking instead about efficiency. This was the conclusion of a roundtable of farmers, independent experts and industry representatives who gathered…

DAIRY

How to plan and set goals for dairy farm business success

Inheritance tax has brought into sharp focus the importance of having a business plan for the family dairy farm. Setting a target yield, or specific herd size, then channelling all…

DAIRY

Advice for dairy farms on accessing finance for growth

Resilience is the capacity to withstand and recover quickly from difficulty. Greg Ricketts, farm business consultant at GSC Grays, believes such toughness will be a prerequisite for farmers, because he…

LIVESTOCK

What makes a sustainable dairy farm – survey results

An exclusive Farmers Weekly survey has revealed that uncertainty about future investment in infrastructure, or to meet potential new legislation, presents the biggest challenge for the UK’s dairy farmers. However,…

DAIRY

National Johne’s management plan sees launch of Phase 3

The National Johne’s Management Plan (NJMP) is set to enter its next phase on 31 March, 2025, with new requirements aimed at continuing the fight against Johne’s disease in dairy…

Livestock machinery

See all

MOWERS

Simon Richard adds two Sauerburger rotary mowers to range

The importer of Sauerburger rotary mowers for pasture, stubble and other vegetation management tasks has expanded the range of machines available in Britain. Simon Richard took on the German product…

MUCKSPREADERS

RS Agri debuts new vertical beater muckspreader range

Vertical beater muckspreaders are now available from RS Agri, the Hampshire outfit that, until now, had specialised in diet feeders and bale processors. Its Polish-built Atlas range initially encompasses several…

TELEHANDLERS

Continental VF tyres now available for loading shovels

Having “CombineMaster” moulded into the sidewall does not mean some of the latest Continental high-tech, high-capacity traction tyres are confined to heavy harvesting machinery. Their characteristics – including the ability…

TRACTORS

Massey to source sub-80hp tractors from SDF Group

Production at SDF Group – maker of Deutz-Fahr, Same and Lamborghini-branded tractors – will get a shot in the arm from a new supply agreement with Agco for selected models…

Most popular this week