Dairy & Beef

With mixed silage quality experienced this year, dairy farmers are being encouraged to start planning for winter feeding early to ensure consistency across rations and achieve optimum milk yields.

Early pregnancy diagnosis (PD) in cattle has huge potential to improve business efficiency, reduce emissions and maximise profitability, says Robert Ramsay, agriculture specialist at SAC Consulting.

With cows being at increased risk of disease in the first month post-calving, farmers are being urged to act now to prevent milk losses due to ketosis and transition-related disease.

The EPIHERD project led by Antler Bio was awarded a Smart Grant from Innovate UK to develop a platform for dairy farmers to access epigenomic data on their herds to better understand and improve cow performance.

Practical ways to lower carbon emissions will take centre stage at this year’s Dairy Show, where farmers can expect the latest advice, research and tools to help them on the path to net zero.

Returning for its second year, the National TB conference is a platform for farmers and industry stakeholders to come together and discuss the challenges of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and the barriers that remain towards a disease-free future.

A dry start to the summer followed by a wet July means farmers in the North East need to take a close look at calf nutrition over the next few months, according to Steven Eddie, ruminant nutritionist at East Coast Viners.

The third consecutive GB Calf Week will be kicking off at the UK’s largest dairy industry event on 13th September, with a series of on-farm and virtual events promoting responsible dairy calf management.

With the gap between farmgate milk and retail prices promising no let-up and high input costs putting significant strain on the sector, British dairy farmers are facing a tough six months ahead, the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) has warned.

Dr Carrie Rimes, a former grassland ecologist turned artisan cheese-maker, recently hosted minister Lesley Griffiths on her new award-winning sheep milk dairy in Bethesda, Gwynedd, which was realised through government funding and support from the local council.

Vets from the VetPartners group are lobbying their MPs to address the volatility of the milk market, as a time when farmers are facing increased costs.

Dairy farmers have an opportunity this year to clamp decent tonnages of quality maize silage, which could be a useful buffer with uncertain milk prices. But it will be crucial to avoid the top three most common harvest pitfalls.