Photo credit: Sarah Carr, July – winning photo

Sarah Carr took the winning photo, named ‘The Welsh Black with Cadair Idris in the background’. The photo takes its place as the top prize image. You will find the Welsh Black  on the cover of each new 2024 calendar.

There were more winners chosen, congratulations to:

Rebecca Williams; Adrienne Thorpe; Elliw Jones-Evans; Adrian Morgan; Tracey Evans; Grace Marshall; Helen Powell; Chloe Hyde; Elliw Baines Roberts; Andrew Roberts and Gwenllian Evans.

Sarah Carr is the well-deserved receiver of £250, the top prize for the front cover photograph. She will receive her prize on the Monday at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair. The other winners of the competition, whose photographs will also be displayed in the calendar, will receive a free copy of the bilingual calendar.

Choosing a winner was “no easy task”

FUW President Ian Rickman has this to say about the competition:

“The competition has proven popular again this year and it was a pleasure to look through the entries. It was no easy task mind, as so many wonderful images were sent in from across Wales.

“What this competition has highlighted again is that farming matters to all of us in one way or another and that our family farms are vital in not just the way of life here in Wales, but also in looking after the countryside and our livestock. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you for showcasing farming and our countryside in such a wonderful way.”

You can buy a calendar from your local county office. The FUW will update when the calendars will be available on their social channels.

They will also be sold on the FUW stand at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair for £5 each. Remember, £1 per sale will go towards the Wales Air Ambulance, a fantastic cause.

The post Welsh Black takes top prize in photo competition appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Stock photo for illustration only

Farmers are being warned of the emergence of a new strain of bluetongue virus (BTV-3), which is spreading rapidly in the Netherlands.

Ruminant Health and Welfare (RH&W) has facilitated emergency meetings this week, bringing together over 40 key stakeholders and representatives from across the industry, to ensure the four nations are prepared for this emerging disease threat.

The existing BTV-8 serotype vaccine will not offer cross-protection against the new strain, making any outbreaks difficult to control, said Dr Joseph Henry, president of the Sheep Veterinary Society and member of RH&W’s steering group.

As a result, it’s especially important to follow advice to take action and prioritise good biosecurity measures, whilst remaining extremely vigilant to the disease.

Dr Henry added: “What we are advising is three-fold. Farmers need to beware when buying animals in, especially from Europe, take action to report any signs of the disease, and at all times, remain vigilant,” explains Dr Joseph Henry, president of the Sheep Veterinary Society and member of RH&W’s steering group.

New BTV strain in two European countries

BTV-3 is a viral disease transmitted by biting midges, which affects all ruminants (e.g. sheep, cattle, goats and deer) and camelids (e.g. llama and alpaca).

The new strain has been reported on more than 700 farms in the Netherlands and a new case was reported in Belgium this week. BTV-3 appears to mimic BTV-8 in its behaviour, according to Cat Mclaughlin, NFU chief animal health and welfare advisor, and member of RH&W steering group.

She added: “Currently, there are no reports of the new strain in the UK. But it is felt that due to the nature of bluetongue’s ability to spread via infected midges, and current warm weather conditions, the risk of it reaching the UK is increasing, so we must adhere to advice and do all we can to keep it out,” she says.

Dr Henry said: “It remains extremely difficult to protect against midges and a vector borne disease. However, there is always a role for good biosecurity and insecticides, but it’s important to differentiate between products licensed for use on animals, and those designed for use on building and vehicles.”

Buyer beware

Phil Stocker, NSA chief executive and member of RH&W steering group, adds that bluetongue does not pose a threat to human health, but it remains a notifiable disease.

“We’d strongly advise farmers to beware when buying livestock from Europe, and to request pre-movement testing of animals prior to departure,” he says.

“All imports of live animals are subject to post-import testing with restricted movements until a negative post-import test result has been confirmed, so caution is key.”

Symptoms of BTV-3 can vary across ruminants, with sheep generally exhibiting more overt symptoms than cattle, but both can showcase clinical signs.

In sheep these include: drooling, mouth lesions, high fever, lameness and oedema (swollen heads) and sudden death. Cattle are not usually as severely affected but may show similar clinical signs as well as teat, eye, coronary band and nose lesions.

RH&W’s advice to farmers and their vets is as follows:

1. Buyer beware, only source animals from Europe responsibly.
2. Take action, prioritise biosecurity and report any suspicious clinical signs.
3. Vigilance is key, monitor livestock closely.

In the UK, bluetongue, including BTV-3, is a notifiable disease, so anyone suspecting the disease must take action and report it to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

Further information and resources can be found here: https://ruminanthw.org.uk/bluetongue-virus/

The post New strain of bluetongue prompts emergency meetings appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Rivermead Minx Candy VG89 scooped the prestigious interbreed championship.

Rivermead Minx Candy VG89 scoops interbreed championship

Riding on a tide of success, having won her class at UK Dairy Day in 2022, Rivermead Minx Candy VG89 scooped the prestigious interbreed championship. Exhibited by Emily Davis, this home-bred Jersey cow had her third calf just three weeks ago and is already yielding 33 litres/day. Sired by Stonyrun Aus Tbone Minx, she was placed as champion Jersey at Dairy Expo earlier this year too.

“Jerseys are our passion, and to reach the top is amazing,” said Emily Davis. “It’s the first time we’ve won at this show, and it’s just fantastic.” Emily also enjoyed success with the family’s other home-bred entrants, winning the National Jersey Championship, reserve champion and reserve honourable mention.

Based near Tiverton, Devon, the Davis family milk 230 cows, and all share the Jersey passion, including Emily, her brothers, sisters and parents.

Reserve interbreed title bestowed on Thuborough Freda 610

Thuborough Farms’ Holstein senior cow, shown by Roland Ley, took the reserve interbred title. Another home-bred, Thuborough Freda 610 is rated EX95 and is yielding 48 litres after having her fourth calf in March. Roland has never previously won the breed championship at the Dairy Show, despite a string of previous successes. “So to get breed champion and reserve interbreed is a great result.”

Before her success at the Dairy Show, Freda won the breed and interbreed championship at the Devon County Show and was breed champion at the Royal Cornwall Show. “She’s got a really good udder and is very youthful despite being a fourth-calver,” said Roland. “She has a lovely balance and moves really well.”

Hosting the Guernsey National Show

The Dairy Show 2023 played host to the Guernsey National Show, which was won by the Greenslade family’s Greensfield Dandy Dan Butterfly. “It means a lot to us,” said exhibitor Emma Greenslade. “We work quite hard with our breeding, and we bred both her and the sire behind her – Greensfield Dandy Dan. His dam won at UK Dairy Day and here, and now we’ve done the double again.”

UK Dairy Day and the Dairy Show were Butterfly’s first two shows, and she claimed the breed championship at both. “She’d never been shown before – I dragged her out of the shed a week before Dairy Day. She’s just so quiet,” said Emma.

The family milk 100 cows near Cullompton, Devon, and this second-calver; who calved in August, is giving 25 litres/day.

The other breed champions were: Ayrshire Rosehill Madison Jelly VG87, Dairy Shorthorn Churchroyd Bronte Wildeyes 63, and British Friesian Greenway Solo Billie Jo.

Full results from the competitions can be found on The Dairy Show’s website.

The post Home-breeding excellence for winners at Dairy Show appeared first on Farmers Guide.

At the Association’s October chairman’s meeting yesterday (3rd October), former vice chair Robert Craig begun his three-year tenure.

Mr Craig is a third-generation dairy farmer and operates three dairy farming businesses across Cumbria and Northumberland, milking 1,500 spring and autumn calving cows. A past chairman of Cumbria NFU, he still maintains an interest in local and national politics both on and off the farm.

He is also a non-executive director of First Milk and is currently the co-op’s vice chairman. All three of his businesses supply First Milk, and he also represents First Milk at Dairy UK, where he chairs the Dairy UK farmer forum.

Mr Craig is also a 2012 Nuffield Scholar and has worked closely with The Sustainable Food Trust since his travels, particularly on the Global Farm Metric project.

Robert has been active as RABDF vice chairman, representing the Association on the Ruminant Health and Welfare steering group, helping inform and guide on general dairy issues, and often acting as the spokesperson for wider press matters. He has also been instrumental in delivering a dairy labour roundtable, continuing to focus heavily on this crucial area.

Robert Craig has been appointed as chairman of RABDF.

Thanking Ms Wastenage for her work, Mr Craig said: “I am delighted to be the RABDF chairman and am thankful to Di for the work she has done during her term and for leaving the RABDF in such a strong position.

“Di has contributed to a wide range of topics, including the environment, animal health and welfare, and through her role as Patron of Women in Dairy, showcasing the importance of female roles and the exciting opportunities for women in the sector,” he added.

Commenting on his plans during the tenure, Mr Craig said: “As well as building on the foundations laid out by Di, there are some exciting projects that we hope to develop as an Association to help overcome labour shortages in the dairy sector and also to do more to promote the industry, particularly to the next generation.

“Undoubtedly, there will also be a focus on the here and now and the impact milk price cuts are having on farmers and ways in which we, as an Association, can help support our members as the pinch is felt.”

Succeeding Mr Craig as vice chairman is Shropshire dairy farmer Tim Downes.

Dairy farmers interested in being more involved with the RABDF and joining the council can contact the team for an informal chat on 02476 639 317 or by emailing Office@rabdf.co.uk.

The post Award-winning Cumbrian dairy farmer becomes RABDF chairman appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Gavin Green, Keith Davis, Pawel Wegele of Lydney Park Farms.

The Strategic Dairy Farm programme aims to improve business resilience and performance across the dairy industry through knowledge exchange and the adoption of best practices.

The programme represents a wide range of farm businesses across the UK, and the new cohort contains a mix of different systems and focus areas, with each farm acting as a focal point for regional and national discussions.

Lydney Park Farms, Dillington Farms and Moorhouse Hall Farm are the first three of ten farms in the new cohort, all solid performers who will openly share their experiences, performance figures and goals as part of the scheme.

Lydney Park Farms is part of the Lydney Park Estate in Gloucestershire, milking 850 Jersey-cross cows twice a day, producing around 4,750 litres of milk and calving in a 10-week block that starts in the spring.

The farm consistently grows around 12.5-15t dm/ha most years and as part of the strategic dairy farm programme, the team is planning to implement changes to their system to adapt to the principles of their consumer-conscious milk buyer.

Meanwhile, Dillington Farms is a successful mixed farming business in Somerset with dairying at its heart. With tourism and an array of enterprises running on the estate, farming that both enhances the environment and drives profit is a priority.

This 870-ha farm focuses on renewable energy, home-grown feeds and is involved in an extensive mid-tier scheme. The herd currently comprises a dairy herd of around 350 cross-bred cows, yielding approximately 10,800 litres per cow per year and calving all year round.

Last but not least, Moorhouse Hall in Wigton is a family run farm with 100 Holstein cows following an autumn calving cycle. The herd is genomically tested for superior genetics and the farm champions multi-cut silage practices.

The farm produces an impressive 3,500−4,500 litres of milk from forage and are proud partners with First Milk. As a strategic dairy farm, Moorhouse Hall farm are committed to continuous improvement and their goals include a focus on sustainable genetics and experimenting with new crops.

These farms will be involved in various on-farm and virtual meetings over the next few years, opening up discussions and giving farmers a chance to share their stories. The launch events for these farms will include farm tours, with an opportunity to find out more about operations, performance figures and goals for the farm.

The meeting dates for the three new strategic dairy farms launches are:

• 12 October – Lydney Park, Gloucestershire
• 25 October – Dillington Farms, Somerset
• 7 November – Moorhouse Hall Farm, Cumbria

Doreen Anderson, senior knowledge exchange manager (Dairy) said: “We are delighted to welcome three new farms into our network, and I would strongly encourage any dairy farmers to get involved in this programme and consider attending the launch events.

“Listening to farmers challenge and support each other while discussing ideas for improving their businesses is amazing. Ideas are constantly being shared both between the farmers individually, and between AHDB and the farmers, driving positive change for everyone involved.”

The post AHDB confirms three new additions to strategic dairy farm programme appeared first on Farmers Guide.

SQP Mark Pass from Beeston Animal Health says he has seen heifer growth rates compromised by parasites this summer, especially those where little monitoring is being done.

“Youngstock in their first grazing season have been particularly affected as they are yet to develop an immunity to specific worms,” he said.

According to Mr Pass, housing is the perfect time to make sure cattle have manageable levels of parasites, but planning what products to use and when is essential.

Animals that have been protected throughout the summer with a long-acting product should be carefully monitored, grazed on clean pasture and treated if necessary to extend that protection, he advised.

“Don’t wait until housing to treat if your stock are at risk, as that could result in the costly loss of valuable growth.”

Planning is essential to ensure stock is protected at housing and cattle health, growth and production aren’t compromised over winter, Mr Pass continued.

“This must consider what parasites are an issue on the farm by testing using bulk milk ELISA, conducting faecal egg counts, coproantigen tests for fluke and using abattoir data, for example. Growth rates are important indicators for further actions and help to monitor the success of your plan.

“Once you know the parasite risks, you can plan how to manage them by choosing the most appropriate product, considering milk and meat withdrawal times and choosing a product with persistency,” he added.

If cattle are found to have a mixed worm burden, Mr Pass recommends using a combination product that targets gutworms, lungworm, fluke, lice and mange.

“Products need to be used at the correct time for the most effective use, and if using it before housing, a further flukicide may need to be used after housing to ensure all life stages of fluke are removed,” he noted.

Patricia van Veen, technical vet from Zoetis, suggests farmers speak to their animal health provider about the best way to manage parasites at housing.

“Your animal health advisor will be able to give you the best advice on which products to choose,” she said.

“CYDECTIN TriclaMox Pour-On is one option for beef animals. It contains moxidectin and triclabendazole in a convenient rain-fast pour-on formulation. The moxidectin will treat stomach worms as well as controlling chewing and sucking lice. The triclabendazole gives a good spectrum of activity against late immature and adult fluke.

“However, if fluke is not an issue and you are not sure when housing will occur, then a 3-ML wormer, such as moxidectin in CYDECTIN Pour-on® can be used to manage worm burdens into the autumn,” Ms Van Veen explained.

Mr Pass also reminded farmers not to forget about lungworm, a parasite that can result in quite rapid death when signs first appear.

“From picking up lungworm infection to seeing clinical signs such as coughing in cattle can be a little as 8 to 10 days post-infection. In a really heavy burden from coughing to death can be a matter of only a few days,” he warned.

“By treating stock for lungworm before housing with a persistent de-worming product, you can reduce lungworm-associated pneumonia and stress at housing.”

The post Farmers advised to plan ahead for winter parasite control appeared first on Farmers Guide.

The company’s chief sales officer, Chris Howarth, and chief marketing officer, Maria Leitner attended the awards ceremony, which took place at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire.

“It was hugely gratifying for smaXtec’s TruDrinking technology to be selected by the RABDF judging panel in February,” Mr Howarth said. “Since then, I’ve been looking forward to collecting the trophy from The Princess Royal – what an absolute honour.”

Ms Leitner added: “As a business, we’re constantly evolving to continually improve cow health and drive efficiencies in the dairy sector. It’s fantastic when that commitment is acknowledged by others you respect in the industry.”

smaXtec’s TruDrinking function helps farmers optimise milk production by accurately recording the water intake of individual cows. The system provides alerts when normal consumption is disrupted, often an early indicator of emerging health problems or flag for technical water supply issues or even water pollution.

RABDF vice chairman, Robert Craig, said smaxtec’s unique water intake monitor TruDrinking was a worthy winner of the award, being a completely novel product to the market.

“The functionality and behavioural aspect of this product, which measures water use and volume, is really impressive. With water a key component to dairy farms, and often not thought about enough, it makes the product particularly valuable for farmers,” he noted.

“The formal presentation of the award earlier this week with The Princess Royal was perfect recognition for the whole team behind TruDrinking.”

The post smaXtec water intake monitor scoops Royal Dairy Innovation Award appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Minette Batters with comedian and presenter Hugh Dennis at the Dairy UK annual dinner.

Food security, the impact of trade deals and flooding, and advocating for balance in environmental regulation and some of the issues Ms Batters has worked to keep at the forefront of the government’s minds.

With this in mind she was awarded the Dairy UK Award at the annual dinner, held at the Raffles Hotel in the Old War Office, London.

Dr Judith Bryans, Dairy UK chief executive, said: “A huge congratulations to Minette on winning the award this year. She continues to do so much for agriculture.

“From a dairy perspective, we truly appreciate Minette’s working to bring the whole sector closer, her advocacy on environmental sustainability, trade and standards and very importantly in keeping the importance of food security in the spotlight. Minette is truly a very worthy winner of this award.”

Commenting on her accolade, NFU president Minette Batters said: “I’m delighted to receive this prestigious award from Dairy UK. It’s fantastic to be recognised individually but I cannot emphasise enough that I would achieve nothing without the team around me at the NFU. Their dedication and hard work are a pleasure to be a part of.

 “We have a fantastic dairy industry here in the UK which I truly believe has a bright future as long as farmers, processors, manufacturers, retailers and government all pull together to support the production of climate-friendly sustainable food.”

The post Minette Batters scoops dairy award for “passionate advocacy” appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Specially formulated to support the health and performance of pre-calving cows, CalverMaxx is a palatable, high-sugar product that provides a readily available source of energy to support calf growth, colostrum production and future cow fertility.

“We’re reaching the time of year when there is a natural decline in forage availability and quality. However, this year has been further compounded by growing conditions,” she explained.

Industry reports show poor growing conditions in the spring and early summer resulted in first cuts of silage having sugar values nearly 72% lower and lignin values 11% higher compared to 2021. High levels of lignin cause significant decreases in the nutritional value of forage.

While damp weather conditions have boosted mid to late summer grass growth well above the four-year average, quality remains low and is starting to have an immediate season taper in availability.

“The challenge for autumn calvers is to meet pre-calving nutritional requirements when they are at the highest, while forage stocks and quality take a nose dive,” Dr Bond continued.

If silages are less digestible then we could see lower dry matter intakes in the run-up to calving as the silage won’t pass through the rumen as quickly. This is a problem as we want to maximise dry matter intakes in the final weeks of pregnancy to minimise the risk of metabolic problems.”

Maintaining cows in a positive energy balance is especially challenging in the final weeks of pregnancy, when cows are under considerable metabolic stress as the udder prepares for lactation, colostrum production begins and rapid foetal development is taking place.

To stretch forage stocks while meeting nutritional requirements, Dr Bond recommended supplementing feeds with a product like CalverMaxx in the final six weeks of pregnancy.

Specially formulated to support the health and performance of pre-calving cows and heifers, CalverMaxx is a palatable, high-sugar product that provides a readily available source of energy to support calf growth, colostrum production and future cow fertility.

The high sugar content provides rumen support by feeding rumen microbes to boost rumen function, which in return will optimise available nutrients in every mouthful of forage consumed.

“For cattle on a forage-based diet, CalverMaxx will deliver essential vitamins and minerals while also supporting rumen function without leading to excessive weight gain,” Dr Bond added. “Daily intakes are 200-300g, which is not enough for cows to become over-conditioned in late pregnancy.”

Through receiving CalverMaxx, cows benefit from high levels of iodine and copper, including a protected source of copper, to support calf development and return to oestrus. The product also has optimal levels of selenium and vitamin E, including a protected source of selenium, to support colostrum quality, calf vigour, and immunity.

“Not only are there economic benefits from the ability to stretch forage stocks in a year like this, but there are also short and long-term benefits in managing metabolic disease risk and optimising colostrum production,” Dr Bond concluded.

The post Pre-calving supplement offers nutrition boost as forage quality declines appeared first on Farmers Guide.

The SenseHub Dairy system puts herd managers in control of their cows and heifers by constantly monitoring behavioural patterns for the purposes of reproduction efficiency, health monitoring, group wellbeing assessment and nutritional insights.

Thanks to the integration of a new youngstock monitoring feature, the latest version of SenseHub Dairy (version 7) is now the only system offering full lifetime monitoring to producers.

The update also brings two in-line milk monitors into the SenseHub Ecosystem, both of which enable dairy farmers to gain an improved understanding of their herd’s milk yield and quality.

The SenseHub MilkPlus Sensor monitors critical milk data such as yield, fat, protein, lactose, blood and conductivity, while the SenseHub Somatic Cell Count Sensor provides individual somatic cell count (SCC) results within two minutes of the start of milking. Both are compatible with any type or make of milking parlour.

Further updates include two new service plan options: the entry-level ‘Essential’ package for smart automation technologies and milk monitoring, and the fully integrated ‘Lifetime’ plan for herd managers who want greater control throughout the entire herd lifecycle.

“In addition to heat detection and monitoring for the potential signs of ill health in heifers and calves, the latest version of SenseHub Dairy also enables herd managers to assess the health and productivity of calves from birth to 12 months of age,” explained Paul Mitcham, national sales manager (monitoring) at MSD Animal Health.

“It also allows herd managers to use the SenseHub Ecosystem to monitor and assess a range of milk quality indices for individual animals as they are being milked,” he added.

With the data automatically stored, analysed and clearly displayed via the SenseHub app’s customisable milk reports and graphs, herd managers can instantly assess behavioural patterns, milking trends and milk quality for individual cows, groups of animals, and the entire herd, Mr Mitcham continued.

“This next level of insight ensures each and every animal is being managed precisely and efficiently, and gives herd managers the confidence to make herd management decisions based on proven data.”

For farmers who want access to the milk quality insights but don’t want to monitor heat and health indicators, the SenseHub Dairy system is now compatible with Allflex Livestock Intelligence’s EID (Electronic Identification) ear tags.

Meanwhile, farmers who want to monitor their herd for the entirety of the animals’ lives, can spread the costs of the new ‘Lifetime’ application plan by signing up to a SenseHub GO subscription.

“With zero upfront costs, a GO subscription gives farmers access to the full suite of SenseHub monitoring hardware and software for one affordable monthly payment,” Mr Mitcham explained.

“With no hidden extras or additional costs, a GO subscription future-proofs the farm’s investment into herd monitoring and offers farmers complete peace of mind by giving them access to the very best herd monitoring and automation technologies with none of the financial risks or capital depreciation losses.”

For more information, visit: https://www.msd-animal-health-hub.co.uk/farmers/livestock-monitoring.

The post Latest SenseHub update offers lifetime herd monitoring and enhanced milk analysis appeared first on Farmers Guide.