Livestock

A tight calving block can lead to benefits in terms of management and also increases in production. Ellie Layton looks at what farmers should consider before moving to block calving and how to ensure the block is then kept tight.

More than 15,000 has so far been raised by a concerned Clarkson’s Farm viewer in support of a dairy farmer whose herd has been hit by bovine TB.

Tests carried out after more than 100 cows died on a farm on Jersey have suggested the animals most likely died from botulism.

More than £15,000 has so far been raised by a concerned Clarksons Farm viewer in support of a dairy farmer whose herd has been hit by bovine TB.

There can be no doubt that culling badgers under licence from Defra has been a tremendous success for bovine TB control from a farmer’s perspective.

Without a simple succession plan in place on the family dairy farm, David Hichens went in search of other opportunities to build a future. He learnt a lot along the way and has now secured a tenancy where he is developing a flying herd. Ruth Wills reports

Resistance to some commonly used antibiotics have been found among watery mouth causing bacteria, an Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) project has shown.

Good artificial insemination (AI) protocols are helping a Carmarthenshire dairy farm achieve a six-week in-calf rate of more than 80 per cent.