Livestock

A top bid of 30,000gns led the Simmental trade in the second round of February bull sales at Stirling.

Defra Secretary George Eustice has outlined how Government intends to support livestock farmers to keep healthier, higher welfare animals.

The county council farm system has been instrumental in helping Paul and Becky Fenton realise their ultimate dream of buying their own farm. Lauren Williamson reports.

Starting a dairy farm from scratch has enabled one couple to implement a system which is as simple as possible, minimising labour and running costs. Olivia Cooper pays them a visit.

Inaccurate silage sampling can result in reduced performance and higher feed costs according to Dr Liz Homer from Trouw Nutrition GB who urges dairy farmers to make sure the samples sent for analysis are representative of the whole face.

A programme of investment including a new energy-efficient parlour and cow housing is set to slash milking times and reduce running costs for one 300-cow Guernsey herd in Somerset. Wendy Short finds out more.

Dairy farmers are constantly being urged to increase milk from forage, but the exact financial benefits of doing this are not always spelled out.

Taking a targeted approach to the use of manures and slurries as part of a comprehensive nutrient management planning process is essential to keep input costs manageable.

Ahead of UK Dairy Expo, Angela Calvert, speaks to Harrison and Hetherington’s Glyn Lucas about the event and current challenges to the industry.

Ross Dilks, an agronomist with Agrii and a dairy farmer in Derbyshire, says although his clients have tried a variety of home-grown feed sources over recent years, his experience shows grass is consistently the most cost-effective way to feed dairy cows.