Market dips as flush concerns increase
With peak milk for the UK now less than two months away the awareness of the spring flush is dominating European trading sentiment
Milk prices increase heading into spring
A good number of milk buyers are increasing their milk prices as we head into spring
Efficiency over expansion approach for Gloucestershire dairy farm
A dairy business is showing that expansion does not always mean more cows and instead the focus is on driving forwards to get the most from the cows through breeding and the use of technology. Ellie Layton reports.
Usk Holstein herd achieves expansion goal
A plan to increase the milking herd size from 270 to 330 head through replacement breeding is well underway at the Morgan family's Graig Olway Farm
Dairy Talk - Becky Fenton: If you want to be sustainable, focus on farm efficiency
I start this column on a high; we have just returned from a skiing holiday in France
Roger Evans: "There were lots of hoops we had to negotiate"
Part of our exit strategy if you like, was to get planning permission on three of our conventional buildings. I would hasten to add that our exit was forced upon us
Milk prices for cheese see the action
Arla holding their milk price for February following their 3€c/kg increase for January, together with Müller deciding to leave their Müller Direct price unchanged for March, posting the fifth consecutive month of price stability, has the effect of locking in virtually all other milk buyers for liquid processing as a hold for March
Dairy-Tech - Learn to live with climate change
Dairy farmers will have to learn to live in a more challenging climate because changes are already affecting many aspects of their operations, said Hayley Campbell-Gibbons of Kite Consulting
Dairy-Tech - "We must get our story right and protect the image of dairying"
There was plenty of discussion about dairy industry hot topics, and new products and technology on show at this year's Dairy-Tech held at Stoneleigh Park
Cross-bred herd breaks the mould to win Gold Cup
The winner of the 2023 NMR RABDF Gold Cup award is Bisterne Farm in Ringwood, Hampshire. This is one of the first farms in the competition's recent history to receive the award with a cross-bred, low-input, grass-based herd
Dairy talk - Claire Eastham: "We need to build in resilience to differing weather patterns where we can"
Happy New Year to you all Although it probably seems like a distant memory I hope you all enjoyed some quality time with your families over the Christmas period
Dairy Talk - Ben Yates: "This spring will be the first year where we get to assess some of the new SFI schemes that we have entered"
I am certainly glad to see the end of the long period of wet weather we have been enduring in Somerset since October, and we are currently enjoying a crisp dry spell
Milk powder: What should be in it and why?
Knowing what ingredients should be present within a milk powder is key to assessing its quality as the quantity and origin of ingredients can impact calf performance
Benefits of early pregnancy diagnosis via blood tests
Research has looked at the potential benefits of blood testing to detect early pregnancy in dairy cows
NZ vet blog: "This can be rather embarrassing for the vet"
In his latest article, vet Rory Dean, talks about how his farmers in New Zealand are starting out on their cow technology journey, and the impact this has on his job
Cow signals allow you to objectively observe your cows
Applying Cow Signals to day-to-day farm management can prevent disease and ‘owneritis', says Owen Atkinson of Dairy Veterinary Consultancy
Large Ukrainian dairy farm battles to survive
One of Ukraine's biggest dairy farms, situated just 60km from the war front line is battling a number of daily challenges to survive
Duchy College's Future Farm showcases innovative dairy
The Future Farm at Duchy College serves as a cutting edge educational facility which also aims to bridge the gap between innovative dairy practices and the next generation of farmers
Small cows deliver punchy milk solids on grass-based dairy
A three-way cross is proving the winning formula for one Lanarkshire family dairy enterprise
Unlocking clover's potential to reduce fertiliser use
Scientists are aiming to unlock the potential of clover and other legumes to reduce the use of fertiliser and emissions from livestock agriculture, thanks to a £3.3 million UK Government grant
Markets cautious as milk volumes seemingly soar
The markets have started the year in nervously neutral mood, with milk volumes ramping-up unexpectedly in key regions, which has seemingly taken the wind out of seller's sales
World Dairy Summit gives industry overview
Dairy industry experts from around the world attended the International Dairy Federation's World Dairy Summit held in Chicago late last year where the diversity of the global industry was highlighted
Dairy Matters - Liz Haines: "I feel like diversity is now firmly on the farming map"
Dairy farmer Liz Haines, discusses her first visit to the Oxford Farming Conference, which this year saw speakers addressing the theme of diversity
Forage foundation for new dairy business in Northamptonshire
Combining forage expertise with automation has proved the key for a new dairy unit in Northamptonshire
Collaboration on foot health pays off
The impact of lameness is well-known, but vet Will Gratwick says in order to get a grip on the issue, there needs to be dialogue between the farmer, foot trimmer and vet.
Getting farming into the classroom
Cambridgeshire farmer, Tom Martin, spoke about the importance of connecting with the consumer, and he highlighted the ‘Farmer Time' initiative as being a positive way of getting farming into the classroom
Dairy Farmer: From the Editor: "It does breathe an air of positivity into the sector"
Last year was dominated once again by high costs of production, flooding events and business uncertainty, as farmers grappled with changes to support payments
Dairy Talk - Gemma Smale-Rowland: "Sometimes taking a break is the most important thing you can do"
As we sit back and reflect on 2023, once again the roller coaster weather that we experienced played a significant, and challenging role, across the farming sector
Grain maize to become increasingly popular dairy feed
Dairy producers looking to reduce feed costs and boost milk output could do well to team up with local arable growers planning to grow maize this spring following a difficult autumn drilling programme
Dairy Talk - Ifan Roberts: "Since this time I have now leased cows to five different dairy businesses"
Having figured out at a relatively young age that one day I wanted to have a dairy farm of my own I knew that with very little capital to start off with this was going to be a real challenge