Nutrition

Grass silage quality has been variable this year and clamps have not been filled to capacity in some regions meaning some producers will now be looking to redress the balance where crops have fallen below expectations

Fibre in forages is the most underused feed resource in dairy cow diets according to a UK and Ireland study that used new technology to investigate fibre digestibility in a range of herds

Last season’s heatwave provided some big lessons for making grass silage. So what can we learn from 2022?

Colostrum is key to overall calf health and performance, but good management is paramount for high concentration and efficient absorption of antibodies.

The provision and quality of water is paramount to overall cow health and performance, but these are areas of management which are often overlooked.

With lamb performance heavily reliant on the ewe’s milk supply, ensuring ewes are in the best condition pre-and post-lambing is key to achieving high lamb growth rates.

From 2025 UK cattle farmers could be required by the Government to feed their stock methane suppressants in a bid to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and hit net zero by 2050.

Ensuring heifers have a long and productive life is crucial to maintaining a profitable dairy enterprise, and achieving optimal growth rates pre-weaning can help realise this.

Getting the transition period right can help achieve better results during lactation and improve overall cow health and productivity.

As the most common ‘iceberg’ disease in the UK sheep industry, increased awareness of ovine Johne’s disease at a farm level is key to managing the disease. Katie Fallon reports.