News

Soil compaction often goes unnoticed in grassland soils and yet it can have an adverse impact on productivity comparable to the effect in cultivated soils.

Market forecasts show fertiliser prices are unlikely to drop any time soon as the perfect storm of high energy prices coupled with supply side issues mean stocks are tight and will remain so for the forthcoming season at least.

While many farmers perceive lungworm in cattle to be an autumn disease – simply because the tell-tale cough from husk tends to peak late in the grazing season – the reality is early spring is the time to be thinking about better disease control, says vet Emily Linton.

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.

Although digital dermatitis remains up there as the number one lameness challenge for many dairy producers in the UK, controlling the bacteria can be straightforward says veterinary surgeon Nick Bell. Farmers Guardian reports.

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.

Fodder beet could be an attractive alternative to costly bought-in feeds, says Mark Snell who grows the crop to use for his own livestock business and also to sell to other farmers.

Two men have been convicted of the theft and dishonest handling of property from farms across Somerset following a police investigation. 

According to the Control of Worms Sustainably (COWS) group, vaccinating calves before turnout can protect them against lungworm and reduce economic losses from ill-health.

In what is thought to be the largest recorded data-set for sheep colostrum collected under commercial farming conditions, a new study has emphasised the importance of a good diet in late pregnancy and its link with colostrum quality.