Dairy & Beef

Joyce Watson, Mid & West Wales MS, has been fiercely criticised for suggesting farms with perpetual TB status should “find another business”.

A Welsh dairy farm that was plagued by starlings from October to March each year, is expecting feed savings of £15,000 per month after starling-proofing its sheds.

Farmers are being urged to purchase livestock from responsible sources and be vigilant for signs of disease, as BTV-3 is confirmed at a farm in Kent.

A bill to ban live exports for slaughter and fattening has been included in the government’s programme for the new parliamentary session.

Farmers experiencing a range of fertility issues in their dairy herds are being told to test for Q fever, as data from a recent study reveals 50% of herds tested were positive for the disease.

Dairy farmer Stephen Carson recently installed the UK’s first batch milking system, with milk being pasteurised and bottled on site before being sold through vending machines. Allowing him to keep the profits through the supply chain, the project was funded by a combination of government grants and specialist agri finance.

Mild weather at the start of autumn prolonged the parasite breeding season, warned Ben Strugnell of Farm Post Mortem.

The remarkable Gretnahouse herd has some of the most influential and admired Charolais genetics in the national herd book.

The new Roots to Resilience programme, launched by AHDB Beef & Lamb, challenges farmers to ‘stop thinking in black and white and unlock their full potential’.

As the weather turns, stock is being housed and winter rations formulated. Extra attention should be given to a smooth transition to reduce the risk of acidosis and the associated poor performance, experts say.

NFU Cymru warned of an uncertain future for the sector as farmers gathered at the Welsh Dairy Show.

We know that the early stages of a calf’s life have a significant impact on their lifetime health and productivity, but housing is often not fit for purpose. We spoke to Rob Hall of LLM Farm Vets, for advice on new Defra funding to help farmers replace aging buildings.