Dairy & Beef

Mary Hamnett and Gordon Oliver, who breed Aberdeen Angus cattle in the Pennines, have a simple, shared vision – to help farmers reduce feed and labour costs and produce quality beef from grass.

The Control of Worms Sustainably (COWS) group has published its latest technical guide, which reflects significant changes in approaches.

Farmers in and around the Temporary Control Zone (TCZ), can now access and call a dedicated bluetongue hotline to get advice or ask questions linked to the current situation.

The first specific vaccine for protecting cattle against respiratory coronavirus will soon be available to UK farmers, and follows recent research suggesting BCoV plays a bigger role in BRD than previously accepted. Sarah Kidby reports.

After the first case of the new emerging bluetongue strain (BTV-3) was confirmed in England, a temporary control zone (TCZ) has been implemented. The Ruminant Health & Welfare group has put together some guidance.

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.