Livestock News

In the UK it is estimated that a quarter of high yielding dairy cows suffer from sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA). David Bonsall, animal nutrition technical manager at Omya says it gets worse over the winter when a large percentage of the UK herd is housed, but there are management changes farmers can make to prevent and cure it.

Applications are now open for the Smaller Abattoir Fund, which offers grants to support smaller red meat and poultry abattoirs across England.

Farm vet Faye Heath, of Westpoint Farm Vets in Winchester, provides some top tips to ensure a successful lambing season.

Offences include keeping animals in a poor living environment, repeated overdue TB testing or breaching avian flu housing orders.

Protein-rich peas and beans are replacing concentrates in the winter ration of sheep and cattle at a Radnorshire farm.

Colostrum is critical to the short and long-term health of lambs. Nettex provides a guide on how to supplement both ewe and powdered colostrum.

A dairy farm in Cheshire that was having trouble handling sand-laden slurry, has solved the problem with a new pump and help in the set-up of its reception pit.

Routine surveillance has identified two cases of bluetongue in cattle on a farm near Cantley, Broadland in Norfolk.

Following active surveillance within the temporary control zone (TCZ), two further cases of bluetongue have been identified taking the total number of UK cases to seven. Both cases are linked to a holding with previously confirmed cases of bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3).

Farmers urged to be vigilant as further cases identified through additional surveillance.

A recent Defra webinar on funding for grassland and livestock saw farmers question the funding available for low input grassland, species rich grassland and good quality semi-improved grassland options under the SFI.

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.