Dairy & Beef

A dry start to the summer followed by a wet July means farmers in the North East need to take a close look at calf nutrition over the next few months, according to Steven Eddie, ruminant nutritionist at East Coast Viners.

The third consecutive GB Calf Week will be kicking off at the UK’s largest dairy industry event on 13th September, with a series of on-farm and virtual events promoting responsible dairy calf management.

With the gap between farmgate milk and retail prices promising no let-up and high input costs putting significant strain on the sector, British dairy farmers are facing a tough six months ahead, the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) has warned.

Dr Carrie Rimes, a former grassland ecologist turned artisan cheese-maker, recently hosted minister Lesley Griffiths on her new award-winning sheep milk dairy in Bethesda, Gwynedd, which was realised through government funding and support from the local council.

Vets from the VetPartners group are lobbying their MPs to address the volatility of the milk market, as a time when farmers are facing increased costs.

Dairy farmers have an opportunity this year to clamp decent tonnages of quality maize silage, which could be a useful buffer with uncertain milk prices. But it will be crucial to avoid the top three most common harvest pitfalls.

In line with Somerset-based Godminster Farm’s ethos: ‘nature repays those who treat her kindly’, Pete Cheek who has been in charge of the farm’s 300 organic dairy herd for more than 25 years, is working with McArthur Agriculture to replace imported soya bean meal from the cows’ diet with home-grown and roasted pulses.

Taking steps to manage microbiota in maize silage this season will reduce the potential for costly mycotoxin problems at feed-out, according to Lientjie Colahan, technical sales support at Lallemand Animal Nutrition.

British dairy farmers are being forced to think seriously about their future due to concerns about insufficient returns, volatile markets and the scale of on-farm investment required.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) are launching a new dairy breeding and genetics campaign, hosting multiple workshops to help farmers access and analyse their dairy herd’s genetic potential.

The latest addition to Neogen’s range of footbath chemicals, Hoofshield Advance, has been shortlisted for a new product award and will be featured on the company’s stand at UK Dairy Day.

Farmers are invited to a free event hosted by AHDB on 22nd August to learn about improving stock selection for slaughter based on current market trends and how to achieve a healthier bottom line.