Livestock News

Latest throughput figures released this week by the Livestock Auctioneers’ Association (LAA) show that more farmers across England and Wales are favouring the live sales ring to secure the true value of their livestock, with margins under greater pressure from increased production costs.

High tech portable chambers for measuring methane emissions from sheep are being used on a UK farm for the first time.

Livestock entries to the Royal Bath & West Show have been fantastic across the board this year, demonstrating farmers’ appetite for exhibiting their top animals and socialising with their peers.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has welcomed the launch of ‘Gwaredu Scab’, a first-of-its-kind project funded by the Welsh government that aims to tackle sheep scab outbreaks by offering farmers a free service covering the diagnosis and treatment of infected sheep.

An updated costing model has revealed farmers could lose £209 per lamb and £184 per breeding ewe that falls victim to blowfly strike, which means administering treatment only after animals are struck is no longer cost-effective.

On the back of zinc supplies running out and responsible antibiotic use becoming ever more important, getting weaned pigs off to a solid start is vital to protecting their welfare and safeguarding farm productivity. At a webinar hosted by the George Pig Practice and supported by Elanco, three experts discussed the challenges and practical solutions when it comes to weaned pig management.

Taking proactive steps ahead of forecasted heat waves this summer is an effective way of reducing the incidence of heat stress in cattle and minimise yield losses due to overheating, an issue of increasing concern to UK dairy and beef farmers as global temperatures continue to rise.

The vast computational power of machine learning has the ability to better alert farmers, resulting in earlier interventions and treatments to benefit animal health and welfare and provide a significant economic boost to the industry. This is according to Chloe Hazell, Agxio’s bioscientist & research lead, who explores the potential of data and AI in the beef and dairy industries.

Further recent discussions on reintroducing lynx to the Scottish countryside have prompted calls to protect diverse farmland habitats, livestock and the people that manage them.

With lamb featuring as the main ingredient on the official Coronation menu, and thousands of military uniforms having been finely crafted from British wool, produce from the nation’s sheep farmers is playing an important part in the Coronation celebrations.

Sheep farmers are being reminded to test sheep before and after drenching to determine which animals need worming and ensure their chosen treatment is working properly.

Led by McCartneys auctioneers, the sale of pedigree cows and calves from the noted Wroxall Simmental herd of CH Evans & Son at Kington Grange Farm, Claverdon, Warwickshire, recorded just over £120,000 in gross earnings, with the leading cow-calf pair fetching a combined 6000gns.