Sheep News

The yeast fermentation additive Celmanax has been shown by a recent study to increase daily liveweight gains and reduce finishing times in lambs that received supplementation, saving farmers £18.91 per head when feed cost was taken into account.

A day of discussion and knowledge exchange centred around upland sheep farming awaits farmers at Ballindalloch Home Farm in Speyside, Scotland, with the specialist event featuring a display of state-of-the-art technology used to measure GHG emissions in sheep.

The Scottish Government’s decision recognises the risks of cobalt deficiency to animal health and welfare.

The two-day show and sale is the pinnacle of the Valais Blacknose calendar, giving UK breeders the chance to showcase their animals and battle it out for the accolade of Overall Supreme Champion.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is concerned the rise in dog ownership in the UK since the pandemic and increasingly seen behavioural issues in dogs highlighted by recent statistics could be behind the spike in sheep worrying attacks reported by farmers across the country.

Livestock farmers are being warned about the increased risk of grass staggers in cattle and sheep as a result of this year’s wet spring, with Rumenco nutritionist Dr Alison Bond advising supplementation to balance a lower-than-average magnesium intake from grass.

Having confirmed payments for last year’s wool clip, British Wool acknowledged the prices will be disappointing to members and said the organisation is doing everything it can to navigate what is currently a ‘very challenging environment’ for raw material suppliers.

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

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.

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.