Author Posts: Sarah Kidby
Filling ewe nutrient gaps pre-lambing “cuts neonatal mortality by 7.5%
21st December 2022
Independent trial work by SAC has revealed a range of health and productivity benefits for flocks that were fed a combination feed and mineral bucket supplement in the final six weeks of pregnancy.
Weather shift prompts warning over frozen pipe damage
20th December 2022
As the cold weather gives way to warmer temperatures this week, farmers are being warned that frozen pipes thawing could cause thousands of pounds worth of damage.
New project to eradicate sheep scab in Wales
20th December 2022
Coleg Sir Gar, in partnership with the Royal Veterinary College, has been awarded a project to work closely with the sheep sector to control and ultimately eradicate sheep scab.
MPs slam “fundamentally unfair” bird flu compensation rules
15th December 2022
Efra Committee MPs have written to environment secretary Thérèse Coffey calling for ‘urgent action’ to address the immediate and longer term needs of the poultry sector.
Plastic long-troughs proving a “safe, smooth, stackable success”
13th December 2022
Investing in long-troughs to feed outdoor sows can significantly reduce costs, cut feed waste and help counter excessive nutrient leeching in soils. It’s also more hygienic and can reduce the bird and vermin populations visiting and colonising a pig unit in search of food, according to Con-Tented Products.
Farms can now apply for slurry storage grants
6th December 2022
Defra has opened applications for the Slurry Infrastructure grant, with farmers in England able to apply for grants of £25-250K towards the cost of slurry stores, covers and supporting equipment.
Nearly 90% of farms and estates report “extremely limited” staff availability, survey shows
6th December 2022
With annual inflation now in double figures, salaries are being driven by not only a shortage of good staff, but also the cost -of-living crisis, according to Knight Frank’s biennial Estate Staff Salaries Survey.
Safeguarding this year’s lamb crop
5th December 2022
After a challenging summer, limited grass in some areas may have affected ewe condition, so forage analysis is critical for rationing heavily pregnant ewes.
Good transition is about giving the cow what she needs
5th December 2022
At transition the dairy cow is perhaps at her highest metabolic vulnerability – she is subject to demands which physiologically she often struggles to sustain. Energy and calcium are two prime examples. Post-calving the cow’s demands for both can suddenly increase by upwards of two-fold compared to what they previously were before calving.
MPs flag animal disease concerns as APHA Weybridge site ‘left to deteriorate’
18th November 2022
A new report from the Public Accounts Committee has raised questions about Weybridge’s ability to cope with a major disease outbreak, as well as government plans for redevelopment – and makes a series of seven recommendations for Defra.
North Yorkshire Commoners take co-ordinated approach to sheep scab
18th November 2022
A farmer in North Yorkshire who grazes his sheep on common land has spoken out about the benefits of testing for scab and the importance of breaking the stigma related to the condition.
Calls for urgent meeting as imports replace British eggs on Sainsbury’s shelves
16th November 2022
BFREPA chief Robert Gooch said the development is a “wake up call” to all retailers that they can’t expect farmers to work for nothing.