Author Posts: Farmers Guide

Feeding for optimum rumen function is a way farmers can help to maximise productivity from their herd and potentially improve sustainability, listeners on the latest Mole Valley Farmers’ Podcast heard. 

With edible insects being hailed as a sustainable source of high protein food, researchers at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) have been awarded more than £10k to develop a strategy for using them in animal feed.

As the end of the year approaches, it’s time to take a look at crops and field conditions and create a plan of action for next year.

Spring cropping remains an important option for many northern farms, and growers should think about variety choices carefully and take steps to secure seed early, said CAS arable agronomist Archie Boase, part of Hutchinsons.

With the countryside being a popular destination for recreational activities, both visitors and landowners have a responsibility to ensure rural areas are safe to enjoy for all.

For many years the National Sheep Association (NSA) has fought to increase awareness of the devastating issue of sheep worrying by dogs. So, as families prepare for the Christmas holidays, the association that represents UK sheep farmers is angered by a new festive family film inadvertently ignoring the seriousness of the issue.

New compulsory biosecurity and housing measures are set to come into force in Wales tomorrow (Friday 2nd December) to further protect birds against avian influenza.

MSD Animal Health UK Ltd has developed an innovative vaccine technology to increase the convenience of poultry vaccination on-farm.

Dairy farmers could be losing milk production worth tens of thousands of pounds by failing to protect their cows from heat stress during the summer, according to independent vet consultant Dr Tom Chamberlain from Chalcombe Ltd, speaking at a Lallemand Animal Nutrition workshop at Total Dairy in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Leading dairy innovator, smaXtec has launched TruDrinking, a new function which accurately records individual cow’s water intake. This latest technical advance is a world first in the sector-leading health monitoring system and helps farmers to optimise milk production and animal management.

A team of students from Pipers Corner School in High Wycombe have been crowned winners of LEAF Education’s National Competition in Food, Farming and Natural Environment 2022.  This year’s finalists’ weekend, run by LEAF Education, in partnership with Bayer and Coleg Cambria, was held at Coleg Cambria in Llysfasi, North Wales, over the weekend of 21-23 October.

The dry summer and mild, wet autumn of 2022 has resulted in a high worm challenge on many farms, with reports from around the UK of lambs suffering from the effects of high worm burdens.