Livestock News

It’s fair to say that between Covid-19, Brexit and last year’s severe wet weather causing one of the worst harvests on record, agriculture has faced the most challenging years in decades. As we go into a second national lockdown, Farmers Guide take a look at the impacts of the last lockdown, and how farmers can mitigate the challenges ahead.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has announced the opening of its Lambing List for the 2020/2021 season.

After the Prime Minister announced a second national lockdown in England, beginning on 5th November, the Livestock Auctioneers’ Association (LAA) has confirmed that its member markets will remain open.

Farmers are being urged to monitor for the early signs of scour in calves as part of a campaign to help save the industry £60 million a year.

The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) has taken the decision to alter the format of Dairy-Tech 2021, due to ongoing Covid-19 concerns, by instead hosting a series of online events over a fortnight from 3rd to 17th February.

Avian flu of the H5N8 strain has been confirmed at a farm near Frodsham in Cheshire, the Animal and Plant Health Agency has announced.

Avian influenza H5N2 has been confirmed at a small commercial premises near Deal in Kent today (2nd November), the Animal and Plant Agency has revealed.

Artist and animal lover Maddie Dunn began taking commissions for pet portraits while she was doing her A-levels three years ago. After officially starting a business this year alongside university, she has already completed around 70 paintings. We spoke to her to find out more about her inspiration.

Dairy farmers are being urged to pay attention to transition diets this autumn by including a live yeast supplement to maximise productivity, achieve calving success and increase the longevity of the cow within the herd.

A lack of social distancing between sheep is almost exclusively to blame for the spread of the virus that causes maedi-visna, according to new research.

Covid-19 has placed dairy ‘front and centre’ in the daily lives of UK consumers – with most products seeing an uplift in retail sales during lockdown, according to the AHDB.

Farmers Matt and Pip Smith are tough. Farming 850 feet above sea level on the edge of Bodmin Moor near Launceston in Cornwall, the 2017 Sheep Farmer of the Year is used to high rainfall and challenging conditions buffeting the 480-acre site with grazing rights, where the couple farm 1,000 Romney ewes and some 700 venison at any one time – including 238 breeding hinds.