As the days shorten and a new flush of growth appears in our fields, it’s easy to think the grazing season is winding down. However, for many UK livestock farmers, autumn brings a heightened risk of a serious and often fatal condition: grass staggers. Also known as hypomagnesaemia or grass tetany, this magnesium deficiency can strike cattle and ewes without warning, making it crucial to be prepared.
For generations, providing consistent water for crops and livestock has been a fundamental, yet often challenging, task for farmers. Hauling water to remote fields or grappling with rising electricity bills for conventional pumps can be a significant drain on time, resources, and finances. But what if you could harness the abundant power of the sun to solve your water woes? Enter the solar powered water pump – a technology rapidly transforming how farms manage their water supply, offering a sustainable, cost-effective, and incredibly reliable solution.
With huge scope to maximise productivity from forage, Wynnstay has launched a new Forage4Profit campaign, which is designed to support farmers to improve meat or milk from forage.
The 2022 Kingshay report indicates that the average milk from forage on UK dairy farms is 2,900 litres, showcasing that there is huge scope for improvement, with some of the best farms reaching over 5,000 litres.
A successful turnout requires careful preparation to prevent health issues and ensure animal well-being. A gradual transition from winter feed to lush pasture is essential, allowing the rumen to adapt and prevent digestive upset.
Mineral supplementation, particularly magnesium, is crucial during the spring grazing period amongst other seasons to avoid deficiencies like grass tetany, also referred to as grass staggers. Well-maintained pastures with adequate grass and water, coupled with close health monitoring, contribute to a smooth turnout, minimising stress and maximising health and productivity.
With the onset of winter rapidly approaching and grass quality decreasing, Wynnstay’s beef and sheep manager, Bryn Hughes, advises farmers to plan ahead for housing cattle over winter.
Douglas Palmer, Vet Advisor from Norbrook Laboratories LTD discusses briefly what we might see with cattle worms over the coming months.
Roundworms in cattle can reduce growth rates by up to 30% (1) so it is important not to delay the mid-season pour-on dose as this potentially leads to a loss of production as the worm burden could start to impact on growth rates. It can be hard to notice the economic impact of worms unless regular weighing is taking place as reduction in growth rates will take place before any more obvious clinical signs are seen.
Forage4Profit is a 4-point plan to help livestock farmers maximise the quality of homegrown forage and improve milk or meat from forage.
In this blog we look at the 4 factors to help improve milk from forage this season.
The amount of milk produced from forage averages just 2,900 litres nationally, figures from Kingshay’s cost report from December 2022 show. There is huge scope to improve this and reduce purchased feed costs, with the best farms achieving 5,300 litres of milk from forage.
Every 1,000 litres of milk from forage equates to approximately 460kg of concentrate feed, and so by increasing homegrown forage quality, it's essential to maximise homegrown to make the most efficient use of purchased feed.
Although minerals only account for about 5% of total ruminant nutrition they have a disproportionate role in supporting energy and protein yielding nutrients required to maintain animal health, fertility and production.
Grassland management is often overlooked for new leys, but by prioritising weed control early during establishment, you will achieve cost-effective, long-lasting control, resulting in higher yields of grass.
