Sheep scab is an allergic dermatitis which is caused by the mite Psoroptes ovis. It is a highly contagious condition as the mites live and feed on the skin and so they are easily spread onto in contact sheep.
Farmers are being advised to get ewes in the correct condition ahead of tupping to avoid a second year of poor scanning rates.
It was widely reported that scanning rates were back 15-20% on some farms in 2022/23 because the drought-affected feed availability pre-tupping, this could happen again this year and farmers must plan ahead.
Accurately measuring and recording the weight of lambs plays a vital role in monitoring flock performance. This blog aims to highlight the importance of weighing lambs, discussing the benefits it brings to the overall health, management, and profitability of a sheep flock.
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.
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.
Shearing sheep (the ancient skill) is a vital element of good flock management. The process provides a clean and sanitary environment for the sheep but also reduces overheating in the summer. Many will bring in a shearer to complete the job, but some will shear their flock themselves. Lister global has created a step-by-step guide on how to shear your flock.
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.
Early scanning data shows rates are 20 to 30% lower than normal following grass shortages due to the drought, meaning it is important to pay particular attention to ewe nutrition to ensure as many healthy lambs as possible are born in the spring.
Rearing surplus lambs can be a difficult task during the lambing season, and the decision to foster onto a ewe or artificially rear the lambs will depend on their physical condition.
