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.
During the winter months, hooves can suffer from the muddy and persistently wet conditions. Although hoof growth tends to slow down during the winter months, the hooves of unshod horses do not tend to break down as well as they do in the dry conditions.
It is well known that the early introduction of starter feed is essential for rumen development, but often forage is not offered until close to or post-weaning. Many recent studies have shown that offering forage during the pre-weaning phase has benefits in pre-weaning growth rates as well as aiding the transition from a milk-based diet to solid feed.
Early turnout to grass can be hugely beneficial in terms of improving daily liveweight gain and calf health whilst also reducing rearing costs. However, the turnout phase is again another time in the calves lives where we are introducing them to a new environment, therefore there are a few things we can do to make this time a little less stressful.
From an organic smallholding in Aberystwyth to vast cattle stations in Australia, it has been an exciting journey that has led to Emily Martin’s current role as Depot Manager at the Cardigan store. Emily had a great head-start and gained a broad experience from a small but diverse family farm operation.
The lead-up to the arrival of your new puppy is always an exciting time, but ensuring you carry out all the necessary research on your puppy’s breed and needs is essential. The new four-legged family member will need the best start to grow into a healthy and happy dog, and you will be responsible for this.
A hot topic among many farmers and vets is the issue of Mycoplasma. With New Zealand enforcing an aggressive culling policy on infected cows it raises the questions; do we know enough about it? Are we being proactive? So it goes without saying that prevention is better than a cure, especially when discussing calf health and performance.
The importance of colostrum has been well documented, however that we feed calves is often overlooked. With colostrum being so crucial for the future productivity and survivability of the calf, why should we guess or compromise on the quality we put into them.
The quality of colostrum can vary greatly from cow to cow with numerous factors such as: parity, nutrition and breed all influencing colostrum quality. Quality of colostrum cannot be identified from sight alone! Measuring colostrum quality ensures calves get the best possible start in life.
The market is saturated with different milk powders, all with their own niche selling point and most of them promise to provide you with the solution you are looking for (whatever that may be!) I think it is fair to say many farmers look at the oil and protein levels stated on the bag, followed by price per tonne and end up making a relatively uninformed decision.
