We all know how much our dogs love a treat, especially when they have had a long, tiring day of chasing sticks and snoozing. So why not get creative and make some treats of your own? Your dog will love these simple and delicious homemade snack recipes we have selected to tickle your four-legged friends' taste buds.
Rearing chickens can be a rewarding experience when fresh, free-range eggs are on the table in the morning. However, maintaining a pest-free home for our feathered friends is an ongoing challenge for all of us. To create a healthy environment for chickens, we need to ensure that pests are kept out of the coop to provide the best space for your feathered friends to live. It can be a challenge to nurse chickens back to health after a pest invasion, so ensuring you know how to tackle pest problems before they occur can significantly help.
Obesity, the sadly common condition that we are beginning to see more frequently in pets, and it is the most common nutritional disorder to be seen in dogs. The risks of an obese pet are far greater than those of a healthy dog, which is why it is very important to manage and maintain your pets weight as the long term affects of obesity can have a significant impact on their life.
Shetlands as we all know are small and hardy animals, who are particularly popular as children’s ponies, companions or even pets due to their lovable characteristics. Despite their small stature, these cheeky animals are very well adapted to their origins in North Scotland. Grazing in the Shetland Isles is sparse due to the cold environment, so the ponies have had to adapt to the lack of pasture available throughout the year. However, due to this, when they are granted access to lavish grassland, it is common for Shetlands to become quickly overweight.
With weather patterns becoming increasingly unsettled and guaranteed April showers a thing of the past, abiotic stress is a growing problem for successful maize establishment. When applied early in the growth of plants it increases production of phosphatase and reductase enzymes which in turn leads to increased availability of nutrients and increased root and shoot development.
There is enough energy in a hectare of fresh forage maize to support about 30,000 - litres of milk production in dairy cows, once animal maintenance needs are met. With high cereal prices having a direct impact on bought-in feed prices, it is therefore well worth protecting the energy potential in this starch-rich forage.
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.
Inclusion of maize in the dairy ration has long been favoured by many dairy farmers and with the current costs of other crops and inputs, 2022 represents an even better opportunity for maize.
Jonathan Evans farms at Berry Hill near Newport, Pembrokeshire, alongside his father, uncle, grandparents, and cousins. The family farm 154 hectares where they grow grass, maize, forage rape, forage rye, and hybrid rye. In an attempt to reduce purchased feed costs and cut soya out of diets, in 2022 they undertook a novel trial and intercropped maize and beans to support the 190-cow herd.
The increase in cost of fertiliser products have prompted many growers to consider new and innovative ways to ensure their crops receive adequate nutrition. Wynnstay agronomists are working with growers and introducing a novel approach to crop nutrition and biostimulation.
