Overseeding is a very simple but effective way to rejuvenate old or damaged grass leys without the cost of a complete reseed. Increases in yield and quality can be achieved without ploughing and the time spent out of production can be reduced.
The extremely hot and dry weather experienced during the 2022 season, coupled with the effect of reduced fertiliser inputs on some farms have resulted in lower forage yields than would normally be expected.. Weed control in established grassland and in young grass leys should therefore be a top priority for producers in spring, to maximise forage potential.
Vyrnwy Christmas Trees is based in Meifod and sell Nordmann non-needle drop trees, it is run by Tom and Cath Pritchard. They have three young children, Alfie, Neive and Madi who love to get involved and help in their own way, it is very much a family effort at Vyrnwy Christmas Trees.
The business started in 2012, following a random idea from Cath, and after a lot of research and meetings they agreed to try 1,200 Nordmann fir seedlings as a starting point.
Over 70% of the calf’s immune system is housed in the gut. So, a healthy microbiome regulates and promotes good immune function. Good bacteria also compete with harmful pathogens in the young gut. Disruptions to the gut microbiome can impact health and cause issues like dysbiosis and scour.
Calves are more susceptible to cold stress than older animals. This is because they have lower body fat reserves and a larger surface area to body mass ratio which causes them to lose body heat more rapidly.
Housing orders are now in place in England and Wales (effective from 2nd December 2022) for all poultry and captive birds were put in place for all areas of England to help reduce the spread of avian influenza. There are currently no housing orders in Scotland and Wales.
These measures are a legal requirement for all keepers to keep their birds indoors and follow strict Biosecurity measures to assist in protecting their flocks from the disease. All current Avian Influenza prevention zones that were put in place on 17th October in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland will remain in place until a time in which they are revoked. Defra and the Welsh government have published guidance to support game farmers to mitigate the impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds.
The weather is getting cooler and you don’t want your calves to experience cold stress. Calves' lower critical temperature is 15ºc, so you don’t want them to be putting energy into keeping warm instead of growth and keeping healthy.
Cold Stress in newborn calves significantly decreases the rate of absorption of immunoglobulins up to 15 hours after first feed of colostrum making them more susceptible to certain diseases. Also putting energy into keeping warm instead of growing results in lower growth rates.
Are you one of the 44% of horse owners that don't weigh their horse before worming? then you could be either overdosing or underdosing your horse.
When it comes to selecting the appropriate feed for your horse or pony, every owner should begin with the saying “feed according to your horse’s workload and bodyweight”. Although this may seem straightforward, how do you assess the level of work your horse is achieving?
In recent times there has been some debate about the ideal chop length for rumen health. In this respect, a useful gauge for chop length is that it should be the width of a cow's mouth! However, only a maximum of 10 per cent should be this long. If there is too much long chopped forage cows will sort the ration and only eat the short chop. In terms of good compaction in a silage clamp, it is absolutely essential to alter the chop length depending on the dry matter content of the forage to be ensiled.
