Articles

As we move further into December, now is a good time to check your growing rations and how animals are performing. To do this, having a set of weigh scales on farm is invaluable. This lets you monitor average liveweight gains, allowing you to assess the ration and make any necessary adjustments.

Clipping the backs of cattle at housing is common practice.  However by the turn of the New Year quite often the hair has regrown to the extent that it can be difficult to tell if the animal was clipped or not.

It is well established that making very good quality silage (11 ME+) reduces costs in feeding pregnant ewes coming up to lambing for those who are lambing indoors. 

Liver fluke is a production limiting and often fatal parasite which if untreated can result in significant cost to a livestock business and have a negative impact on animal welfare.  Every farm and every herd is different, making assumptions about liver fluke can be very dangerous. 

With the recent bad weather, it is tempting to graze the well sheltered lambing/turnout fields through the winter, but keep in mind that these fields do need adequate rest if they are going to be of value for lambing.