Articles

Training Ewe Lambs To Eat Hard Feed

In the UK, we are fortunate to have easy access to concentrate feed when we need it. We can plan to make the most of grass, but we have a back-up in times of need.

Can Minerals Improve Flock Rearing Percentage?

Understanding and correcting mineral deficiencies can mean the difference between a poor and a good lamb crop next year.

Culling Decisions For Ewes

Keeping unproductive ewes decreases the breeding potential of the flock, as well as the cost associated with the system. Ewes who are not being productive, should be drawn out before the tup is introduced and the next breeding season begins.

Caesarean Section In Cattle

The legacy of a great year for grass is an increasing number of cows likely to require a caesarean section. While a natural birth is the goal, when a section is required there are several things that are needed for a successful outcome.

Copper: Know Your Limits!

Trace elements play an important role in livestock nutrition and contribute significantly towards health, immunity, growth, fertility and lactation. However, care must be taken to ensure that supplementation overcomes any deficiencies in forage but at the same time, the risk of toxicity and exceeding legal limits must be avoided.

Abortion In Cattle Due To Bacillus licheniformis

You may not have heard of it but this bacteria is the most commonly diagnosed cause of abortion in Scottish cattle. Bacillus licheniformis abortions are most common in housed, pit silage fed, spring calving beef cows in the last 2 months of pregnancy.

Silage Sampling – Taking A Representative Sample

Poor sampling technique is one of the main causes of unreliable silage analysis results. It is important to take a representative sample of the silage which will be fed to stock. This ensures the results are reliable and accurate, in order to ration livestock as effectively as possible.