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Practical Guides

On this page, we've gathered our practical guides across a wide range of areas helpful in running your farm.

Conservation & Biodiversity

Surveying Farmland Wading Birds – A Practical Guide

March 16, 2021

Monitoring breeding waders on your farm enables you to track changes from year to year. This Practical Guide gives some guidance as to why and how to begin surveying farmland wading birds.

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Practical Guide: Managing Peatlands and Upland Habitats

November 24, 2021
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Energy & Renewables

Farming for a Better Climate Practical Guides

This is legacy content from Farming For A Better Climate

Carbon Footprinting in the Dairy Herd

June 6, 2017
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Farming For A Better Climate: Practical Guide – Alleviating Soil Compaction

September 14, 2017

This Practical Guide gives some ideas on how to alleviate soil compaction.

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Farming For A Better Climate: Practical Guide – Field Drainage

September 14, 2017
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Farming For A Better Climate: Practical Guide – Improving Soil Quality

September 14, 2017

This Practical Guide concentrates on how we can improve soil quality to help us to adapt to climate change.

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Farming For A Better Climate: Practical Guide – Soil Management

September 14, 2017
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Practical Guide: Improving Ewe Efficiency (1)

November 7, 2017

This Practical Guide looks at benchmarks to assess flock efficiency. Additional guides in this series focus on maximising performance both pre and post lambing.

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Practical Guide: Improving Ewe Efficiency (2) – Pre Lambing

November 7, 2017

This Practical Guide looks at maximizing performance within the flock, concentrating on pre lambing.

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Practical Guide: Improving Ewe Efficiency (3) – Meeting Benchmarks Post Lambing

November 7, 2017

This Practical Guide looks at maximizing performance within the flock, concentrating on post lambing.

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Livestock nutrition

December 18, 2017

Livestock nutrition: A practical guide

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Practical Guide: Adapting New Farm Buildings to a Changing Climate

January 25, 2018

This practical guide looks at the effects of climate change that should be considered when planning a new farm building.

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Practical Guide: Adapting Traditional Farm Buildings to a Changing Climate

January 25, 2018

This practical guide looks at adaption of traditional farm buildings to cope with climate change.

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Practical Guide: Anaerobic Digestion (Biogas)

January 25, 2018

This Practical Guide focuses on anaerobic digestion and how it can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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Practical Guide: Feed-in Tariff

January 25, 2018

This Practical Guide focuses on the Feed in Tariff Scheme to fund renewable resources on farm, which can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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Practical Guide: Introduction to Small Scale Renewables

January 25, 2018

This Practical Guide gives an overview of small farm scale renewable systems

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Practical Guide: Micro-Hydro

January 25, 2018

This Practical Guide concentrates on micro-hydro opportunities. Installing micro-hydro could reduce electricity bills, provide an additional income, and reduce GHG emissions from the farm.

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Practical Guide: The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)

January 25, 2018

This Practical Guide explains the Renewable Heat Incentive.

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Practical Guide: Wind energy

January 25, 2018

This Practical Guide concentrates on how to develop a medium scale wind turbine and help reduce GHG emissions. (Note: other scales of development may be appropriate at your site. The basic principles still apply.)

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Practical Guide: Solar Photovoltaics

January 25, 2018

This Practical Guide concentrates on the opportunities for producing electricity from solar photovoltaics (PV) on farm, which could help to provide an additional income and reduce farm GHG emissions.

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Practical Guide: Improving Shed Ventilation for the Beef Herd

January 25, 2018

This practical guide looks at maximising performance of housed beef cattle by improving ventilation in buildings.

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Practical Guide: What can your Dairy Cows Tell You?

January 25, 2018

This practical guide looks at helping to maximise performance of cattle by improving their environment.

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