Beef Cattle
Business and Policy April 2026 – Beef
Finished Prices Continue to Ease Currently, ‘sticky’ best describes where we are at with finished prices. By the week ending the 21st of March 2026, Scottish prices were sat at 642p/kg deadweight for R4L grade steers, back 1.4 p/kg on the week and 3.4% behind the same…
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Feeding and Ensiling Potatoes for Cattle
Stockfeed potatoes are a viable energy feed for cattle and a useful additive to ensiled forage when managed correctly. They offer an economical alternative to cereals but require: Gradual introduction into diets …
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Business and Policy November 2025 – Beef
Festive Demand We are now in the last quarter of the year, with only 3-4 weeks left of Christmas supermarket orders as processors plan their Christmas kill schedules. Prime cattle…
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Easter Howgate Study – Autumn Born Finishing Bulls
When Easter Howgate set out to ease housing pressure caused by an expanding spring calving herd, they found a unique solution. By establishing a “B Herd” of underperforming cows and…
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BVD Eradication – Important Changes & Phase 6
Scotland’s BVD eradication scheme has been in place since 2010. Phase 6 of the eradication scheme is starting on 1 July. Changes from July 2025 From 1 July 2025 Persistently…
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Milk Fever in Suckler cows on Machair Land
Hypocalcaemia, also known as milk fever, is typically not an issue in suckler cows, although experience shows that the conditions on the Uists are just right to be an exception…
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Mineral Requirements in Out-Wintered and Grazed Cattle
In a housed system, dietary intake of minerals can be regulated as the diet is formulated to provide the same quantity of minerals each day, depending on the stage of…
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In Conversation With… – The Golden Hoof
In this episode Mark and Kirsten reflect on their highlights from 2024 and are joined by David Ross (Principal Consultant, SAC Consulting) to discuss integrating livestock and arable. They explore options for integrating livestock, share top tips and farmers experience as well as the benefits this can bring to both the arable and livestock farmer.
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A Practical Guide to Selecting Finished Cattle
Knowing when your cattle are ready for sale is a crucial factor in optimising returns from your beef enterprise. The most popular route for finished cattle is selling directly to…
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Kenneth Bone: Diversifying for a Thriving Island Community
Kenneth Bone farms Glenkiln Farm on the Isle of Arran with his family. They won the Diversified Farm of the year award at last year’s Scottish Agriculture Awards, as well as taking home the Champion of Champions trophy. The business has an impressive portfolio, from the farming business to hydro scheme, pub, equestrian centre and housing. Kenneth tells us where it all began, and how the business diversified to be the success it is today.
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