Beef Cattle
North East Organic Discussion Group: Rotational Grazing
In this podcast, Agricultural Consultant Malcolm MacDonald chats to Alastair Wilson who farms at Upper Wheedlemont Farm near Rhynie, and Senior Consultant with SAC Consulting, Ewan Johnstone. Alistair talks about…
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Nutritional Causes: Focus On Laminitis
Nutritional management has been identified as a key component in the development of laminitis, particularly in rations with a high level of starch resulting in an acidotic state.
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Identifying And Treating Lameness In Cattle
There are two vital points to remember when tackling lameness in a group of cattle:
Identify what the cause of lameness is
Don’t assume all cases have the same cause
Practical Steps To Reducing Lameness In Finishing Cattle
As with most things in life, when it comes to lameness, prevention is always better than cure. Lameness is recognised as a major issue in the dairy industry, with dairy producers spending a lot of time and money on treating and preventing lameness in their herds. Although not such an acute issue in most beef herds, there is still potential to make changes to reduce lameness, particularly in finishing systems.
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Handling And Stacking Silage Bales
When making silage bales it worth taking extra care around handling, wrapping and stacking of bales to avoid costly nutrient losses and some harmful moulds that can cause issues with livestock.
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Ragwort – May 2020
Ragwort is a biennial and a fresh batch of rosettes germinate each spring, particularly if there are gaps in the sward, and plants have been allowed to seed in previous…
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Reflection On Calving 2020
With most farms now coming to the end of Spring calving 2020, now is a good time to reflect on calving. What has gone well? And where is there room for improvement? The main thing to focus on is where did losses occur?
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Maximising The Power Of Culling As A Management Tool
Culling cattle out the system is a powerful tool, not only to improve herd performance but also reduce the risk of any animal welfare breakdowns in your herd. There are many reasons for culling cattle, these may vary from farm to farm. However, the time to make culling decisions for breeding animals is restricted.
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Is Mineral Supplementation Necessary For Cattle At Grass?
The need to supplement growing cattle at grass with minerals is often questioned. Many farmers do, many do not, and some may bolus to provide certain trace elements. Unless there is a known deficiency on the farm or clinical signs then it is very difficult to know whether a specific mineral deficiency is impacting on growth performance in cattle or fertility in replacement heifers.
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