Dairy
MMN January 2025 – Outwintering Dairy Heifers
Outwintering dairy heifers can make significant savings on bedding and labour and with good planning and nutrition, growth performance should not be compromised. There are a number of things to…
Read More >MMN January 2025 – What to Use if Draff is Unavailable
Draff has become an important feed source within the dairy industry over the years, providing a good source of digestible energy and protein. The typical crude protein content of draff…
Read More >MMN January 2025 – Spring Sulphur Applications to Boost Grass Growth
Sulphur is an essential nutrient often overlooked by livestock farmers. It plays a vital role in nitrogen use efficiency and protein formation. Although light sandy soils are most vulnerable to…
Read More >MMN January 2025 – Should You be Using Genomic Testing?
Genomics uses a young animal’s DNA to estimate their genetic potential and aims to provide dairy farmers with the information and the confidence to make informed breeding decisions with their…
Read More >MMN January 2025 – The Importance of Sugar in a Dairy Ration
The sugar content of dairy diets is often not given much consideration, with more focus usually given to energy, protein and starch levels. While the sugar content of the ration…
Read More >Green Bedding for the Dairy Herd
With the rising costs of sawdust and straw, it is worth considering alternative sources of bedding, one of which is recycled manure solids (RMS), also known as green bedding. Green…
Read More >MMN November 2024 – Waterbeds – the Ultimate in Cow Comfort?
Ensuring good cow comfort is critical to welfare and productivity and a new type of lying surface is gaining momentum – waterbeds! First developed in Europe over 15 years ago,…
Read More >MMN November 2024 – The Benefits of Good Ventilation
Many businesses have housed dairy cattle earlier this winter due to extended periods of wet weather, poached fields, limited grazing and variable (but often mild) temperatures. Protecting the herd…
Read More >MMN November 2024 – Winter Slurry Storage Contingency Planning
With the cows housed and the night’s drawing in, we can be sure that the weather will also turn sooner rather than later. This winter will mark the last before…
Read More >MMN November 2024 – A Recap on Winter Lameness Management: Prevention is Better than Cure
The estimated average cost of a case of lameness in dairy cows is £180. Whilst we are all aware of the risks and costs of cattle lameness, it can sometimes…
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