Feed & Forage [BE.FF]

Understanding Hay Quality

This summer has provided favourable conditions for producing hay. Many of you have taken advantage these conditions and made a lot of lovely, well-preserved hay. However, just like silage, hay…

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 …

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.

How to Get Started with Multi-Cut Silage

System overview With the increasing cost of purchased concentrates and forages putting pressure on margins, farmers are looking to get more production out of their home-grown forage. A multi cut…

Spring Calving Nutrition and Management

Feeding a suckler cow throughout the year is the most expensive part of her production. Her progeny, the calf, is the only annual output generated, therefore it is vital to…

Building Good Financial Habits With Cash Flow Forecasting

The statistics are clear; 80% of small businesses go under due to cash flow problems, not lack of profit. Building business resilience with good financial habits can make all the…

Cattle Mineral Supplementation

Throughout the year and production cycle, the cow goes through different phases with varying nutritional requirements depending on her stage of production. Minerals are an essential part of a cow’s…

Minimising Dry Matter Losses in Clamped Silage

Dry matter (nutrient) losses from clamped silage can be on average 25%, representing a significant amount of feed value disappearing between cutting the grass and feeding the silage out to…

Nutrition Planning for Late Summer and Autumn Calvers

This is part of the FAS Beef Technical Toolkit series, designed to give farmers practical timely advice to aid decision-making throughout the year. The principles of pre-calving nutrition still apply…

How to reduce silage nutrient loss in the heat

The silage season is well underway with many farms having already successfully harvested a first cut and some even cutting or considering further cuts. However, with the hot and dry…

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