Know How / Breeding and fertility Case studiesSee all DAIRY3 ways Gold Cup winner is hitting production targetsThe right cow for the system, optimising grass utilisation and feeding cows well are the main success factors for achieving top levels of milk solids and production from forage. This… SHEEPHow RamCompare gives pedigree flock commercial edgeSheep industry stalwart and farmer Charles Sercombe believes performance recording holds the key to unlocking the efficiency of the UK’s flock. “Agriculture is at a crossroads: whichever party is elected… BREEDING AND FERTILITYHigh-selenium diet helps to boost heifer fertilityA high-selenium cattle diet and focus on optimum pelvic area is helping Aberdeenshire farmers Craig and Claire Grant rear high-quality beef breeding heifers with an average conception rate of 99.9%.… BEEFHow a suckler and sheep unit aims for 10% return after rentA young Northumberland farmer is staying profit-focused on the family unit by aiming to generate enough cash to theoretically buy the farm. Covering a commercial rent and 10% interest after… BEEFHow cow leasing helped grow suckler businessA part-time Aberdeenshire beef and sheep producer has become a full-time farmer by using a cow leasing arrangement to help build a suckler herd. Describing himself as a “fourth-generation farmer… LIVESTOCKHow breeders are using methane test in wool-shedding projectA farming duo has added methane testing to its breeding programme in a quest to develop low-input sheep with low methane emissions. Shropshire sheep and arable farmer Hayden Woolley and… Practical adviceSee all SHEEPHow lambing data helps closed flocks run smootherA desire to safeguard flock health has seen a recent trend for closed flocks. This has been helped by the ability to monitor individual ewe and sire performance through ear… BREEDING AND FERTILITYTips for ensuring cattle semen is stored safely and cleanlyHow clean is the farm’s semen flask? Artificial insemination (AI) training, a starter pack including flask, guns and gloves, and a liquid nitrogen contract will fail to generate a return… HEALTH AND WELFAREAdvice on how to maintain a tight calving blockAchieving a tight calving block is key to the success of a block-calving system. Typically, farms will aim for a calving period of nine to 12 weeks, with 75-80% of… DAIRYHow to have a successful dairy transition – vet’s top tipsA tailored dry-cow ration that delivers easy calving, controls milk fever and makes high-quality colostrum is the best start to a successful transition period. Further measures include monitoring body condition… DAIRY4 ways to breed your dairy cows to cut feed billsSoaring costs of milk production and squeezed margins are turning many dairy producers’ attention to cutting input costs. And with feed representing the largest variable cost, this bill is a… PIGS7 tips on maintaining sow body conditionManaging sows so they neither gain nor lose too much body condition between parities should be the ambition of every pig breeder, as this single measure directly impacts on a… InsightsSee all BREEDING AND FERTILITYWhy genetics are critical for improving dairy cow fertilityDairy cow fertility is at the heart of herd profitability, driving milk yields, cutting interventions and improving cow lifespans. Evidence supporting the role of genetics in improving fertility has accumulated… LIVESTOCK5 must-knows about feed efficiency indexesPaying more attention to feed efficiency indexes when selecting sires for dairy herds will help compensate the escalating costs of feed being witnessed today. With that in mind, dairy farmers… BEEFGamechanging beef initiative gives security to dairy farmersThe rapidly growing success of a fully integrated beef supply chain programme has triggered demand for more dairy farmers and beef rearers and finishers to get in on the game. … LIVESTOCKHigh-yielding herds top efficiency stakesHigh-yielding dairy herds are more feed-efficient than low-yielding herds, but improvements must be made in cow fertility and longevity to lower methane emissions. A study of 21 farms across five… SHEEPWhy "breed snobbery" could challenge liveweight salesA desire to change the system, lower the cost base and move towards self-replacing maternal genetics has left some businesses in the cold when selling liveweight, Farmers Weekly has heard.… LIVESTOCKHow rising costs threaten future of Icelandic sheep farmingTough and resilient – the farmers in Iceland are much like the sheep they have bred to cope with the rugged terrain and sub-Arctic winter conditions. But many, like 44-year-old… DAIRYWhy milking robots are a good fit for Iceland’s dairiesAbout half of all dairy cows in Iceland are now milked through robots, with the fast-paced adoption of technology allowing farmers to enjoy a more laid-back way of life. With… BEEFWhy clear identification of polled genetics is neededDisbudding calves is a challenging and expensive job and, as herds scale up and calving patterns tighten, it can put huge financial and time pressure on beef farmers. But, while… HEALTH AND WELFAREWhy animal health is key to improving sustainabilityAs farm vets working in practice in the UK, we have an essential role in ensuring that farming is part of the solution to the climate crisis. Vets are in… LIVESTOCKThe benefits of investing in a maternal ramAdvances in sheep production systems including flock identification, record-keeping, ultrasound scanning, handling systems and computing power have transformed our ability to use information to identify and breed from sheep with… BREEDING AND FERTILITYWhy big cows are inefficient and how to breed smaller stockCows are getting bigger. UK dairy farmers are feeding and managing the equivalent of nearly five extra cows for every 100 in their herds, compared with 30 years ago. And… SHEEPEBV proven rams can add £6 a lamb, project showsSheep farmers could increase ram values by more than £900 by investing in proven estimated breeding values (EBVs). This is according to the six-year results from the RamCompare project, published…
