Mark Tucker
forage specialist

For most livestock farmers, an empty slurry store signals one thing: relief. The last load has been spread, the tanker has been washed (or at least parked somewhere convenient!) and thoughts quickly turn to silaging, harvest and everything else the summer throws at us. The slurry store won’t get much attention again until autumn.

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Harry Gulley
trainee poultry specialist

Heat stress is one of the most significant environmental challenges affecting laying hens, particularly during prolonged periods of hot weather. Chickens maintain a body temperature of around 40.5–42°C but, unlike mammals, they cannot sweat to cool themselves down.

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Stuart Gough
ruminant specialist

Challenge: Lean on a gate and look at your freshly calved heifers.

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Written by:

• Harriet Chapman MRCVS
  Veterinary Surgeon - Coast 2 Coast Vets, Helston

The long summer days can feel like breathing space on autumn-calving units, but they are also one of the most valuable management windows in the dairy calendar. While breeding may still feel some way off, the foundations for next season’s fertility are already being laid. Good fertility does not begin at mating. It starts months earlier, with transition cow management, body condition control, disease prevention and close attention to environment.

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Dr. Karen Wonnacott
ruminant specialist

Please try to think more like a cow, if you are hot, your cows are hotter! At what temperature do cows begin to show signs of heat stress?
Historically, UK summer temperatures were not seen as a major limit to dairy cow performance.
However, evidence now suggests that even relatively modest summer temperatures can affect production.

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Written by:

• Thomas Gerrard MSC, BSC (Hons)
  Technical Ruminant Sales Specialist, Phileo By Lesaffre GB

As a beef producer, you’re always looking for ways to maximise the performance, health and profit- ability of your herd.

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Written by:

• Danielle Priestley DVM MRCVS
  Veterinary Surgeon, St Boniface Veterinary Clinic

Embryo transfer (ET) is no longer a niche technology reserved for elite pedigree herds. With advances in both Multiple Ovulation and Embryo Transfer (MOET) and ovum pick-up (OPU) in vitro production (IVP), these tools are becoming increasingly practical and accessible for a wide range of dairy systems.

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Robert Machin
ruminant placement student

On Wednesday 15th April it was the Devon Young Farmers Show & Sale, and what a fantastic day it was!

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Will White
poultry specialist

As temperatures rise and daylight hours extend, conditions inside laying sheds quickly become more favourable for flies. While it may still feel early in the season, this is exactly when proactive control measures have the greatest impact. Waiting until flies are visible and causing issues often means you are already on the back foot.

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Matt Rance
ruminant specialist

Spring grass is one of the cheapest and most valuable feeds on the farm, but it is not without its challenges. While fresh grass can drive performance, it also creates several nutritional issues that can quickly affect milk output and cow health if they are not managed carefully.

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