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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Stuart Gough
ruminant specialist

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

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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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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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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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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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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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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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Matt Holmes
ruminant specialist

Creep feeding lambs in late winter/spring can be a highly effective management tool when both grass supply & quality can limit performance. Where used correctly it improves growth rates, shortens finishing time, and reduces risk in variable spring conditions. It isn’t for every system but is an effective tool for many sheep businesses.

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Written by:

• Felicity Marshall BVSc (Hons) MRCVS
  Dairy Health Services

The drop in milk price seen recently has led to discussions on farm being focused around improving efficiency and cost control.

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