With Kexxtone™ boluses no longer available, transition cow management is facing renewed scrutiny. For many, particularly those managing high-risk or high-yielding herds, the question is: how do we continue to support energy balance and rumen function in the final weeks before calving without relying on monensin?

Not long ago, dairy herd management relied mostly on stockmanship, a good eye, strong memory, and years of experience. That still counts, but technology is quietly transforming how decisions are made on farm.

Why calcium balance matters

Around calving, a cow’s calcium needs triple to produce colostrum and milk. If her body cannot mobilise calcium fast enough, she may suffer from milk fever (clinical hypocalcaemia) or hidden low calcium (subclinical hypocalcaemia). Both can cause loss of appetite, weaker muscles, and higher risk of disease, leading to reduced fertility and milk yield.

Creep feeding lambs offers significant benefits, particularly for early finishing systems or where forage quality is suboptimal. However, its viability depends on a clear understanding of costs and potential returns.

Trillions of microbes. One fragile peace. The battle for balance begins.

As daylight hours shorten, lighting becomes one of the most powerful tools in flock management. When handled well, it keeps egg output steady, supports shell quality, and helps maintain calm, stable behaviour.

As a placement student from Harper Adams, I am fortunate to go out on farm with specialists and disappear into the background despite my size!

Undoubtedly, Avian Influenza (AI) is the biggest challenge facing our industry, and due to its indiscriminate nature, it feels like a lottery as to where it will crop up next. I think everyone would agree that there is so much about AI and its transmission that we don’t understand, especially how it gets into units when we know biosecurity is strong. Whilst it would be impossible to eliminate the risk of AI, what can we do to reduce the risk?

Last month Crediton Milling were delighted to host Zinpro’s Dr Huw McConochie, Research Nutritionist, for a series of ‘Rumen Roadshows’ across the South West. These interactive workshops and discussions challenged traditional beliefs about dairy nutrition, focusing on the critical role of rumen health and muscle tissue development in heifers for long-term lactation success.

With longer dry spells becoming a regular feature of the UK climate, (watch it rain now and not stop) we are having to rethink how to grow, manage and conserve forage.

With recent discussions around dry cow management gaining momentum, it’s important to address the ongoing unavailability of Kexxtone and how this impacts transition cow strategies on farm.

Good dry cow management launches them into lactation. Every dairy farmer knows the weeks around calving are critical. The “transition period” (about three weeks before and after calving) is when cows face their toughest metabolic test. Feed intake drops just as energy demands rise, and the cow starts pulling on her fat reserves. Managed well, she glides through this phase and into milk production. Managed poorly, she’s at risk of ketosis, fatty liver, retained placenta, displaced abomasum, or fertility issues later on.

Creating and maintaining a productive, long-lasting range for free-range layers starts with careful planning and ongoing management of the herbage and soil.

So, eight months into my first new job in 32 years, how’s it going? It’s a great question and one I’ve been asking myself as I reflect on 2025 so far.

Applied nitrogen from fertiliser, slurry, FYM, biological fixation and purchased feed often exceeds what is actually utilised by crops. That gap, known as nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), is the key to understanding both lost value and environmental impact.

How to Spot It, Stop It, and Protect Your Winter Forage Stocks

Walk across a healthy field after rain, and you’ll notice something different. The soil is firm but not compact, absorbing water instead of it pooling or running off into the ditch.

Rumen Balance: The Key to Sustainable Production. Can yeasts, essential oils and buffers be part of this?

The 3 weeks before and after calving are arguably the most important in the Dairy Cows calendar. Getting everything right is critical for the cow’s health, fertility, and milk yield. Often referred to as the “transition period” (−21 to +21 days around calving), poorly managed nutrition during this window can directly influence many aspects of cow's health and performance, impacting on future production and calf health.

Of all the trace minerals likely to spark interest at a dairy nutrition meeting, chromium probably wasn’t top of the list—until now.