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.

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

When the temperature climbs, it’s not just us feeling the heat laying hens can really struggle too. Hot weather knocks their feed intake, stresses them out, and often hits egg production. With summers getting hotter and heatwaves now a regular feature, it’s worth getting ahead of the game. Here are six straightforward ways to help your birds stay healthy and productive through the warmer spells.

April can be a testing time for free-range flocks. As temperatures start to rise and ventilation increases, many producers find themselves juggling air quality, dust levels, and immune challenges—all while trying to maintain strong egg output and shell quality. For systems where birds have outdoor access and a longer lay cycle, managing respiratory health at this stage of the year is critical.

For those who don’t follow our social media pages, or may have missed it, don’t forget you can listen to the CMC Podcast — where the Crediton Milling team chats all things farming, feed and livestock.

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.

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.

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.