October 2025 Articles

Getting the Best from Your Beef Cattle this Winter

It’s been a funny old summer for grass. The dry spell earlier on knocked growth back hard, and when the rain finally came, it brought plenty of leafy grass but not much substance to it.

Keeping cows steady: managing milk fever and low calcium

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.

Lighting for Free-Range Layers: Why Experience Counts

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.

Transition Feeding Strategies - Launching into Lactation

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.

Managing Metabolic Risk

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.

Evolution Yield Guard: Smarter Nutrition for Sustainable Performance

Most dairy farmers know how hard it is to keep cows performing well while trying to cut emissions and manage costs. Feed efficiency, milk quality and sustainability all matter, but so does keeping things practical and workable on farm.

🎧 Catch up with the CMC Podcast

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.