Michael Priestley
Livestock Reporter at Farmers Weekly
Trying to make sense of the livestock sector for farmers. Reporter at Farmers Weekly
Articles
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1 month ago |
fwi.co.uk | Michael Priestley
Testing young lambs through their first grazing season is becoming an increasingly popular technique to monitor fluke risk, say animal health experts. Focusing on these “sentinel” lambs for signs of liver fluke infection can save time, effort and money by informing flockmasters of the disease challenge. In the face of increasing resistance to the widely used active triclabendazole, they have called for vigilance from farmers before the 2025 grazing season, urging them to “test, don’t guess”.
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1 month ago |
fwi.co.uk | Michael Priestley
Rethinking how hill ground is utilised is unlocking profit potential for an upland mixed tenant farm. Combined with a move to recorded maternal genetics (and doubling the number of fields on the holding) the approach has saved the Black family of Drochil Castle, Peebles, thousands of pounds. The business shows a profit after rent and before all subsidies (see “Benefits of changes at Drochil Castle”).
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2 months ago |
fwi.co.uk | Michael Priestley
Animal and human welfare will both benefit from a cow lifting device launched in a partnership between a farmer, vet and engineer. North Dorset dairy farmer James Yeatman devised the handling system – which trades as CowRecovery – in February 2022 to help the challenging job of moving downer animals in a welfare-friendly manner. See also: How a Dorset dairy farmer cut antibiotics usage by 80% Launched at Dairy-Tech earlier this month, CowRecovery is based on a modified telehandler bucket.
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2 months ago |
fwi.co.uk | Michael Priestley
Efforts to arm farmers with tools and knowledge to battle bluetongue are ramping up across the country in an industry-wide vaccination campaign. Led by vets, “Battle Bluetongue” urges farmers to consult with their vet about vaccinating their flock or herd against bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) this spring. With no treatment available, prevention is only possible through vaccination, and this is currently only permitted in England, say senior vets.
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2 months ago |
fwi.co.uk | Michael Priestley
A family butcher is expecting to see days to slaughter fall in cattle treated with a topical pheromone that has improved growth rates after weaning and castration. When Steve Conisbee’s vets suggested he trial an American maternal bovine appeasing substance (MBAS) on his 2024-born calf crop to see if they would grow better, he was very cynical.
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New entrant gets spring block calving system up and running #teamdairy #grasstomilk @RhidianGlyn discusses: Dairy set up costs 🪙 Heifer rearing launchpad 🐄 Others can do it! 😀 Importance of culture of learning, being open and sharing figures 👨🏫 https://t.co/gdsuf3Qu6w https://t.co/kRLNoUFIR4
RT @HefinR: Just thinking about the APR changes - every forced land sale is likely to trigger some CGT and a chunk of stamp duty as well as…
Concluding pars from farmer and journalist RM Lockey who pioneered and chaired a community farming project to turn around a dilapidated Pembrokeshire farm in WW2. He started Wales’s first machinery pool. 80 years on, and while gender roles have changed, does his observation hold? https://t.co/Gc7z8aXdvI
