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Mixed prospects for maize when formulating rations this winter

The results of the first 750 maize silages analysed by Trouw Nutrition GB this year clearly demonstrate the effect of the growing season on feed quality

09 November 2024 • 2 min read

Zero treatments and zero calf losses – the holy grail?

What zero treatment and zero calf losses looks like on-farm on a day-to-day basis was discussed by Dr Jodi Wallace from Ormstown Veterinary Hospital in Quebec, Canada at the Total Dairy Conference held in Stratford-upon-Avon recently

08 November 2024 • 5 min read

Philip Kirkpatrick: "I think there will be a lot more land coming to the market"

²ÝÁñÉçÇø and rural businesses are rightly up in arms following the Budget, in which valuable Inheritance Tax reliefs for agricultural and business assets were decimated

06 November 2024 • 5 min read

Foot Health: Early treatment key to managing sole lesions

One of the most common causes of lameness among the UK's dairy herds, sole lesions can have a significant impact on animal health and cow productivity

30 October 2024 • 4 min read

Balancing mineral supplementation in dairy diets

Ensuring an optimal mineral status across all life stages and lactations is key to reducing the risk of over supplementation in housed herds

29 October 2024 • 6 min read

Turning methane emissions into a business opportunity

Methane emissions from dairy farms higher than thought - but conversion to biogas could reduce emissions and save more than £400m a year in fuel costs

25 October 2024 • 3 min read

Wiltshire sheep shearer makes switch to share milking in New Zealand

A former UK sheep shearer has made the move to New Zealand where he has recently been awarded the 2024 share farmer of the year award

25 October 2024 • 5 min read

Dairy Talk - Paul Tompkins: "I am confident that we are finally on the right path to building a stronger, more resilient future for the UK dairy sector"

24 October 2024 • 5 min read

Dairy Farmer - From the Editor: "The way that the magazine aims to put farmers' views first and foremost I hope still rings true"

This year marks the 95th anniversary of Dairy Farmer

23 October 2024 • 1 min read

Dairy Farmer's 95th anniversary: Roger Evans

Roger Evans, award winning writer and Dairy Farmer columnist, discusses how he came to start writing in Dairy Farmer

23 October 2024 • 5 min read

Dairy Farmer's 95th anniversary: A view from Rosemary Collingborn

Rosemary Collingborn, a past ‘Cowmen Comment' writer and dairy farmer from Wiltshire looks back at her assocation with Dairy Farmer

23 October 2024 • 3 min read

Dairy Farmer celebrates its 95th anniversary

Dairy Farmer is celebrating its 95th anniversary this year, so we take a look at how the industry has changed and ask some of our regular writers to give their views on dairy farming

23 October 2024 • 1 min read

Robotic farm turns focus to efficiency gains

Following significant investment in his family's dairy farm, Andrew Leggot is now focusing on achieving small improvements in efficiency

23 October 2024 • 7 min read

Tackle parasites at housing to protect heifers this winter

Experts are urging farmers to safeguard dairy heifers from parasites at housing to maintain their health, growth, and productivity over winter

23 October 2024 • 4 min read

Regular audits to reduce dairy farm carbon footprints

While cattle emissions are generally negative for the environment, ruminant agriculture is a positive contributor to soil health showed by results from a recent Soil Association Exchange report

20 October 2024 • 4 min read

Dairy Talk - Ben Yates: "As a family, we have been to several local shows where both our boys have enjoyed success in their handling classes"

It has been a busy couple of months through our calving period, with 360 calvings in eight weeks

18 October 2024 • 3 min read

Lyndon Edwards: How I am leading the charge towards environmental sustainability in the dairy sector

Lyndon Edwards, an organic dairy farmer from Gloucestershire and chair of the AHDB dairy sector council since 2021, discusses the Dairy Roadmap

16 October 2024 • 5 min read

Tight supply helps push up milk prices

Lower milk production has given support to milk prices but farmers will now be looking at the prospects for the UK and beyond in the next few months

16 October 2024 • 5 min read

Milk price increases continue as market cools

The early October pullback in price levels from the record butter and cream prices, including some of the higher moisture cheeses such as mozzarella, may be deemed to have arrived a little premature

16 October 2024 • 4 min read

New test for malignant catarrhal fever

A new test for malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is now available from the Agri-food and biosciences Institute

14 October 2024 • 2 min read

EU spot prices start to fall

EU spot prices for butter came off markedly in the first week of October, with prices for Q4 crashing €500 (£419) or so to around €7,500/tonne (£6,283), with prices €1,000/tonne (£838) lower than that for Q1

14 October 2024 • 5 min read

New risk level to Johne's certification for cattle

A new level of Johne's disease certification risk is to be launched this autumn to provide greater transparency for farmers and those buying stock

10 October 2024 • 4 min read

Lely releases sand flush accessory for robotic manure collectors

Lely has introduced a sand flushing system to its robotic manure collectors to make it easier for dairy farmers who bed on sand

25 September 2024 • 1 min read

Dairy Talk - Ifan Roberts: "Although finances are important always remember that your brand is your superpower"

As I flew home from my nine weeks of individual Nuffield travel in New Zealand, China, Chile and North America, studying the topic of ‘Inspiring the next generation of dairy entrepreneurs', I found myself asking: 'What have I learned?'

23 September 2024 • 3 min read

Sunflowers a valuable source of protein for Holstein herd near Cardigan

A Welsh dairy farm is companion cropping maize with sunflowers to reduce its purchased protein costs

22 September 2024 • 5 min read

Roger Evans: "That cheque, that arrived in December, used to bring with it a lot of comfort"

The big story since I last wrote has to be the decline in the number of dairy farmers. Just to put it into some sort of perspective, when we started First Milk I think we had 3,500 members

20 September 2024 • 3 min read

Argentinian dairy farm embraces automation and sees positive impact

El Rancho farm was the first dairy unit in Argentina to install milking robots in 2018 and now the focus is on controlling rising costs

19 September 2024 • 5 min read

Dairy Talk - Robert Reed: "Sir Brian's main focus obviously would be to protect the badgers"

I would like to start my first column by talking about what is going well, and what is not going so well, which is how we open things up at the robotics milking discussion group I am involved with

18 September 2024 • 4 min read

Dairy Matters: "TB - There is no end in sight for farmers, they are expected to just live with this"

Vets Dr John Gallagher and Roger Blowey give their view on the BBC documentary 'Brian May: The Badgers, the ²ÝÁñÉçÇø and Me'

18 September 2024 • 6 min read

UK Dairy Day: Breeding for healthier feet

Genetics has a bigger role to play in lameness incidence than previously thought, said Prof Georgios Oikonomou, who discussed a research project looking at this topic during one of the day's seminars

18 September 2024 • 2 min read