When beginning to rear calves there are many elements to consider, however, supplying the correct nutrition is arguably one of the most important. This is due to the influence that pre-weaning growth has on heifers as they enter dairy herds. Correct nutrition at a time when the feed conversion ratio is at the highest in her lifetime is critical to long-term success. When beginning to rear calves there are many elements to consider, however, supplying the correct nutrition is arguably one of the most important. This is due to the influence that pre-weaning growth has on heifers as they enter da ..read more

The NWF Agriculture Dairy Bulletin Edition 7, provides up-to-date information, advice and more to UK farmers. In this edition, we talk about pre-weaning management, turnout, maize sowing, buffer feeding, supplementation, spring grazing & more. VIEW NWF Dairy Bulletin Edition 7 on ISSUU The post NWF Dairy Bulletin Edition 7 appeared first on NWF Agriculture ..read more

With more farmers seeing variable forage samples, there is a growing opportunity to include protected soya in sheep diets. Research and practical application of making the most from forage and providing protected protein sources can have positive impacts on flock health and survivability. Anecdotal feedback and work done by John Vipond, and others, have shown that over the last month before lambing, ewes fed on an adlib mineralised silage with either 100g of soya (per lamb) or 50g of Ultra-Soy can reduce labour and feed costs. This was noted due to smaller amounts of supplementary feeding and ..read more

In sheep production, where margins are incredibly tight, high-quality grass can be the key to profitability – so keeping a constant supply in front of livestock makes sound financial sense. Perfecting grazing pressure Throughout the growing season it is important to carefully manage grazing pressure to ensure both good grass quality and high forage yield. Naturally, there will need to be some adjustments throughout the grass-growing season, depending on weather and other external factors but, get your grazing pressure and your residuals right, and fields will be fit to regrow leafy, high-quali ..read more

It is very important to ensure that lambs achieve maximum growth rates whilst also supporting the ewe to ensure she is productive again next year. After lambing, milk yield increases rapidly peaking at 3-4 weeks into lactation, at this time the ewe’s energy requirements double to meet this demand. If not met for a prolonged period, it can lead to ketosis, hypocalcemia, lower milk yields and therefore lower DLWG and lamb mortality. When it comes to turnout it is important to monitor grass growth in advance. Until grass swards reach approximately 4cm, most of the nutrients in ewe and lamb diets ..read more

Depending on the farm system and circumstances there is nearly always a situation where a lamb may need to be taken off a ewe and reared artificially. There are some fundamental steps and protocols that should be followed to ensure a healthy lamb is reared successfully using a concentrate milk replacer such as NWF MilkiVit Energized lamb milk replacer. COLOSTRUM Colostrum is the key to the successful rearing of any lamb and remember the 4Q’s – Quality, Quantity, Quickly and Quietly. Lambs must receive 50ml of colostrum per kg of body weight, so a 4kg lamb requires 200ml as soon as possible aft ..read more

With anything, planning ahead is always well worth it, especially when dealing with sheep! When it comes to housing and shed environment putting plans into place can help mitigate against health issues and it’s spread to other ewes and lambs. We recommend a minimum pen size of 2m x 1m, with a pen for every eight ewes, with hay rack, feed bucket and water bucket for each pen area. Try not to share buckets across pens to minimise the spread of any potential diseases. Studies have shown that hypothermia, infectious disease, such as diarrhoea and watery mouth and hard lambings are the main causes ..read more

With anything, planning ahead is always well worth it, especially when dealing with sheep! When it comes to housing and shed environment putting plans into place can help mitigate against health issues and it’s spread to other ewes and lambs. We recommend a minimum pen size of 2m x 1m, with a pen for every eight ewes, with hay rack, feed bucket and water bucket for each pen area. Try not to share buckets across pens to minimise the spread of any potential diseases. Studies have shown that hypothermia, infectious disease, such as diarrhoea and watery mouth and hard lambings are the main causes ..read more

Demand on the ewe is significantly increased during late pregnancy. This is when up to 75% of foetal growth occurs and the requirement for energy and protein is significantly increased. Under or over nutrition at this point in the pregnancy, can have a detrimental effect on the lambing success, and survival rate of lamb and puts pressure on profitability and margin. Action Points Take a forage sample and get it analysed. Choose an appropriate feed supplement based on forage analysis and farming system. Formulate rations, planning diet changes/amounts fed. Ensure all housing, penning and equip ..read more

An increasing amount of time and resources are being invested in calves, as farmers recognise their importance in future-proofing their dairy herds. Colostrum plays a vital role in lifetime health and performance: a golden bullet to prevent problems before they begin! There have been huge improvements in how and when colostrum is fed, but are we doing enough to improve the value of the colostrum itself? Vets often get asked about factors causing low colostrum yield and quality, both of which can be frustrating problems to deal with. A study published by Cornell University in 2021 followed 18,0 ..read more