Monday 16 October, 2023
Dairy Farmer keeps you updated with all the latest news, views, insight, and information from the Dairy sector - from animal husbandry to milk prices and diversification.
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Potential bumper year for 2023 maize crop
Early indications are 2023 is shaping up to be a bumper year for maize production with high yields of good quality material that should clamp and feed well
13 October 2023
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3 min read
Entering the world of regenerative farming
This year's Women in Dairy conference, organised by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, saw speakers talk about their journeys into regenerative farming. Ellie Layton reports.
10 October 2023
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3 min read
Overhaul of breeding policy leads to change
Cross-breeding for longevity, and switch to autumn calving, aided by herd monitoring tech has led to performance improvements for the Humphry family
02 October 2023
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6 min read
The value of optimising forage quality
Feeding high-quality silage with an ME of 11.5 or higher can achieve an extra 2.35kg of milk per cow per day, as well as help reduce a herd’s carbon footprint
29 September 2023
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3 min read
Act now to avoid milk losses from sub-clinical ketosis
With autumn block calving underway, farmers are being urged to act now to prevent milk losses due to ketosis and transition-related disease
29 September 2023
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3 min read
New approach to mastitis treatment provides alternative to antibiotics
A new technology which disrupts bacterial communication and behaviour is proving successful in on-farm mastitis control and could look to replace antibiotic treatment
29 September 2023
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4 min read
NZ vet blog: "In true New Zealand form, the market has created a solution"
In the first of a series of articles from Rory Dean, a self-employed, large animal vet who practices in the Kaipara region of Northland, New Zealand, we hear about the challenges being faced by New Zealand dairy farmers
28 September 2023
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6 min read
Dairy Talk - Ifan Roberts: "At the age of 15 I set myself the heady goal of one day milking 1,000 cows"
Ifan Roberts is herd manager at Houghton Lodge, Leicestershire, which is one of the farms managed by Evolution Farming
27 September 2023
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3 min read
Dairy Farmer - from the editor: "We cannot just let these issues pass us by"
Dairy Farmer editor, Katie Jones, looks at what the main topics of conversation at UK Dairy Day were
27 September 2023
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1 min read
Dairy Matters - Braced for an uncertain future
Michael Oakes, dairy farmers and NFU dairy board chair, discusses the findings of the NFU's recent Dairy Production Intentions survey
25 September 2023
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5 min read
Time to consider sugars
Looking more closely at dietary sugars will help unlock the value in this year’s silages and help offset the consequences of more volatile major feed commodity markets
25 September 2023
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3 min read
Young farmers build business and take on two dairy farms in Canada
Starting off in dairying is a tough challenge for anyone, but one young couple in Ontario have bucked the trend and are now running two farms
25 September 2023
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4 min read
Getting to grips with forage budgeting
Grass silage quality has been variable this year and clamps have not been filled to capacity in some regions meaning some producers will now be looking to redress the balance where crops have fallen below expectations
25 September 2023
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4 min read
Utilising epigenomics can help to improve performance in dairy cows
The EPIHERD project has been awarded a Smart Grant from Innovate UK to develop a platform which will help farmers access epigenomic data on their dairy herds to improve performance.
22 September 2023
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3 min read
Fibre study highlights waste
Fibre in forages is the most underused feed resource in dairy cow diets according to a UK and Ireland study that used new technology to investigate fibre digestibility in a range of herds
22 September 2023
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6 min read
Cross-breeding helps boost fertility and profitability
Switching to crossbreeding has improved herd health and fertility at one Devon dairy
22 September 2023
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5 min read
World's largest batch milking farm
DeLaval recently completed the installation of 24 VMS V310 robots at Lønholm Agro in Denmark, making it the largest batch milking robot farm in the world
21 September 2023
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6 min read
Benefits of pasteurising colostrum
Vet Graham Shepherd says there are some common myths when it comes to colostrum pasteurisation for calf feeding
21 September 2023
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4 min read
Calf housing grant - who is eligible and how to apply
Farmers should start preparing now if they want to apply for Defra's new calf housing for health and welfare grant
20 September 2023
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4 min read
Farmgate prices continue to drop
Farmgate prices may have stabilised for some, but there is no guarantee that there will not be further milk price reductions in Q4, as milk prices are still outstripping the value of commodities by some distance
18 September 2023
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4 min read
World market looks brighter in the longer term than the short-term
Milk prices may have stabilised in the last few months, but it could be some time before they increase as wholesale prices around the world remain under pressure
18 September 2023
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5 min read
Motivate staff to retain them
Just saying ‘thank you' for a good job done could help a dairy farms retain staff, and avoid the labour problems that beset so many farms said Paul Harris, from recruitment consultancy REAL Success
15 September 2023
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2 min read
What is in store for future milk pricing?
When it comes to milk pricing, how should dairy farmers navigate the highs and lows?
14 September 2023
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2 min read
One tonne of milk solids a realistic target
Producing one tonne of milk solids/lactation is perfectly achievable and desirable, but only for the right cow in the right system
14 September 2023
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2 min read
Sensor system allows for more accurate cow management
The use of an ear tag sensor system for cow data collection is helping with the management of Sandy Mitchell’s 1,400-cow herd
13 September 2023
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4 min read
Roger Evans: "We still have the 'right to roam' to come, so get your gun out, while you still can"
This month Roger Evans writes about the problems caused by dogs running free on farmland, and also gives us his thoughts on early mornings
01 September 2023
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5 min read
Dutch farm uses mobile robotic milking unit
A mobile robot unit means cows can be easily milked while out grazing during the summer months
01 September 2023
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4 min read
Dairy Talk - Becky Fenton: "It is always an eye opener visiting other farms and I came home with several ideas"
Becky Fenton and husband Paul milk 200 pedigree Holsteins under the Springlebee prefix at Centenary Farm, a Cheshire county council farm. In 2021, they bought a farm in Staffordshire and they plan to farm there once the new dairy set-up has been built
01 September 2023
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3 min read
Meet The Editor - Katie Jones
Hailing from a family farm in Cheshire, my roots are firmly in farming and now living on a 300-cow dairy farm with my own family, I can appreciate the daily issues which affect everyone involved in the industry.
I believe the level of innovation and technology we are already seeing on dairy farms is something we should all be very positive about, as is the innovation we are likely to see in the future.
I also believe that, despite the challenges posed by the industry, there is a huge amount of passion, optimism and enthusiasm among the younger generations of dairy farmers.