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Know How / Youngstock management

Case studies

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HEALTH AND WELFARE

How parasitic wasps cut calf unit chemical control by 30%

A contract calf-rearing business has cut its use of chemical fly treatments by nearly one-third since introducing parasitic wasp controls at a cost of 50p an animal. The wasps are…

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

Suckler herd saves £100 a calf by focusing on grassland

Listen to Michael Priestley read this article or see the text below. Farmers Weekly · Suckler herd saves £100 a calf by focusing on grassland Replacing creep feed with nose…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Simple creep grazing system helps suckler cow efficiency

Forward creep-grazing with creep gates or electric wires is a simple technique suckler systems could try this year to help performance. With feed costs becoming eye-watering, the benefits of the…

HOUSING AND HANDLING

Pros and cons of 5 dairy calf housing options

Numerous calf housing options are available and it can be difficult to decide which would suit your farm. Farmers Weekly asked five farmers to set out the pros and cons…

LIVESTOCK

Collaborative calf-rearing venture brings multiple benefits

A joint calf-rearing enterprise between two neighbouring farms in the Midlands is bringing benefits to both parties. The new profit-sharing agreement has brought extra income to beef and sheep farming…

WHATS IN YOUR LIVESTOCK SHED

WIYLS visits a £225,000 calf shed modelled on broiler design

Pneumonia cases are now few and far between and calf growth rates are exceeding 1kg a day since a climate-controlled calf unit, similar to a broiler house, was erected at…

Practical advice

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HOUSING AND HANDLING

A guide to effective cleaning of calf housing

Poor hygiene in calf housing can have a serious impact on the health and performance of calves as youngstock, and when they enter the adult herd. Setting up sheds to…

SHEEP

3 ways to cut lamb worm risk at weaning

Sheep farmers trying to make the most of grass to counteract sky-high concentrate prices are advised to be vigilant for parasites in lambs post-weaning. Grazing grass can put lambs at…

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

How to manage common suckler calf health challenges

Performance and weight gain can be knocked for six if a calf suffers health problems in its first few months. This can have a significant economic impact on a suckler…

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

How stress-free disbudding can benefit calf units

Stress-free disbudding by a vet offers enhanced calf welfare, improved growth rates and frees up farm staff, says vet Philip Wilkinson of Paragon Veterinary Group. The increasing challenge of finding…

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

How to manage calves unable to suckle due to 'squinty jaw'

Vets and farmers have been collaborating across the UK to unravel a frustrating calving conundrum that can render up to 15% of calves unable to suck their dams. Otherwise healthy…

DAIRY

How to manage turnout of youngstock for optimum intakes

When dairy youngstock are turned out this spring, the transition from winter feed to grass probably represents the most abrupt change in management and diet these animals will have experienced.…

Insights

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Coccidiosis project raises hope for new treatment

Coccidiosis is a perennial parasitic problem in growing lambs. It presents some difficulties in diagnosis, treatment and prevention – but good news could be around the corner.  Lambs and calves…

LIVESTOCK

Calf bottles and tube feeders on test

It is unsurprising many farmers are switching from bottles to buckets with teats for feeding milk to older calves. Our test, carried out over a four-month period at my family…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

7 risk factors of pneumonia in calves and how to avoid them

Buying calves from multiple sources and feeding calves only once a day could be putting animals at risk of getting pneumonia, a study has found. AHDB assessed data from eight…

FEED AND NUTRITION

What are the benefits of milk replacer for calf rearers?

More than half of all dairy and beef farmers in Great Britain now rear their youngstock on calf milk replacer (CMR) instead of whole milk, with potential disease risks a…

LIVESTOCK

Why textbook heifer growth rates may not be good enough

Dairying experts at home and abroad are questioning whether units are achieving heifer growth targets of 0.7-0.8kg/day and if this gain is sufficient for the modern Holstein. Concerted efforts to…

LIVESTOCK

Weaning lambs early could offer big benefits, trial shows

Early weaned lambs can grow as fast – if not – faster than their unweaned equivalents when fed legume-based forages. Research by New Zealand’s Massey University has found with the right…

BEEF

Is bigger better when it comes to cow size?

Finding the right sized cow to suit the system is key to suckler productivity. Farmers Weekly analyses whether bigger or smaller cows are best. A growing number of farms are…

LIVESTOCK

Pneumonia in calves: Pin down the cause and prevent it

Bacteria that cause pneumonia are fairly widespread and can live in a calf’s respiratory tract without causing disease. In the final part of this series, Caroline Stocks looks at what…

LIVESTOCK

Pneumonia in calves: How farmers can cut the risk

The aim of Farmers Weekly’s new series is to help farmers reduce the costs of pneumonia
in calves. Caroline Stocks sets the scene with 
a look at the results of an…