Diarrhoea or ‘scours’ is one of the leading causes of mortality in pre-weaned calves, particularly in the first month of life. The cost of an outbreak of scour can av...

Traditional calf feeding practice limits milk fed to encourage early intakes of concentrates and promote earlier weaning, to cut feed costs and labour. Recent research ho...

According to Vetmed 2010, only 60% of calves left with their mother get adequate immunity. Effective colostrum management is vital to get calves off to a good start, how...

Computerised calf feeding machines are an increasingly popular option for calf management. A number of advantages potentially make this a cost effective feeding method, t...

In a traditional dairy calf rearing system, calves are fed 10% of their birthweight in milk over two feeds daily i.e. 2 feeds of 2 litres. In comparison, a calf left on t...

Johne’s Disease is emerging as a prevalent and costly disease amongst UK beef and dairy herds. This Farming Note covers: Which tests to use (blood, milk or faeces) ...

In response to member queries about calf jackets and their efficacy, we carried out a Tried & Tested survey and trial in early 2015. The survey was completed by a sam...

There is increasing pressure on producers to use veterinary medicines more sparingly, in particular, antibiotics. Many assurance schemes are striving to prove agriculture...

Selecting the right forages, optimising yield and quality and achieving high utilisation will reduce production costs. Our annual Forage Costs Report provides a detailed ...

A refractometer is a simple instrument used for measuring concentrations of aqueous solutions. It requires only a few drops of liquid, and is used throughout the food, ag...