Dear Member,
As we come to the end of the first month of 2026, it has certainly been a stormy start to the year. With two named storms; Goretti and Chandra, bringing strong winds and heavy rain across regions, most of you will have also contended with the added pressure of a falling milk price.
Antimicrobial Focus Report 2025
Amid the challenges, there is some positive news to share. At Kingshay, we have just published our latest Antimicrobial Focus Report (a copy is enclosed in your mailing), which shows a continued decline in antimicrobial use on UK dairy farms. Encouragingly, producers are already meeting the new industry targets just months after they were introduced.
This report draws on data from 967 dairy herds across 136 vet practices using the Kingshay Antimicrobial Monitoring Service between 2024 and early 2025.
As a reminder, Antimicrobial Monitoring is available to Kingshay members at a discounted rate of £93 + VAT for an annual report. If you have ever considered tracking your farm’s antimicrobial usage and benchmarking your performance against other herds, now might be a great time.
If you still have your £50 Kingshay voucher from the mid‑December mailing, you can redeem it against your farm’s antimicrobial report, bringing the cost down to just £43 + VAT. The voucher is valid until 31st March and can be used against most Kingshay services — so whether it is this or another service, be sure to make use of it , what will you choose to use it for?
February Checklist
Also enclosed in your mailing is our Monthly Checklist, bringing you the latest grant funding opportunities alongside timely tips. This month, we highlight new research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, which shows that grouping cows and feeding them according to their nutritional needs can help improve farm efficiency and reduce methane emissions, all without compromising milk production or profitability.
A quick reminder that our Tried & Tested survey in conjunction with British Dairying on Silage Additives closes on 6th February. We would really appreciate a few minutes of your time to share your silage practices — whether you use additives or not, your views genuinely matter. You can complete the survey online at bit.ly/BDTTsilage or by scanning the QR code in the advert below.
Finally, we have been approached by Lauren Frost, an undergraduate student at the University of Reading, who is seeking support for her dissertation research. She is studying the relationship and communication between dairy farmers and their processors, with a particular focus on the sustainability requirements being introduced on farms.
Her short, anonymous survey takes no more than 5 minutes to complete, and you can find more information about the topic and data privacy via the link https://forms.gle/dUAEepkww42hv7zB9
Thank you, as always, for being part of the Kingshay community.
Many thanks,
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Contact us with any technical queries on contact.us@kingshay.co.uk or call 01458 851555