Dear Member,
As we move into the summer period, we’re pleased to share our latest publications, designed to help you navigate current challenges while keeping your business productive, resilient and profitable.
This month’s updates focus on two key areas: managing the pressures of heat and grass supply over June, and ensuring calves get the best possible start through effective colostrum management. We hope you find these insights practical and relevant on your farm.
June Checklist - Managing Heat, Grass and Business Performance
With hot, dry conditions becoming more frequent, this month’s checklist highlights the growing impact of heat stress on milk yield, fertility and grass growth. The focus is on maintaining grass quality through tight grazing, careful rotations and protecting swards under moisture stress, alongside prioritising cow comfort through water, airflow and shade. It also looks ahead to building long-term resilience through soil health, diverse swards and better use of natural infrastructure, supported by timely reminders on funding schemes and business performance.
Feeding Colostrum for Calf Immunity and Resilience - Getting your Youngstock off to the Best Start
This Dairy Insight highlights the importance of colostrum as the calf’s first and most critical defence against disease. Early feeding is key, with the first feed ideally given within 1 to 2 hours of birth, followed by a second within 6 to 12 hours. Updated research shows that both quality and quantity matter: feeding 8 to 10% of bodyweight using high-quality colostrum (≥25% Brix) provides the best balance for effective immunity transfer. Consistency, hygiene and clear protocols are essential, helping to reduce disease risk and improve long-term calf and herd performance.
We hope these resources provide useful, practical support as you manage the season ahead. As always, if you would like to discuss anything further or explore how these recommendations could be applied on your farm, please do get in touch with the team.
All the best,
In your physical mailing, we have enclosed a flier from FCN inviting you to Farmers Day at the Cricket on 19th June. This is a free event for the farming community and offers a great opportunity to take a break, connect with others in the industry and enjoy a relaxed day out.
Finally, we are keen to hear from as many farmers as possible about the cow brushes you are using; what works well and what does not work quite so well. The results will be published to help farmers make informed decisions when investing in cow equipment, so your input is extremely valuable.
10% DISCOUNT ON TICKETS FOR THE NATIONAL YOUNGSTOCK CONFERENCE
www.cowmanagement.co.uk/national-youngstock-conference click on the BUY TICKETS HERE button, then click on the GET TICKETS button and finally enter the promotional code Kingshay@NYC26 before paying.
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Contact us with any technical queries on contact.us@kingshay.co.uk or call 01458 851555