Dear Member,
October is here, and it is a busy month on most dairy farms. Sheds are filling with autumn-born calves, the last grazing rotation is likely under way or cows are aready housed. Wherever you farm, we hope the autumn has been kind to you so far and that you are feeling well set for the winter ahead.
As always, there are two new publications, plus a couple of other things we would like to tell you about…
In your mailing…
October Checklist
First up is our October Checklist. The main feature this month is calf pneumonia, and how to get ahead of it before the risk peaks. It covers colostrum, keeping young calves warm, a simple smoke bomb test to check your shed ventilation, and planning vaccination with your vet. There’s also advice on making the most of autumn grass while setting up your grazing platform for spring, planning farm labour through the winter, liver fluke, and why autumn is the ideal time to soil sample. It is also time to say a big thank you to Lucy and Robert, who have shared life on their Wiltshire farm with us every month since February 2023.
Taking over from Farm Focus is our new feature, Chewin’ It Over. Each month I will share my own take on the latest two episodes of the ChewintheCud Podcast, and what they could mean in practice on your farm.
Managing bTB – Understanding the Tests and Changing Strategies
The second publication is our Managing bTB – Understanding the Tests and Changing Strategies Dairy Insight. England’s new TB strategy promises to put farmers and vets in the driving seat. It would give greater access to more sensitive ancillary testing, and cattle vaccination is targeted for 2030. We explain how the main tests work and why no single test is perfect: the skin test can miss up to half of infected animals. We also look at how Wales is giving farmers more ownership of the disease through the Enferplex and Pembrokeshire projects, and why non-visible lesions are actually good news.
As always, whatever is on your mind this autumn, we are here to help. Do get in touch any time on 01458 851555 or [email protected]. We hope to see many of you at The Dairy Show on 7th October. Come and find us on our stand in the Edmund Rack Building.
With best regards,
We would also like to ask for five minutes of your time to help the industry understand the impact of Bluetongue in 2026. An industry-led survey is gathering farmers’ experiences, and the more responses it gets, the stronger the evidence will be. You can fill it in at bit.ly/BluetongueImpact.
Finally, AHDB is running a series of one-day ‘Your life, your call – farming, family and future’ workshops in November, led by Amy Hughes of EmpowerAg. They cover handling difficult conversations, getting family and team behind shared goals, and the mindsets that can hold us back. The sessions run from 2nd to 26th November at venues across England, including Somerset and Gloucestershire, and cost £50.72 per person. They are aimed mainly at beef and sheep farmers, but farmers from other sectors, Scotland or Wales can join the waiting list by emailing [email protected]. Find out more at ahdb.org.uk/your-life-your-call-farming-family-and-future-workshops.
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Contact us with any technical queries on [email protected] or call 01458 851555