Publications

In this Dairy Insight we explore the different strategies for rejuvenating pasture and the key considerations for achieving successful establishment, to improve productivity, resilience, and long-term farm performance.

Herbal leys will improve soil health, boost biodiversity, and increase livestock performance through varied rooting depths and producing high-quality nutritional forage for dairy herds. They are becoming more popular as farmers look for ways to bolster production in drier conditions and capitalise on new farming schemes.

Plants capable of causing poisoning in cattle are present on many farms and often go unnoticed until stock are affected. Identifying plant poisoning can be challenging, as clinical signs are frequently non?specific or not immediately obvious, and the plants responsible may no longer be visible by the time symptoms appear. Evidence of grazing on toxic plants is often hard to spot and easily overlooked, particularly along tracks, field margins, or in hedgerows. One notable exception is photosensitisation, a condition caused by ingestion of certain phototoxic plants; over 250 such species are recognised worldwide, with several found in the UK. In this Dairy Insight, we explore the plants toxic to cattle, focusing on how to identify them and reduce risk by removing them from grazing areas and farm tracks before incidents occur, because prevention is always better than cure.

In this Dairy Insight we explore the role of sulphur for maximising grass yields, for cutting and grazing.

This Research Insight takes a closer look at a recently published paper from Rothamsted Research which suggests that simplifying the plate metering process for measuring grass growth can save you time without compromising your data.

Regardless of system type or grazing aims, with the right mentality it is possible to graze cows whilst milking through robots. In doing so, farmers could realise the benefits of a high-tech system, lower costs by getting more from grazed grass, and benefit cow performance and welfare. The key is to put the right infrastructure in place and focus on grass quality to drive robot visits. This Dairy Insight explores the potential benefits of rethinking your perspective on robots. We discuss the steps involved in adapting your farming system to accommodate grazing alongside an automatic milking system (AMS), outline some possible grazing systems suitable for AMS, and highlight key considerations before initiating your transition to grazing with robots.

Integrated pest management (IPM) uses a variety of pest management techniques in a coordinated and planned strategy for the prevention, detection and control of pests, weeds, and diseases. IPM has long been associated with crop production and crop pests. However, IPM can also be applied within livestock enterprises through controlling crop pests on forage crops and controlling livestock pests and diseases. This Dairy Insight explores the control of pests on forage crops in an environmentally responsible and economically viable way.

This is the third publication in our 'Achieving Milk from Forage Series'. It is designed in a workbook format, so that it can be used as a quick guide to highlight any opportunities for change to increase your milk from forage. It looks at how it is not essential to change system completely to increase your milk from grazing and how changing one thing could increase your net profit.

When it comes to maximising milk from forage there is always a lot of information around the grass plant itself and the infrastructure required to maximise grazing, or how to maximise conserved forages. However, the cow also plays a vital role, this Dairy Insight is therefore dedicated to the cow aspects of maximising milk from forage whilst grazing. This is the 2nd in a series of publications 'Achieving Milk From Forage'

Amid general high costs of production, purchased feed costs represented about 26% of total costs and averaged 12.7ppl for the year ending September 2023 – it is therefore essential to think of ways to boost profitability. Efficient use of forage and fodder, and replacing purchased feeds with quality forages therefore remains a sensible approach for most dairy farmers. This Dairy Insight is the first in a series of publications exploring milk from forage and together will provide a comprehensive, yet practical guide to realising your forage potential.

For more than three decades, Kingshay has dedicated its efforts to highlighting the significance of clover in grass leys. Now, amidst escalating fertiliser costs, pressure to reduce dairying's environmental impact as well as the availability of grant payments, integrating clover into swards holds even greater importance. This Dairy Insight explores the reasons to sow clover, how to establish clover, and how to manage clover in swards for success.

With the costs of purchased feeds at record levels, there has never been a more important time to challenge how much milk you can achieve from grazed grass. It is never too early to prepare for turnout and having a plan in place to manage it, helps to ensure that the transition from full housing to grazing is as smooth as possible. This DAIRY insight explores the cost benefits of early season grazed grass and how perfect preparation helps to avoid disruptions to cow health, welfare, and performance.