Publications

E. coli is one of the primary causes of clinical mastitis in the UK, presenting in various guises from mild cases to severe toxic mastitis that few cows will survive. With that in mind, the emphasis should be on preventing infection by ensuring cows are kept in a clean, dry environment.

Bedding conditioners form an important part of a mastitis control strategy by drying the cubicle beds and making an inhospitable environment for bacteria. However, their use is no substitute for good bed management. Correct application is also a must to ensure optimum efficacy and to avoid both human health and safety issues and animal welfare challenges. With little independent research surrounding individual products, caution is also advised. This DAIRY insight explores the types of conditioners available, when to use and how to get the most out of conditioners.

Achieving good, natural cow flow in and out of the parlour will reduce frustrations in the pit and minimise cow stress. Less requirement to push cows in for milking will also reduce pressure on the feet and help foot health. The key is to ensure every aspect of management and cow environment is set up to make the most of the cow's natural behaviour. This DAIRY insight explores practical changes that you can make on your farm to improve cow flow at milking time.

Good building ventilation is vital to remove the huge amounts of heat and moisture produced by cows every day. Failure to get it right can lead to heat stress and higher levels of disease due to the build-up of pathogens. Where every step has been taken to improve shed ventilation naturally, the use of mechanical ventilation can help cool cows and improve ventilation.

As the biggest agricultural contributor to UK ammonia emissions, dairy farmers are under increasing pressure to improve air quality. At present we are not on track to meet targets set, which led to the release of the Draft Clean Air Strategy in May 2018. The strategy gives every indication that farmers will face regulation for ammonia emissions. At the same time, there are also clear signs that post-Brexit financial support will be focused on delivering improvements to the environment, including air quality. This DAIRY insight looks at why ammonia is a problem, what we can learn from Denmark and The Netherlands and how to reduce ammonia emissions.

This is the third issue of our new publication, research insight. The aim of the publication is to translate relevant scientific research into useful information for your farm. This issue looks at Cow and Calf Behaviour. Providing an environment where dairy cows and calves can exhibit natural behaviour is considered to contribute to a high […]

This is the second issue of our new publication, RESEARCH insight. The aim of the publication is to translate relevant scientific research into useful information for your farm. This issue looks at the impact of heat stress on UK milk production and greenhouse gas emissions.

Cow brushes not only help to fulfil the cow's natural desire to scratch, but could also lead to a 1-litre a cow a day uplift in milk yield, along with less disease and reduced damage to farm buildings. Such enrichment is already part of some farm assurance requirements, but is likely to become increasingly important […]

Replacement heifers account for almost 10% of on-farm costs, yet the Kingshay 2012 Youngstock Survey found that 15.5% of first-calving heifers fail to calve into the milking herd for a second time. It is vital to manage youngstock in a way that will produce excellent growth rates and set up an animal for a long, […]

In recent months, there have been numerous high-profile farm thefts in the press, including several cases of livestock rustling. According to the NFU Mutual Rural Crime Report, rural theft cost an estimated £42.5m in the UK during 2015 – an increase on the previous year's figures. A range of measures can be taken to mitigate […]

Since the Kingshay Cubicle Demonstration Unit was set up in 2004, there have been 4 building phases and many visitors passing through the doors to compare the latest products on the market and to get feedback on their performance. During the winter of 2015/16, another 9 cubicle types and 12 mats/mattress types were installed in […]

Well-designed collecting yards save time and reduce stress, whereas poor designs or improper cow handling will compromise cow flow and welfare.