Publications

What is the most cost-effective dairy system? With Brexit just around the corner, and global dairy markets remaining volatile, farmers are going to have to manage risk more carefully than ever. This demands a critical focus on profitability, which needs a complex blend of technical efficiency and business focus. This report encourages readers to align […]

The typical method for preventing new infections and treatment of intra-mammary infections during the dry period has historically been the blanket use of Dry Cow Therapy. With the rise of antimicrobial resistance in human as well as veterinary medicine, this prophylactic use of antibiotics (ABs) is now considered unnecessary, as many cows in the herd will be treated with ABs when they don't need it.

Every clinical case of mastitis costs around £290. Currently the top 25% of farmers achieve 22 mastitis cases per 100 cows, while the group average is 41 cases per 100 cows (Kingshay Dairy Costings Focus 2017). These 19 fewer cases achieved savings of £5,510 through reduced treatment costs and increased milk sales. Keeping good mastitis […]

Sourcing and maintaining high-quality staff is key to making a farming business run smoothly. However, there are several recruitment routes and trying to decide which works best for your farm can be a daunting task. There are also some major differences in legal responsibilities, depending on whether you employ or contract staff. This Farming Note […]

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, […]

To maximise the health and performance of any dairy herd, it's essential that all dairy farms work hand-in-hand with their vet to proactively prevent disease. No modern-day farmer or vet can afford to view veterinary intervention as something to consider only when an animal is sick. Instead, taking a team approach to set farm specific […]

Once the decision has been made to cross breed, it's important to establish a clear, well planned breeding programme and choose bulls based on the qualities you want, as well as the breed. Genetic gain should be the focus of any strategy. Issued November 2017 About Kingshay Farming Notes Since 1991 Kingshay has been publishing […]

Continued pressure on dairy incomes forces many businesses to look harder at their cost of production. Labour together with power and machinery costs, account for 36% of the total cost of producing a litre of milk (Kingshay Profit Manager). Armed with cost of production information, farm businesses are able to benchmark costs against similar enterprises, […]

Cross breeding could form part of the solution for those farmers looking to make improvements in herd health, fertility and robustness. Issued Oct 2017. About Kingshay Farming Notes Since 1991 Kingshay has been publishing Farming Notes on issues critical to the success of a modern dairy farm business. These briefings provide dairy farmers, large […]

Body Condition Scoring (BCS) is a simple and effective farm management tool. It is a measure of body fat/energy reserves, that can be used to aid decisions or troubleshoot issues as they arise. The fine tuning of nutrition throughout the lactation and dry period improves the overall nutritional status of the herd, leading to improved […]

A timely maize harvest this season could provide the perfect window of opportunity to plant a highly productive, cost effective, catch crop grass ley. Doing so would provide additional dry matter yield, reduce environmental issues and potentially give cows an early spring bite. Issued September 2017 About Kingshay Farming Notes Since 1991 Kingshay has been […]

Harvesting maize at the correct time is crucial to get that all important balance between starch and digestibility. At the same time, top notch management at ensiling is a must to minimise losses, promote intakes and drive cost effective production from forage. In this Note we look at assessing dry matter, setting up the forager […]