Technical Information: Cows and Beef Cattle

As dairies across the UK and Ireland look ahead to winter feeding, there is much to be considered. Input costs are high, raw material markets are volatile and forage quality is variable.

Grass from well-managed pastures offers the most economical and sustainable feed sources on farm, making it one of the most important resources on livestock farms in the UK and Ireland. Following 12 months of unprecedented feed prices, the importance of maximising milk from forage has grown to maint...

Grazed grass and quality forage are essential components of any profitable dairy enterprise. But while grazed grass is a high quality, low-cost feed resource, it’s essential to be aware of some key challenges that can impact on cow health and performance.

Every farmer will have noticed that protein prices have surged over the past months, driving up the cost of other raw materials and resulting in more expensive compounds and blends on farm. As the most exensive component of any ration in any case, farmers may be looking to reduce the quantity of bo...

With feed and forage representing 70pc of the variable costs of finishing beef and lambs, improving its utilisation can have a substantial impact on profitability. Feed efficiency, or the amount of growth achieved on a decided amount of feed, is affected by a number of factors including genetics, en...

Feed and forage costs make up the largest single cost of milk production, therefore controlling these expenses is essential to the profitability of any dairy business in the UK and Ireland. In order to minimise feed costs per litre or kg of milk solids produced, optimising feed efficiency of the her...