LATEST
AgriSearch Sheep Farmer Co-Researchers meeting to discuss latest results
Farmers involved in AgriSearch funded on-farm sheep research met at AFBI, Hillsborough, Northern Ireland recently to be updated on the latest results by Dr Ronald Annett.
Looking first of all at Lameness Dr Annett report that the findings to date had indicated that the main problems were scald, foot rot and shelly hoof, there were some granulomas and injuries with no CODD or white line abscesses being found.
Prevalence of shelly hoof, scald and foot rot differs between farm type (hill and lowland), farms, season and genotype. The reoccurrence of footrot and shelly hoof suggest repeatability. Links have also been found between foot problems in ewe and foot problems in their off spring (heritability).
Read more: AgriSearch Sheep Farmer Co-Researchers meeting to discuss latest results
New Final Report Released on Heifer Management as AgriSearch PhD Student Alastair Boyle Graduates
A new final report on dairy heifer management is now available to download from the AgriSearch website.
“Strategies for maximising health, welfare and performance in first lactation heifers” was undertaken as a PhD study by Dr Alastair Boyle who recently graduated from Queens.
Dr Niamh O’Connell and Dr Conrad Ferris also formed part of the research team.
It takes 2 years and approximately £1,220 to rear a dairy heifer to the point of replacement.
Heifer replacement rate impacts on overall herd profitability and greenhouse gas emissions.
New Farmers booklet launch on beef from the dairy herd
Maximising returns from beef progeny sourced from the dairy herd is the subject of a new farmers booklet launched at the Winter Fair by AgriSearch.
The booklet reports the results of a research project aimed to evaluate the health and lifetime performance of dairy-origin calves.
360 spring born bull calves of four genotypes (Holstein, Angus X Holstein, Limousin X Holstein and Belgian Blue X Holstein) were sourced from 12 farms throughout Northern Ireland.
The immunity status of the calves was determined using a ZST test. Calves with inadequate immune status required a greater number of antibiotic treatments, had 17% lower liveweight gains in the period up to 3 months of age, were 17 days older at slaughter and produced a lower margin over feed of £20 per head.
Read more: New Farmers booklet launch on beef from the dairy herd
And the winners are!
Valerie and Drew McConnell, Omagh join Professor Fred Gordon in helping their PhD student daughter Debbie McConnell make the draw on the Agrisearch Stand at the RUAS Winter Fair in Belfast. The five lucky winners of a colostrum quality test kit were;
Ian Irwin, Ballinamallard, Jim Morrow, Newtownards,
Stephen Marshall, Ardstraw,Wilfred Anderson, Newtownhamilton,
Alec Boyle, Carrowdore.
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