The Dairy Cow Welfare Strategy was first launched in 2010 to try and improve the standards of welfare for dairy cows in the UK. Whilst it was recognised that farmers in the UK operated at a very high standard, it was thought that methods and...
Read moreUK Dairy Industry
The UK dairy industry The UK dairy industry has faced a challenging time over the past decade. The NFU produced a strategy document called Compete to Grow which was designed to ensure the survival of the milk industry and to make sure that UK...
Read moreMastitis in dairy cows
Mastitis in dairy cows Mastitis is an unpleasant disease which is endemic throughout dairy herds in the UK and around the world. The disease causes the swelling of the cow’s udder tissue and mammary glands, making this not only uncomfortable for...
Read moreBVD – Bovine Viral Diarrhoea
Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) Managing disease within a herd can be difficult, and identifying BVD, a repeated cause of reproductive and respiratory problems is essential as it can have a significant economic impact on a farm’s profitability. It...
Read moreTB – Bovine Tuberculosis
TB & Bovine Tuberculosis TB / Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle is caused by the Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) bacterium which is a zoonotic disease capable of causing tuberculosis in humans. The M. bovis bacterium is killed in sunlight...
Read moreIBR – infectious bovine rhinotracheiti
What is Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR)? Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis or IBR, as the name suggests, is a respiratory disease that is infectious and highly contagious, caused by Bovine Herpes Virus type 1 (BHV-1) which can affect both...
Read moreEstimated Breeding Value – What is an EBV?
Comparing an individual animal with the benchmark of a herd or particular breed and expressing the difference, either positively or negatively, gives you an animal’s EBV or estimated breeding value, which is then...
Read moreBreeding dairy using genomics for a better herd
Breeding dairy cows using genomics for an improved dairy herd With the introduction of cattle genotyping in 2008, breeding animals for both dairy and beef may seem to have become rather more complicated for farmers. Not only is there an...
Read moreArtificial Insemination
Artificial insemination in cattle Artificial insemination (AI) is a popular method of breeding cattle in the UK and in this article we look at the benefits to farmers of using this method to increase herd numbers. Efficiency If a bull is being...
Read moreGenetic Terminology
Understanding genetic terminology Genetics now play a very large part in the cattle breeding process and understanding the terminology that you may come across is key to ensuring that you are buying or breeding the best animals that you can...
Read moreGenomic Evaluation
Genomic Evaluation – For hundreds of years, genetic improvements in dairy herds have been made by farmers who studied a bull’s offspring in each generation and bred only from the best-performing animals. This method has served the industry...
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