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Tips for Improving Out-of-season Reproduction
For most, fall lambing in 2021 is in the far distance; however, timely planning now will foster future improvements. This article provides tips for improving out of season reproduction in sheep. Lamb supply is seasonal in nature and is explained largely by the seasonal nature of sheep reproductio...Read more -
TIPS FOR FEEDING NEW-BORN CALVES
Since new-born calves depend on milk for most of their energy needs, it is especially important to adjust the liquid ration for cold conditions. Here are some practical tips. “Calves are more susceptible to cold stress than older animals, due to their low body fat reserves and larger surface-area...Read more -
THE IMPORTANCE OF FLOCK UNIFORMITY
Flock uniformity is becoming an increasingly important driver for farmers and processors alike. However, until now there has been no definitive way of measuring or benchmarking this. With consumer demands increasing and supply chain pressures rising to provide a consistent end product, it’s impor...Read more -
Pirbright scientists use ground-breaking techniques to identify how a ruminant virus can adapt to infect human cells
Scientists from The Pirbright Institute have used a ground-breaking approach to identify that a morbillivirus that causes disease in small ruminants such as sheep and goats, known as peste des petits ruminants (a close relative of measles virus – the human morbillivirus), could, through minor cha...Read more -
Pirbright collaboration proves Rift Valley fever vaccine safe in pregnant animals
Collaborative research involving scientists from The Pirbright Institute has shown that a new vaccine, ChAdOx1 RVF, is effective at protecting pregnant sheep and goats from Rift Valley fever (RVF), a debilitating disease that can also be transmitted to humans. This work will also help progress th...Read more -
PIGLET ANAEMIA CAUSES AND PREVENTION
Piglet Anaemia also known as Iron Deficient Anaemia is a hypochromic-microcytic anaemia generally associated with young, rapidly growing piglets deprived of iron in their diet or from their environment. “The most common parameter to indicate iron-deficient anaemia is haemoglobin concentration. Wh...Read more -
Know the basics Starting a commercial beef herd from scratch
Commercial cattle farming forms the backbone of the beef industry in South Africa. Over the past few years, the demand for good-quality South African beef products, both at home and abroad, has continued on a steady upward curve. In many cases, cattle farming forms part of a diversified farming e...Read more -
PHYTOGENIC BLEND HELPS TO BOOST FEED STRATEGY AND IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
Phytogenic feed additives offer multiple benefits in terms of increased feed intake, improved gut health and – crucially for developing piglets – reduced incidence of diarrhea by Dr Ceinwen Evans, Danisco Animal Nutrition (IFF). With restrictions on the use of in-feed antibiotics introduced in a ...Read more -
Importance of body condition scoring in suckler cows
Avoiding obesity, excessive leanness or large changes in condition in pregnant suckler cows could avoid unnecessary winter feed use and lead to healthier fast-growing calves, new research has found. Body condition scoring is a rapid way to assess fat coverage of livestock, and in cattle it is s...Read more -
How intensive sheep farmers can improve traceability and profit
Long gone are the days when sheep were produced on sleepy farms where the animals were simply left on the veld for days without having any contact with the farmer. These days, farmers have to manage their flocks with far greater care due to the risks posed by stock theft and predation. Gareth Ang...Read more -
Genetic insights could help tackle campylobacter in chicken
UK scientists claim they have identified regions in the genetic make-up of chickens that are linked to resistance to Campylobacter. It is estimated that each year, more than 500,000 people in the UK are affected by Campylobacter, the leading bacterial cause of food-borne gastroenteritis in humans...Read more -
Livestock Development in Hanoi City, Vietnam—Challenges and Policies
The rapid urban growth of Hanoi city requires a livestock production system that ensures both food security and the livelihoods of dwellers. This paper reviews the existing policies for livestock production of Hanoi city and the changes in livestock population between 2014 and 2018 and identifies...Read more -
Gene-editing breakthrough could end male chick culling
Researchers have used gene editing to create single-sex mice litters, which they could improve animal welfare in the poultry industry. The scientists from the University of Kent’s School of Biosciences and The Francis Crick Institute have used gene editing technology to create female-only and mal...Read more -
Farmers need to adopt agroecological practices
An agroecological farming approach – which aims to optimise production while minimising external inputs – is needed if the country is to meet climate and biodiversity targets set by the Scottish Government. However, a survey of farmers found that while Scottish crop farms are ahead of...Read more -
Evolving E. coli strains from farm animals to humans
Research suggests that genetic material from E. Coli bacteria in farm animals, including poultry, could be contributing to the evolution of deadly pandemic strains in humans. E. coli usually live as harmless bacteria in the gastrointestinal tracts of birds and mammals but also reside in environme...Read more -
Earliest spread of millet agriculture outside China linked to herding livestock
5000 years before the modern rise of millet as a popular grain, this Chinese crop was spread far and wide by ancient food aficionados, not for their plates but instead for their animals, suggests new research from an international collaboration led by Kiel University (Germany) and Washington Univ...Read more -
COMMON DISEASES OF SMALL PIG HERDS
Malnutrition (poor condition) Malnutrition is one of the most important problems of small pig herds The pigs will appear thin and show poor growth The only bones that you should see are the shoulder blades, which should be covered by a layer of flesh so that you cannot actually feel If the backb...Read more -
CARBOHYDRASE AND ITS IMPACT ON PIG HEALTHY LIFE
The aim of modern pig production is to optimise performance and gain, while seeking a more sustainable way of production. With feed taking up the lion’s share of production costs, it makes sense to get the most out of what is fed. An enzyme can help optimise feed usage – and multiple enzymes can ...Read more -
10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE STARTING A POULTRY FARM
It’s not unusual for new farmers to start out with poultry because of the popular opinion that poultry farming is an easy entry into farming in general. To an extent, this opinion is true. But as an Agric-Tech Information Expert that deals with poultry farmers on a daily basis, we can emphaticall...Read more -
7 FACTORS THAT AFFECT INTAKE AND DIGESTIBILITY IN CATTLE
What are the actors that affect feed intake, digestibility, and utilisation of feed nutrients in cattle? And moreover, how can they be influenced? 7 factors are listed here. 1. Overfeeding Cattle are adversely affected by overfeeding and often show symptoms of bloat, indigestion, and acute dist...Read more -
Researchers use cameras to study the social interactions between cows
Data from sensors, showing the position of the cows, in combination with a video stream taken by cameras installed in the barn, are used to study the behavior of dairy cattle. In a pilot study, at one of Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences´s research barns, Keni Ren and her colleagues sho...Read more -
Reducing calves’ castration pain drives research
Reducing or mitigating the pain of castration for male beef calves is one of the main animal welfare concerns in the beef cattle industry today. Canada’s national codes of practice for the care and handling of both beef and dairy cattle recommend that male calves be castrated within the first few...Read more -
Environmental mastitis risk during housing
Udder infections may be picked up from the environment or transmitted from cow to cow (contagious transmission), so understanding the origin of infections can improve the effectiveness of any preventative steps. During this winter housing period take time to consider the risks facing your own her...Read more -
Easy test can see if breeding bulls have the right stuff
Forget sending bull semen out for complicated laboratory tests to learn whether the agricultural animal is highly virile. Soon, a quick and easy method — reminiscent of a home pregnancy test — can tell if a breeding bull has the right stuff. By borrowing from nature, Cornell Universit...Read more
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