Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Kirsten Williams. On today’s episode, Kirsten is joined by Ross Robertson, a Farm Technology Specialist at the UK Agri-Tech Centre. Ross collaborates with a network of farms to create practical solutions and demonstrate use of technology on farm to increase productivity. Ross draws on his practical farming experience and knowledge gained through visiting systems in other countries to bring about innovative change at a farm level here in the UK.

Episode Timestamps

00.20 Introducing Ross Robertson, Farm Technology specialist and sheep farmer

04.34 Sector technology: dairy, arable robotics and precision farming, pig and chicken technology and animal health

09.00 Return on investment

10.36 Understanding how to handle and understand the data – the importance of training

13.32 Applying dairy technology to the beef sector

15.41 Main driver for introducing technology: labour, cost saving, health monitoring, increasing productivity

19.11 Ross’s background

24.28 Biodiversity sensors

27.42 LoRaWAN – Long Range Wide Area Network

30.15 Connectivity - a barrier to the uptake of technology?

32.01 ONE AgriTech survey – broadband, apps and expert help

43.30 What motivates Ross

Resources

The UK Agri-Tech Centre | farming & food innovation

Ross Robertson contact: 07858309293, ross.robertson@ukagritechcentre.com

Opportunity North East (ONE)

The University of Edinburgh - The Power of Data in Farm Animal Practice

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National Advice Hub

Phone: 0300 323 0161

Email: advice@fas.scot

Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Kirsten Williams. On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by Jilly Duncan Grant, Founder & CEO of Herd Advance Ltd. Jilly has a real love for agriculture and her varied career led to a focus on data driven decision making and developing Herd Advance with her husband to improve herd performance, profitability and wellbeing. 

Episode Timestamps

00.42 Introducing Jilly Duncan Grant – a Jill of all trades!

09.18 What is Herd Advance?

23.49 The family farm – managing ‘boom and bust’ fluctuation in the marketplace

27.55 QMS board member role

31.03 What motivates Jilly to keep pushing forward

FAS Resources

Data Driven Decision Making for Finishing Cattle | Helping farmers in Scotland

Data Driven Decision Making for Suckler Herds | Helping farmers in Scotland

FFBC_Case_Study_Improving_weight_data_capture_Glenkilrie_

Other Resources

Herd Advance

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National Advice Hub

Phone: 0300 323 0161

Email: advice@fas.scot

Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Kirsten Williams. On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by Turkey Farmer Paul Kelly. In 1971, Paul’s parents started the family business, known today as ‘Kelly Turkeys’ and ‘Farmgate Hatcheries’. The cycle starts with eggs going into incubators in April for 28 days. When they hatch, they go into brooding sheds, then by 5 weeks of age they are ready to go to the woodland where they roam freely. At Kelly Turkeys they have complete control over the whole production cycle, making them very unique in the industry and one of a kind in the UK. The business has developed resilience to deal with issues like Brexit, labour, marketing and work by the motto ‘change is the name of the game’.

Episode Timestamps

00.31 Introducing Paul and the turkey cycle

02.41 Inseminating vs running with stags

03.24 Genetics and breeding lines

09.43 Hatchery business: 1.8 million chicks a year

12.48 Kelly turkeys: 100,000 turkeys reared through to Christmas

18.38 Split between whole turkeys, crowns and butterflies

27.36 Bringing resilience into the business

33.32 Avian influenza (bird flu)

37.44 Markets, trends and online sales

39.09 Weighing turkeys, sources of protein (acorns!) and organic

44.36 Succession

46.50 Marketing and celebrity chefs!

FAS Resources

Poultry | Helping farmers in Scotland

Other Resources

Kelly Bronze Turkeys  

Farmgate Hatcheries

New GB avian influenza wildlife interactive map and data dashboard launched | SRUC

Avian influenza (bird flu): how to spot and report the disease - gov.scot

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Facebook: @FASScot

National Advice Hub

Phone: 0300 323 0161

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Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Principal Consultant Kirsten Williams. On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by Colin Mason (Veterinary Centre Manager, SRUC). This episode focuses on livestock health and covers BVD eradication, show biosecurity, dairy beef calves, TB, Bluetongue and Schmallenberg virus.

Episode Timestamps

00.44 BVD eradication (phase 6)

10.08 Top tips for biosecurity of show animals

16.20 Health of dairy beef calves

18.23 Colostrum management

20.45 Blood tests for calves

25.05 Weight for age and average DLWG

27.29 Lung scanning

28.53 Tuberculosis (TB)

31.42 Bluetongue

35.36 Schmallenberg

40.23 Managing calf groups to reduce disease risk

FAS Resources

BVD Eradication Scheme Update (YouTube.com)

Other Resources

BVD Guidance | ScotEID

GOV.scot - bovine viral diarrhoea - bvd

Dairy beef booklet - SAC Consulting

GOV.uk - bluetongue information and guidance for livestock keepers

Bluetongue Virus Hub - Ruminant Health & Welfare

Schmallenberg virus - GOV.UK

ibTB - Mapping bovine TB (bTB) in England and Wales

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Facebook: @FASScot

National Advice Hub

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Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Principal Consultant Kirsten Williams. On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by farmers Ben and Harriet Lowe. HB Farms in Aberdeenshire consists of Newseat of Dumbreck, an arable farm on tenancy and Pitmillan Farm which is home to 450 breeding sows and a finishing unit. In addition to grass, forestry and land for environmental schemes, they grow 397ha of crops, with the grain used as feed for the pigs whilst manure is recycled back onto the fields. Soil health, circular agriculture and long-term biodiversity are priorities for HB Farms.

Episode Timestamps

01:05 Introducing Ben and Harriet Lowe

05:38 Farm stats

06:38 Pigs, from breeding to finishing and managing a weekly system

09:15 Knowledgeable staff

10:46 Creating a circular farm

11:36 Saving on inputs due to pig FYM

14:04 Ration changes throughout the cycle

15:53 Data driven decision making

19:19 Genetics and feed conversion

21:14 Target carcase weight and spec

23:36 Processing pig meat

26:13 Managing cashflow

27:31 Protein in the pig diet

33:18 Nuffield: closing the loop in pig production: the 5-mile pig

39:30 LEAF demonstration farm

41:09 Resilience in the business

47:35 Advice for New Entrants

FAS Resources

FAS Case Studies - Gaining A Tenancy As A New Entrant

Other Resources

Instagram - HB Farms

Nuffield scholar - Ben Lowe

Leaf demonstration farms - HB Farms

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Facebook: @FASScot

National Advice Hub

Phone: 0300 323 0161

Email: advice@fas.scot

Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Beef and Sheep Consultant Kirsten Williams. On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by farmers Craig and Claire Grant who run a mixed farming enterprise across 1,300 acres arable and 400 acres grass (owned and rented) along with their team of 20 full and part time employees. The business has poultry across five sites with a total of 225,000 laying hens, in addition to 330 bulling heifers that are sold privately with high health off farm to producers throughout Scotland. Craig and Claire regularly engage with the public, sharing information about where food comes from.

Episode Timestamps

00.35 Introducing Craig and Claire Grant

04.30 Business components, systems and staff

07.44 Finding and retaining labour

11.20 Enriched colonies and free-range birds

14.50 Egg markets and Kindrought Egg Hoosie

19.03 Cooperation in farming

21.37 Audits

23.47 Cattle: marketing on farm, scoring charts, high health, certification packages

32.10 Buying young stock

35.57 Building relationships and trust

37.05 An award-winning business (Young Farmer of the Year, Mixed Farm of the Year, Overall Farm of the Year)

FAS Resources

Contract Farming Agreements Explained | Farm Advisory Service

Business planning and financial management: An introduction | Farm Advisory Service

Other Resources

C J Grant | Facebook

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Facebook: @FASScot

National Advice Hub

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In this podcast we hear from Kirsten Williams who will be taking over Robert Ramsay’s role as the host on Stock Talk. Kirsten talks about her farming system at home as well as her interests at work. Robert mentions some of his favourite Stock Talk podcasts and how they can develop into something bigger (e.g. the deer farming podcast has now turned into a FAS Deer Farming Group). Kirsten wishes to continue Stock Talk with more farming stories as well as discussing more technical aspects.

Related FAS Resources

Kirsten Williams: Let your determination grow stronger | Information helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service

In this podcast we hear from Sam Parsons from Balcaskie. He talks about the organic farming system and the use of regenerative agriculture practices at Balcaskie and how it has helped reduce costs. He also talks about meat eating quality in their choice of cattle as they sell their beef direct to customers through the butchery. They are using Lincoln Red bulls across the herd. Sam talks about the challenges he has faced with changing his system from 6-7 months winter housing cattle to outwintering them most of the year. He also discussed with Robert the importance of young people coming into the industry.

You can contact Sam by emailing sparsons@balcaskie.com

Related FAS Resources

Stock Talk - James Biggar & Lorna Galloway | Information helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service