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

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot

Facebook: @FASScot

National Advice Hub

Phone: 0300 323 0161

Email: advice@fas.scot

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

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot

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

For more information, visit  www.FAS.scot

Facebook: @FASScot

National Advice Hub

Phone: 0300 323 0161

Email: advice@fas.scot

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

In this podcast we hear from Jock Gibson who is a farmer and butcher. He talks about his farming system at home and how his cattle are certified with Pasture for Life. This means they are on a grassland and forage diet and are therefore slower to reach finished weights than conventional finishing systems which feed concentrate feed. Jock has native breeds of cattle to suit this system. Jock also talks about the butchery side of the business and direct selling to customers and the importance of eating quality of the meat he is selling to customers. Jock also talks about his Nuffield Scholarship focussing on eating quality of meat which included travels to other countries to experience different systems and abattoirs. Jock is a trustee of Farmstrong Scotland and this is something he is passionate about. This is now setup as a charity and is designed to help people with their mental health and wellbeing and encourage the creation of positive habits.

Linked resources:

Farmstrong Scotland - Live Well, Farm & Croft Well

In this podcast we hear from Bruce Wyper, Stockperson at SRUC Easter Howgate. He talks about some of the projects have been going on at Easter Howgate including GreenCow and Green Shed. He also discusses the move to running the herd more commercially than it has been previously although it is still a farm used for research projects. He talks about the challenges the herd has faced including Johnes and fertility issues and how dynamic health planning has helped them to improve the performance of the herd.

In this podcast we hear from Jan Vos, Agronomist from Agrovista & Lorna Galloway SAC Consultant from SAC Stranraer Office. They talk about soil health, agronomy, and sustainable practices to get the desired outcome – healthy crops and effective weed management. They also talk about the best way to establish and keep clover in the sward and a clover-safe herbicide that is undergoing trials and should be available to use soon. Rushes and bracken control is also discussed.

Linked resources:

GrassCheck - HOME - GrassCheck GB