Improving flock efficiency

 

Monday 23rd October

 

“Taking the first steps” -  Lesley Stubbings,Independent Sheep Consultant

Lesley introduced the concept and meaning of efficiency and how this is reduced by “ wastage “ in our flocks. She highlighted some of the main influencing factors and how these impact efficiency and therefore, by inference, profitability whilst suggesting how to make best use of inputs and selected KPIs to monitor progress.

“Health Plans…what are they good for?” - JP Crilly, Larkmead Veterinary Group & RVC

JP admitted initial scepticism about the value of health plans. However the value that many of his clients place on them changed his mind. As part of his presentation JP examined this with two farmers and suggested that one major benefit of health plans is the discussion between farmer and vet at the time of the health plan review.

 

Chairman: Matt Colston, Ruminant Technical Consultant, Elanco

Speaker 1: Lesley Stubbings,Independent Sheep Consultant

Speaker 2: JP Crilly, Larkmead Veterinary Group & RVC

 

Lesley Stubbings,Independent Sheep Consultant - Lesley graduated from University of Nottingham and has spent over 40 years working as a consultant in the sheep industry. Following a period with ADAS,  Lesley started up her own business (LSSC Ltd) in 1997 providing specialist advice on all aspects of sheep production to farmers, corporate bodies, vets, Government and NGOs. Lesley has a central role in SCOPS (Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep) but also maintains strong links with her individual clients, monitoring physical and financial outputs and advising interventions to improve performance.

 

 

JP Crilly, Larkmead Veterinary Group & RVC - JP Crilly graduated from Cambridge in 2010. After mixed practice in the Scottish Highlands, he undertook a residency in farm animal medicine at the R(D)SVS in Edinburgh. He became a European specialist in small ruminant health management in 2016. He currently works mainly in first opinion large animal practice in the south of England , but also teaches at the vet schools of the Royal Veterinary College, Cambridge and Tartu (Estonia).

 

Measure to manage

Tuesday 24th October

 

”Making the technology available work for you” - Lawrence Martin, Farmer & Ambassador for AgriWebb

Lawrence outlined the different elements of software packages available, from livestock records to farm mapping and pasture budgeting. He underlined how this enables decision making to be based on objective data insights allowing for rapid and effective intervention should problems arise.

”Body condition scoring through the annual cycle” - Nerys Wright, AHDB

Nerys presented findings from her PhD research, carried out on three commercial farms, demonstrating the importance of ewe condition (in particular BCS) at key times of year. She showed how ewe BCS effects lamb performance measured at 8 weeks and weaning, highlighting where interventions to alter BCS can have most benefit.

”Deriving value from data” - Duncan Nelless, Organic livestock farmer, Northumberland.

Duncan gathered data on his livestock enterprises over the last 15 years or so. He discussed the use of this information in the management of the farm and how it has contributed to the improvements in performance of the livestock over this period.

 

Chairman: Matt Blyth, Independent Sheep Consultant, BLAS

Speaker 1: Lawrence Martin, Farmer & Ambassador for AgriWebb

Speaker 2: Nerys Wright,AHDB

Speaker 3: Duncan Nelless, Organic livestock farmer, Northumberland

 

Lawrence Martin, Farmer & Ambassador for AgriWebb - Lawrence is the Farm Manager at Carbeth Home Farm in Stirlingshire, Scotland. He became an industry champion at the Lantra Awards after studying at Oatridge College in West Lothian. He has a particular passion for technology and using it to drive sustainable and efficient business practices within the livestock industry. As such, he is an Ambassador for livestock management software provider AgriWebb and beta tester for new software integrations with the company. You can follow Lawrence on Twitter.

 

 

Nerys Wright, AHDB - Nerys will present the findings from her PhD research, carried out on three commercial sheep farms in England, relating to the importance of ewe condition (in particular BCS) at key times of the year. She will also discuss the link between BCS and lamb performance at 8 weeks and weaning, highlighting where interventions can have the most benefit.

 

 

Duncan Nelless, Organic livestock farmer, Northumberland - Duncan and his brother Angus manage the 1400 acre Thistleyhaugh Farm in Northumberland( 1000ac owned, rest on three FBTs). The farm has been in the family for 100 years and converted to organic in 2005. Enterprises include 2000 Lleyn  ewes, 200 suckler cows, 1700 outdoor pigs reared on contract plus 1000 Christmas poultry and a small on-site abattoir. They also have do Farm B & B and a have a holiday cottage business. Areas of the farm are managed under Natural England HLS/SSSI status.

Annual feed budgeting

Thursday 26th October

 

”Grass and forage crops to provide year round grazing” - Sam Lane, Technical Manager,Cotswold Seeds Ltd.

Sam investigated ways to create different opportunities within the rotation to utilise forage crops, from short term catch crops to longer term, high protein diverse mixtures. He discussed where and how these options can fit into the farming system and offered advice on how to reliably establish more complex multi species mixes.

”Planning and delivering  the annual feed requirements to the flock” - Kate Phillips, Independent Sheep Consultant

Kate spoke about “feeding the ewe” through the year for optimum performance, to include basic requirements for energy and protein at all stages of production, and feed budgeting with particular reference to grazing and ration formulation. She also touched on trace element and mineral nutrition.

 

Chairman: Susie Parrish, Farmer & Vice chair, NSA SE Region

Speaker 1: Sam Lane, Technical Manager, Cotswold Seeds Ltd

Speaker 2: Kate Phillips, Independent Sheep Consultant

 

Sam Lane, Technical Manager, Cotswold Seeds Ltd - Sam grew up in an agricultural community in Oxfordshire and studied for a degree in agriculture at Harper Adams University in Shropshire, after which he worked for four years on Swinbrook Estate, carrying out many duties including cultivation, spraying and drilling throughout the season. He joined Cotswold Seeds nine years ago, and as well as providing farmers with advice on complex grass seed mixtures, and visiting farms all over the UK, Sam regularly represents Cotswold Seeds at agricultural shows including Grassland & Muck, Oxford Real Farming Conference and Groundswell. He is often invited to give talks and presentations to farming groups, on everything from choosing the right grass seed mixtures for their farm, to establishment and management of the various mixtures. Complex seed mixtures and the benefits they bring to animal health, soil fertility and farm profitability are at the heart of much of Sam’s work at Cotswold Seeds and he’s co-authored many of Cotswold Seeds’ technical publications, including ‘The Herbal Ley Farming System’, ‘Mob Grazing Guide’ and ‘Sort out Your Soil.’ Sam has been actively involved with FarmED, Cotswold Seeds’s Centre for Farm & Food Education, including helping to plan and manage the crop rotation at the heart of the farm.

Kate Phillips, Independent Sheep Consultant - Kate Phillips is an independent sheep consultant with a special interest in ruminant nutrition. She spent 30 years working for ADAS as a nutritionist and sheep specialist then set up her own consultancy in 2014 and also lectured part-time at Harper Adams for six years.  She works on a variety of projects supporting knowledge transfer to farmers and vets and is currently focusing on a project to breed low methane sheep.  She has had a small flock of pedigree Lleyn ewes for over 25 and lives in Shropshire.