Since the mid 2000s, Orchid Farm Tech software has allowed farmers to input information like calvings, bullings and other such data into a mobile device whilst on the go, synchronising with their desktop database when back in the office. In … Continue reading →
The Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) is one of the cornerstones of UK government policy to help agriculture to become more productive – producing more whilst minimising environmental impact. The Countryside Productivity Scheme 2015 is part of the RDPE and 2015 grant funding … Continue reading →
As the computer world gets more mobile, you might be thinking of how you can put mobile computing to use for your livestock enterprise. A mobile device needs an operating system, in the same way that a desktop computer needs … Continue reading →
Whether it be dairy heifers, prime lambs or finishing cattle, there are still many farms that rely only on stockmanship skills and “guesstimates” when selecting fat lambs or finished cattle. Many dairy farmers also rely on visuals alone when rearing heifers to calve … Continue reading →
If you think precision farming (whether livestock or arable) is just a bunch gadgets and gizzmos, think again. Precision arable techniques, such as variable rate application of crop inputs, are now generally accepted as mainstream and are proven to enhance … Continue reading →
There are plenty of case studies in the farming press about the benefits of heat detection systems in dairy herd management. The benefits now seem to be proven beyond all doubt. Not just the dairy herd, progressive beef suckler herds wishing … Continue reading →
Years ago when dairy farms tended to be smaller in size, farmers knew their cows more as individuals and could therefore adjust management to get the best from each animal. Over the years, herd sizes have increased resulting in more … Continue reading →
In the course of using farm software, you may have come across the “CSV” file type. CSV stands for “comma separated value”. It’s used to store data in a plain-text form, which means that the data can be easily viewed … Continue reading →
If you have larger batches of cattle coming onto your farm, you’ll need to record information like: Official ID number, date of birth, breed, sex “On” movement date (and report this to the BCMS Cattle Tracing System) That amounts to … Continue reading →
Many of the Farm Assurance schemes for beef and lamb require you to keep purchased livestock on the holding for a minimum number of days before they can be sold under the scheme. For a batch of animals, you’ll probably … Continue reading →