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NUMBER 07/04 13 July 2007 |
Perennial chicory could have a valuable role to play in improving the grazing performance of English beef cattle and lamb. It also offers reliable yield on drought-prone land, according to the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) which is currently evaluating the herb as part of its drive to help producers improve performance from home-grown forage.
Extensive New Zealand studies with new perennial chicory varieties have shown them to provide high quality grazing for both cattle and lambs. Indeed, over a number of years varieties bred for improved performance have proved capable of supporting daily lamb growth rates noticeably higher than ryegrass, albeit not up to the level of white clover.
Recent SAC work has further confirmed New Zealand findings that much of the improved performance from lambs grazing chicory could be related to reductions of as much as 40% in gutworm burdens compared to counterparts grazing grass and clover.
There is also evidence that the herb, which has a deep tap root not unlike red clover, could be beneficial in maintaining the productivity of grazing leys under particularly dry summer conditions.
It is too early to judge the extent to which the potential benefits of modern perennial chicory varieties can actually be realised under English conditions, let alone their practicality and value in commercial grass-based English production systems.
However, EBLEX considers the opportunity they offer for inclusion in long to medium-term grass ley mixtures well worth exploring, and a number of farm studies are getting under way including performance evaluations of ewes and lambs on perennial ryegrass swards with and without chicory at Newton Rigg.
EBLEX stresses that any producers keen to explore the possibilities the forage offers need to be aware that:
| ° | Using the right type of perennial chicory is vital; |
| ° | Well-drained soils are preferable and slug control will aid establishment; |
| ° | Broad-leaved weeds need to be controlled before sowing; |
| ° | Plants of less than 150-200 mm are susceptible to uprooting by grazing stock; |
| ° | Chicory can bolt and become unpalatable if not managed correctly; |
| ° | Hard grazing can damage plant crowns, reducing productivity and persistency; and, |
| ° | There is the risk of milk taint if dairy cows receive too much of their diet as chicory. |
English producers interested in finding out more about chicory should contact EBLEX on 0870 2418829 or e-mail brp@eblex.org.uk for details of planned summer and winter events.
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NUMBER 07/07 18 May 2007 |
Many English producers are making serious efforts to reduce the incidence of ewe and lamb lameness through preventive foot rot treatment, according to the initial findings of a two-year University of Warwick study for the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX).
However, the 2006 study of producers interested in lameness research - involving more than 160 flocks with an average of 400 ewes - also reveals fairly high current levels of lameness together with considerable apparent barriers to management change in some cases.
At 7%, the overall level of ewe lameness reported by the producers involved was lower than the national average. Even so, relatively few flocks had lameness levels of under 5% and a substantial number had an incidence of 9% or more.
With lameness reducing lamb weight gains by up to 500g/week as well as hitting both ewe fertility and milk yields, it is encouraging to see that more than 50% of flock managers reporting high levels of lameness were definitely willing to review their current management strategies. Perhaps more challenging will be the 40% who said they were only 'possibly willing to change'.
Also encouraging is the fact that over 50% of those involved in the study check sheep for lameness each day, with around half checking the feet of the whole flock at least twice a year.
The study revealed that in addition to trimming diseased feet, the main management practices used to prevent foot rot are flock foot bathing, topical antibiotics, injectable antibiotics and flock foot trimming.
Identification of the lameness condition(s) affecting a flock is key to any effective control and EBLEX is working actively with Warwick University to develop a manual to help producers with this and the process of considering appropriate management strategies.
Practical EBLEX advice on reducing flock lameness is available free to English levy payers in a summer initiative from Sheep Better Returns Programme (details of which can be obtained from www.eblexbetterreturns.org.uk or 01953 601655) and an interactive EBLEX Lamb Action for Profit fact sheet available at www.eblex.org.uk.
These comments are direct quotes from MLC Senior Geneticist, Gert Nieuwhof who can be contacted on 01908 844126. Alternatively, ring your EBLEX Regional Manager or the Press Office on 01908 844166. Information is also available at www.eblex.org.uk
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NUMBER 07/02 15 June 2007 |
One of the warmest winters and earliest springs ever followed by persistently wet weather from mid-May means beef and lamb producers across the country need to reinforce their guard against liver fluke infestations this season, advises the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX).
This will significantly improve stock performance at grass, increasing beef weight gains by up to 1 kg/week, for instance. Good control is also vital if the red meat industry is to improve returns by making the most of the substantial domestic and overseas offal marketing opportunities recently identified by the EBLEX Offals Working Group; particularly so with the new markets coming on stream after last year's lifting of the beef export ban.
Meat Hygiene Service records for English abattoirs over the past year show liver rejections from liver fluke running at 14-15% of throughput. Although noticeably lower than those in either Scotland or Wales, rejection levels of over 20% in some parts of the country in some months underline the extent of infestations and their impact on performance and value.
Against this background, EBLEX has published new Better Returns Beef and Lamb Action for Profit fact sheets providing practical management guidelines to help producers combat liver fluke. These fact sheets emphasise that the risk of liver fluke increases following wet weather which favours the parasite's life cycle by increasing the habitats of the intermediate snail host essential for its transmission to and from both sheep and cattle.
Specific recommendations include:
Copies of the new Beef and Lamb Action for Profit fact sheets - Better Returns by Controlling Liver Fluke - are available free of charge to English levy payers. They can be obtained from EBLEX on 0870 2418829 or by e-mailing brp@eblex.org.uk. More detailed information and guidance linked to the fact sheet is provided through the Action for Profit website resources at www.eblex.org.uk.
These comments are quotes from EBLEX Beef & Sheep Scientist, Dr Liz Genever who can be contacted on 01908 844243. Alternatively, ring your EBLEX Regional Manager or the Press Office on 01908 844166. Information is also available at www.eblex.org.uk
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NUMBER 06/18 3 November 2006 |
Handling sheep in ways which take advantage of their natural behaviour can markedly increase the speed, safety and efficiency of flock operations while reducing stress on animals and handlers alike, reminds the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) in its latest Lamb Action for Profit fact sheet.
As seasoned lamb producers know, good handling facilities and practices can markedly reduce the time taken in routine operations like tagging, weighing, worming, dipping, vaccination, foot bathing and loading stock for movement, sale or slaughter. Equally, poor handling can easily result in carcase bruising and hide damage as well as having a negative impact on meat quality and, thus, direct returns to the producer.
'Better Returns from Effective Sheep Handling' reminds and advises producers to match handling facilities to stock type, numbers and requirements, making the most of features that encourage rather than discourage smooth stock movement. In particular, it points out that:
The new fact sheet recommends current handling facilities are appraised against these key behavioural considerations to identify where improvements are needed, stressing that if changes are needed in many cases they can be achieved both simply and inexpensively.
At the same time, it endorses dividing stock into small groups for handling, with group size matched to the capacity of the facilities available and maintaining established farm groups to avoid additional social stress.
Highlighting the extent to which handlers affect the way the animals they are handling behave, EBLEX suggests the nearness of the flock to flight can be gauged very effectively by monitoring the number of sheep facing the handler - the greater the proportion of animals facing away the closer the group is to flight.
Copies of Lamb Action for Profit Fact Sheet 14 are available free of charge to English levy payers from EBLEX on 0870 2418829 or by e-mailing info@eblex.org.uk. More detailed information and guidance linked to the factsheet can be obtained through the unique interactive website resource at www.eblex.org.uk.
These comments are direct quotes from EBLEX Sheep Scientist, Dr Liz Genever, who can be contacted on 01908 844243. Alternatively, ring your EBLEX Regional Manager or the Press Office on 01908 844166. Information is also available at www.eblex.org.uk