Content related to the topic: beef-lamb

30 January 2025

Buyers' checklist for calves and store cattle

Buying in livestock is risky and is the most likely way of introducing a new disease onto your farm. The cost of a disease outbreak can be huge. There are many potential diseases of concern as this checklist shows.

8 January 2026

Understanding cattle and carcases

The key to maximising financial returns is to produce and sell the type of finished cattle the marketplace wants and is willing to pay for. This booklet highlights the good and bad in terms of carcase quality, fat levels and conformation. It aims to help producers understand the specifications of the market, and to illustrate some of the factors that can affect carcase value and therefore producer returns.

14 February 2019

Webinar - Feeding dry cows to boost colostrum and fertility

An AHDB Beef & Lamb Webinar

11 February 2019

Trace Elements in Beef and Sheep Production

AHDB Beef and Lamb and Nigel Kendall from the University of Nottingham host this webinar looking at trace element supplementation in cattle and sheep.

3 December 2024

Biological Tests for Soil Health

Biological soil health testing is a useful method of quantifying the impact of different soil management practices such as the use of cover crops.

10 December 2024

Shout about the sire

You could be missing out on EBVs linked to carcase traits that you get paid for

29 September 2025

Herd notebook

Collecting records and then analysing them is the best way to understand how your business is performing.

12 March 2019

Iceberg diseases of ewes

This manual provides a concise reference guide to five infectious diseases of sheep that members of the sheep industry have identified as important: Border disease (BD), caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), Maedi Visna (MV), ovine paratuberculosis or ovine Johne’s disease (OJD) and ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA). However, awareness of these diseases is low, with a recent survey suggesting fewer than 5% of farmers screen for them routinely.

17 February 2026

Managing nutrients for grass and livestock

Nutrient management can often be forgotten on beef and sheep farms, yet there is considerable scope to reduce costs and improve output through the use of home-produced and bought-in nutrients. All crops need a good nutrient supply from the soil to grow and thrive. This updated manual looks at how feeding grass and forage crops properly with manufactured fertilisers or slurries and manures can boost growth.

29 November 2018

Understanding mastitis in sheep

Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland, usually caused by bacterial infection. It can present as subclinical infection or clinical disease, which can be acute (sudden, short-term) or chronic (long-term).

14 November 2018

BRP+ Mycotoxin contamination in animal feed and forages

Mycotoxins are chemical compounds produced naturally by moulds which can cause toxicity in livestock. Mycotoxins can result in reduced yields, product rejection and lower animal productivity and health. This document presents the risk factors and management strategies to minimise the risk of mycotoxins in home-grown feedstuffs

14 November 2018

BRP+ Guidelines for managing outdoor straw pads for beef cattle

Keeping cattle on an outdoor pad can improve animal health and welfare, reduce damage to pasture and reduce costs. However, any effluent draining from a pad represents a high risk of diffuse water pollution. This document help farmers understand the potential risks and the guidelines that should be followed