An independent study on the effectiveness of footbath solutions for sheep with feet problems showed improvements after one pass through a footbath containing Hoofsure Endurance 2%*
Gavin Blair and his family run a 400 ewe flock and 80 suckler and beef herd near Moneymore. The flock consists of mule ewes put to Suffolk and Texel rams. Lambing takes place from February to April.
Provita Advance+ is available in liquid and granular form. The ready to use granular product is available in 20kg tubs that treats 50 tonne and is applied at 400g per tonne treated. The 1 kg powder to liquid box treats 100 tonnes of silage. Advance+ liquid is a ready to use product and can be applied at standard 2L per tonne treated down to low-volume 40ml per tonne.
Hannah Shaw, Club Secretary of Spa YFC was recently selected for a YFCU Exchange in Norway. Provita sponsored her t-shirts for the trip.
Hannah has bought and reared her own calves for the past four years on the family farm, whose overall work ethic is to ensure that their animals are as healthy and thriving as well as possible. Part of the farm’s animal health programme is to use Provita Protect for newly born or bought-in calves. Provita Protect is the only medicinally licensed probiotic (POM-VPS) for the prevention of calf scour. Calves fed milk replacer also get Provita WD Ruminant feed additive to boost the rumen development to further prevent any upsets and use the milk nutrients efficiently to help thrift. Hannah and the Shaw family use Provita Promist to fog sheds when cattle groups are housed over the autumn period. The results were very noticeable in 2017 when mixing various batches of cattle in the same air space as no groups developed acute coughs or any respiratory distress upon housing. The respiratory health in bought-in calves has been greatly improved with use of Provita Promist and they will continue to use it as best practice during 2018. The Shaw family have recently started using Provita Combat hoof and wound spray after they dehorn calves. This protects the wound from infection, helps it to heal quickly and seals it nicely to stop any bleeds when calves accidentally hit that area.
Farmers across Northern Ireland continue to trust ProVitaMin to help correct deficiencies, improve fertility and growth rates amongst their flocks.
Paddy and Michael Mullan run the family farm Drimhill, near Swatragh which sits 1000 feet above sea level. Their farm consists of 350 ewes, consisting of 300 purebred Lanark Blackfaced ewes, 40 crossbred mules and 10 purebred Leister ewes, and 30 suckler cows.
Lameness is a major health and welfare problem in the UK. A study by Professor Laura Green, at the University of Warwick calculated that lameness cost UK farmers between £70M and £210M annually.* During summer months lameness problems can be higher due to higher stocking rates, longer grass and damp conditions.
Co Armagh milk producer and beef farmer Dean Wright will grow approximately 40-45 acres of wholecrop each year. The main purpose of this crop is to utilise the reseeded sward the following years, but in saying that, the wholecrop silage is maximised fully, like everything on this farm.
‘I have always found wholecrop to be a good yielding, healthy crop; with plenty of energy and very useful for balancing feed rations.’ The wholecrop is fed to all groups on the farm with Dean pointing out, ‘it is great feeding for beef cattle.’
An increasing number of silage baler contractors are now putting on silage inoculant applicators, due to increased demand from farmers.
The question is often asked as to whether silage inoculants are needed when the weather is good, or is it just when the weather is poor? Provita Advance+ is like the icing on top of the cake, silage will be even higher in sugars and nutritional quality in good weather conditions.
Gavin Blair and his family run a 400 ewe flock and 80 suckler and beef herd near Moneymore. The flock consists of mule ewes put to Suffolk and Texel rams. Lambing takes place from February to April.
Damon Brown runs 60 commercial ewes and a small pedigree flock under the Loughbeg Suffolks name.