Specialist avian vet Tom Dutton has joined Elanco Animal Health as an additional technical consultant for poultry. Dr Dutton has spent more than 13 years’ experience working in the sector, predominantly treating pet and zoo-owned birds. But he also spending some time working with commercial poultry. “I went down... Read more

Plans to ban farrowing crates and the use of high-concentration carbon dioxide to stun pigs before slaughter have been confirmed by the government. The decisions are set out in the government’s Animal Welfare Strategy – which Defra says represents the most ambitious welfare reforms in a generation. It says... Read more

                Sheep farmers may be incurring avoidable costs and adding to antibiotic resistance by inappropriately treating viral disease. Antibiotics are still being used as a routine response to orf – a common viral disease that affects productivity and labour – despite having... Read more

Sheep industry leaders have welcomed new rules that all sides hope will mean fairer prices for lamb producers. Government rules mandating classification and price reporting for sheep carcases came into force last month – bringing the lamb sector in line with beef and pork. They aim to ensure farmers... Read more

As 2026 beckons, one thing is clear: the past 12 months was a year of extremes – and we can’t be certain that this season will be any less predictable, writes Nerys Wright. Last year started with dry, warm conditions that stretched into regions of the UK unaccustomed to... Read more

A £28,000 “moo loo” said to reduce ammonia emissions from cattle is set to make its UK debut at this month’s Lamma event. Developed by Dutch agri-tech company Hanskamp, the CowToilet is billed as a unique solution to reduce on-farm emissions by separating cow urine and faeces which produce... Read more

Meat inspectors are being urged to ensure lamb carcases are clean after French officials rejected £650,000 of exported UK sheepmeat. The incident last month saw four lorryloads of British lamb returned to the UK from Calais after they were held at a French border control post because wool had... Read more

Pig industry leaders called on the UK government to protect the sector after Spain confirmed its first case of African swine fever (ASF) since 1994. The disease was confirmed in two wild boar – found dead approximately 1km apart – near the Autonomous University of Barcelona in November. Further... Read more

Plant breeder Strube is offering three varieties for the UK fodder and energy beet markets for 2026: Clemens, Degas and Gahan. For early planting and on colder soils, Clemens comes with the added benefit of seed priming advancement; although Degas and Gahan have consistently proved themselves over the past... Read more

A 21,000-litre tandem axle unit featuring a new contactless forced steering system for the rear axle will be exhibited by Bauer at Lamma. The high-specification poly-tanker will be a key attraction at the two-day machinery event, which takes place on 14-15 January at the NEC Birmingham. Bauer’s tankers are... Read more