Heat stress in dairy cows: Lessons from a Cumbrian dairy farm

With the arrival of summer prompting the mercury to rise, Dairy Farmer looks at how heat stress can affect milk yield and conception rates in high yielding dairy cattle, and how to mitigate its impact

20 May 2026 • 9 min read

Dairy Talk - Stuart Sadler: "If only we had a crystal ball"

17 May 2026 • 3 min read

The calf rearing basics that will pay you back for five lactations

To get heifers to the optimum size and stature to calve easily at 24 months, consistent daily growth rates and remaining disease-free are important, says Dr Emma Bleach, of Harper Adams University

15 May 2026 • 6 min read

Are your youngstock holding back your milk cheque?

If heifers are entering the milking herd underweight and underprepared, the ripple effects could be costing you, says dairy expert

14 May 2026 • 3 min read

"We've had the latest turnout I've seen in the five years I've been running the estate"

Dairy Talk columnist Ben Yates on the impact of a wet start to the year, tree planting, spring tasks and rugby

10 May 2026 • 3 min read

Is a change in mindset needed for staff management on-farm?

Farmers can significantly boost productivity, staff retention and animal welfare by taking a more professional approach to their workforce

07 May 2026 • 3 min read

Roger Evans: "I preferred to be on the farm, ideally driving a tractor"

This month, Roger Evans talks about his school days, terrifying teachers and how learning to speak French surprisingly paid off

05 May 2026 • 4 min read

Be precise with spring dairy diets

Getting cow nutrition right this spring is more critical than ever, given the low milk price. By feeding to maximise butterfat and protein, while optimising animal health, producers can claw back much-needed value

03 May 2026 • 6 min read

Dairy Matters - Graeme Hills: 'BPR is no longer an untouchable pillar'

Graeme Hills, director and head of tax at Duncan & Toplis reflects on what changes to business property relief will have for business owners

02 May 2026 • 4 min read

How to manage e.coli mastitis in dairy cows

Vet, Rebecca Hodgson of Oakhill Farm Vets, shares her advice on how to treat, prevent and control environmental infections on-farm

01 May 2026 • 6 min read

Dairy Talk - Robert Reed: "I realised our own robotic system made us vulnerable to hackers"

Farming 405 hectares (1,000 acres), a mix of tenanted and owned land at Gatcombe Farm, near Seaton, Devton, Robert Reed and his family milk 350 all-year-round calving Holstein cow via five robots and are achieving average yields of 12,000 litres

30 April 2026 • 4 min read

How to combat butterfat depression at turnout

Balanced energy and rumen stability at turnout are vital to protect butterfat levels and fertility

29 April 2026 • 4 min read

Hawaii's last dairy farm aims to revive local milk production

A farmer on the island of Hawaii is on a mission to keep the island's 1.5 million people supplied with locally-produced milk

29 April 2026 • 4 min read

Dairy Talk - Ifan Roberts: "Calving has been going relatively well this spring without too many issues"

Ifan Roberts is a new entrant who has established a contract farming agreement milking 500 block calving cows in Cheshire, and is aiming to improve the land farmed, encourage others to participate in the industry and deliver attractive returns to his stakeholders

28 April 2026 • 4 min read

Maximising milk solids: Inside the high performing Redhouse Holstein herd

Faced with limited opportunity for herd expansion, the Irwin family have turned to improving milk quality in their autumn-calving Redhouse Holsteins herd

22 April 2026 • 7 min read

Lancashire dairy herd boosts performance with live data and high fibre

Dairy farmer Ben Gibbons is working with nutritionist Emma Wells to understand how continual improvements can help drive performance on a high yielding herd

15 April 2026 • 6 min read

What does a future in dairy farming look like in Australia?

A young dairy farmer has big plans to further commercialise the family farm by improving cow breeding and diversifying into agritourism

08 April 2026 • 4 min read

Roger Evans: "A conversation about JCBs can be quite disconcerting"

This month, Roger Evans talks about visiting Scotland, his car journeys there and some highlights from his various holidays there

05 April 2026 • 3 min read

Six ways to maximise silage production in 2026

Following the difficult grass growing season of 2025, dairy producers may want to consider taking steps to mitigate against another similar year particularly in light of falling milk prices

03 April 2026 • 3 min read

From farm worker to equity partner: One dairy farmer's route up the farming ladder

Neil Simcock vowed to walk away from the dairy industry if he had not progressed from employee to gaining a foothold in business by mid-career.

01 April 2026 • 7 min read

Make sure your milk powder optimises future calf performance

Dairy farmers should scrutinise the content of their calf milk powders to ensure they are getting the best return on investment in the feed at a time of falling farmgate milk prices

31 March 2026 • 3 min read

Dairy Matters - Bas Padberg: "Dairy has a fundamental role in food security"

Bas Padberg, chair of The Dairy Roadmap, says that sustainability has to be a practical, business-relevant strategy that works for farms today

30 March 2026 • 4 min read

Film-wrapped silage bales boost forage quality for dairy farmers

Gareth Lee has built a successful one-man contracting business producing silage bales which maintain quality and are robust enough to last two winters

30 March 2026 • 5 min read

Dairy Talk - Becky Fenton: "I like to tell my non-farming friends that the cows will have a foot spa, hairdressers, Fitbits, disco lights and that you will be able to see us from space"

Becky Fenton and husband Paul milk 200 pedigree Holsteins under the Springlebee prefix at Centenary Farm, a Cheshire county council farm. In 2021, they bought a farm in Staffordshire and they plan to farm there once the new dairy set-up has been built.

28 March 2026 • 3 min read

Follow this five-point approach to control BRD in your calves

Follow this five-point plan to achieve optimal innate and acquired calf immunity and reduce respiratory disease on-farm

26 March 2026 • 3 min read

How a heat-resistant cow is helping a Mexican dairy farm turn a profit in the tropics

A dairy farm in Mexico with huge potential to increase production is currently on the market as a potential investment opportunity

25 March 2026 • 4 min read

Dairy Talk - Dan Burdett: "It does show how easy it would be for a serving season to go badly wrong"

Dan and his family own and run the 300-hectare (741-acre) Cockhaise Farm, near Haywards Heath, West Sussex. The farm is home to an organic autumn-calving herd of 240 Holstein and Friesian crosses. He also contract farms another organic autumn-calving herd of 220 cows at Bore Place, near Edenbridge, Kent

24 March 2026 • 3 min read

Pink eye in dairy cows: What farmers need to know

Vet, Emma Greaves, shares her top tips for managing pink eye infections within the dairy herd

23 March 2026 • 4 min read

Dairy markets update: Some milk price rises likely for May

The markets have continued to improve markedly, and the first price increases since the autumn of last year are on the cards for May, for some but by no means all processors

20 March 2026 • 4 min read

The importance of living space for the housed cow

Studies have shown how providing cows with adequate living space can boost milk yields and reduce lameness prevalence

20 March 2026 • 3 min read