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A thin cow or heifer can be a big problem if they’re due to calf soon.

It can lead to weak cows at calving time and less vigorous calves to boot, meaning an increased risk of mortality and a smaller selling margin later.

Here's our guide to stop that.

For many beef farmers, keeping cows and heifers fit and not fat is essential to have a smooth run at calving time.

While thin cows pose their own problems at calving time, fat cows come with their own set of problems.

If you do nothing to remedy the overweight cow’s condition before they reach calving, this can cause problems while calving.

Here's why:

Calves are at a relatively high risk of mortality as [...]

Calving comes with risks at the best of times, but creating the best possible calving environment is a great way of cutting them.

Here are some tried and tested tips that apply in both the largest dairy farms and the smallest suckler herds.

It is good practice to be cautious around a cow directly after she has given birth. It is in these moments that her maternal instincts are kicking in particularly strongly.

What is less known is that cow attacks have surpassed bull attacks as the number one cause of livestock related deaths.

On top of this, Teagasc statistics show that livestock related accidents accounted for 22% of farm fatalities in 2015 and 33% of all farm accidents

Here are just a few things Teagasc say you should look out for to minimise the risk of an accident:

Bovine Respiratory Disease, or BRD, is a headache for cattle farmers around the world, especially those operating on slim margins.

According to shock statistics by calfmatters.com, a staggering 70% of cattle have lung damage at slaughter.

Some estimate that the lost lifetime growth potential from pneumonia-induced lung damage is as high as 74kg-a-year.

According to Farmers Weekly figures, calf pneumonia costs the UK dairy market £80million per year.

Here we explain what it is and how you can prevent it.

Calves getting good quality colostrum in their first 2 hours is crucial and stands to them long afterwards.

They are born with a very poorly developed immune system, but antibodies found in a cow’s first milk after giving birth can help calves build that up.

Good quality colostrum doesn’t just happen, and as well as using pre-calver, there are a number of measures you can take to give your calf the best possible start in life.

Here are a few things to bear in mind to help you maximise your calf’s chances:

Spring calving season is nearly upon us again, and along with it all the dangers that accompany it.

There is a risk attached to calving at the best of times, but cutting out some common malpractices can help minimise that.

Here's our guide to cutting those errors out.

Autumn and winter calving can come with some stark challenges like snow, hail and other wintry weather.

But you can reap benefits long term with cheap weight gain come spring, and then a higher price later in autumn.

However, to reap these advantages you’ve got to keep your calf out of trouble.

Here are some of the things that are especially important to look out for while calving in winter.