cows

Beef production encompasses various stages, from breeding and rearing to processing and distribution.

Efficient and ethical production methods, coupled with ongoing advancements in animal husbandry and technology, are essential to ensure the quality, safety, and sustainability of beef production. Collaboration among stakeholders in the beef industry is crucial for addressing challenges, such as environmental impact and market demands. Help us contribute to this collaboration by sharing tools, resources and information relevant to the beef industry. 

AHDB Beef markets page

 

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Connected Content

We deliver transformational projects to drive productivity and boost farming and supply chain businesses. We want the industry to thrive in a rapidly changing world and continue to produce high quality food, maintain our beautiful landscape and leave a legacy for generations to come. 

GrassCheckGB is a grass monitoring project involving 50 dairy, beef and sheep farms.   Growth and quality data is published weekly throughout the growing season

Devon silvopasture 12-year on-farm trial including site at Rothamsted's North Wyke

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Giving farmers the confidence to grow.    The precision livestock network for forward thinking farmers.

Proper housing is essential for the well-being, health, and productivity of livestock, as well as for the efficient management of farm operations. The type of housing and its design can vary depending on the species of livestock, climate, and specific management goals.

Silvopasture is a practice that integrates trees with pasture for raising livestock.

We are pleased to announce a final LEAP conference on 16 April 2024 at Lady Margaret Hall. Registration is now open.

Lameness is the third most impactful disease in dairy cattle, with respect to economics and animal welfare

The TB Advisory Service is proud to be hosting the second national TB conference. This is a unique opportunity to bring together all those involved in TB control ensuring a collaborative approach.

New study suggests “techno-grazing” approaches can support more cattle in less space without adversely affecting soil structure and function

Prioritising the future of your herd and looking closely at your youngstock housing should be at the forefront of every farmer's mind.

Find out how a strategic approach to feeding and weaning can help get the most out of your dairy-beef genetics.

Learn about the benefits of livestock in the arable rotation. See our information on forage crops, cover crops, outdoor pigs, farmyard manure and more.

Improving cattle handling for Better Returns

The SEEGSLIP project sought to evidence the practices of a particular group of farmers, the Pasture-Fed Livestock Association (PFLA) in terms of their social, ecological and economic sustainability. This video explains the project, the pasture-fed concept and some of our research findings.

This guide collates the available knowledge and numbers on forage utilisation and feeding.

Youngstock are the future of any farm. Investing in them is an investment in the farm’s future, too.

The aim of this guide is to aid decision making for livestock producers who are looking to outwinter stock and what systems may best suit their farm.

Driving feed efficiency is crucial in all beef growing and finishing systems. 

Brassica crops such as kale, forage rape, grazing turnips, stubble turnips, swedes and new rape/kale hybrids, can provide nutritious, cost-effective feeds for beef cattle and sheep.

To maximise their financial returns, beef producers need to produce and sell the type of finished cattle markets want.

Get the most you can from grazed grass and silages.

A flowchart on how to assess body condition score in dairy cattle, using the Penn State assessment method.

Improving existing buildings or designing new builds to the best standards has a lasting and positive impact on animal health and productivity.

Grass is an important crop and grazed grass is the cheapest feed on farm, yet it rarely earns the respect it deserves as a potentially high-quality, natural ruminant feed.

Silvopastoral agroforestry – integrating shelterbelts, hedgerows or in-field trees with grazing livestock – can provide domestic animals with benefits, including shelter and shade, as well as supplementing their diets as tree browse or fodder.

The condition of soil on livestock farms directly influences the yield and quality of grass and forage crops, animal performance and profitability.

Bale Grazing is a simple method of out wintering dry cows often used in North America.

Review and develop your herds breeding plan.

Buying a standing crop of beans and producing 21% protein forage has helped sheep and beef producer, Steven Smith, improve profitability on his Northumberland farm.

This checklist aims to provide a structured approach to assess a calf rearing system.

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.

Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS) new report is set to unlock greater productivity, profitability and sustainability for a wealth of individuals and businesses.

Our bull selection manual explains what to look for when selecting a bull for breeding, including how to use genetics and EBVs, and judging if a bull is fit to work.

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 provides an accurate, easy-to-use reference guide on all available anti-parasitic products in their various chemical groups and summarises the parasites they have been licensed to control.  

Join us for an insightful day at the Oxford FAI Farm where we will be showcasing the groundbreaking progress of 'bigger steps for smaller footprints towards climate-positive beef', funded by the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs’ Farming Innovation Programme Feasibility Round 1 Competition.

An online tool to help dairy, beef and sheep producers monitor and compare medicine use and tackle the threat of antimicrobial resistance.

Six Pasture for Life member farms have come together in an Innovative Farmers Field Lab to undertake a four year study to explore the impacts of bale grazing on soil and forage.

Optimising fertility is critical to the success of any suckler herd.

Green Genes - Revolutionising Cattle Breeding For A Sustainable Future' Is The Theme Of The 2024 British Cattle Breeding Conference, As Chosen By Our Chair Ben Harman.  

With increasingly tight financial margins in beef and sheep production , minimising the losses of saleable meat and offal is important for the whole supply chain. 

Beef cattle in the arable rotation has many benefits to both beef and arable producers. But what are the costs and margins involved?

Specifically designed for beef and sheep enterprises, this cash flow spreadsheet will help you quickly see when money is coming into and out of your business and where it’s coming from and going to.

This Poster from DairyNZ provides a useful guide for assessing lameness in cattle.

This recording from the Oxford Real Farming Conference is of a discussion between farmers involved in the Innovative Farmers Bale grazing project.

Liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) can have a devastating effect on the health and welfare of grazing livestock and historically, control has relied heavily on the routine blanket use of flukicide treatments.

The performance of a suckler beef herd is significantly impacted by poor cow and calf health.

Join Innovative Farmers and Tom & Sophie Gregory for a farm walk and discussion on how mob grazing affects soils, pasture growth and yields

For a one day exhibition showcase of the British Beef Industry, the National Beef Association’s Beef Expo event is heading to J36, Rural Auction Centre, Crooklands on Saturday 27th April 2024.  

In partnership with The Andersons Centre, AHDB have published an update to The Characteristics of Top-Performing Farms in the UK, a piece of work which remains popular with farmers.

The ability of an animal to be resilient to diseases is dependent upon several factors which include; immune status, husbandry practises, vaccination, genetics among others.

Join us to hear from a panel of experts who will provide an update on bluetongue and the current BTV-3 strain that has been confirmed in cases in cows and sheep in Kent and Norfolk.

This publication gives an overview of dairy beef systems to consider, with their advantages and disadvantages, along with helpful hints on potential health issues and guidance on preparing and selecting animals for slaughter.

Learn about progress with the development of a new BTV-3 vaccine with veterinary vaccine consultant Professor Andy Peters and AHDB's Head of Animal Health and Welfare, Dr Mandy Nevel.

Livestock populations provide people with a variety of products and services, including meat, milk, eggs, fibre and draught power, in a wide range of environments. This diversity of function is only possible because of the diversity of their genetic make-up.

Signet Breeding Services is run by the AHDB and their website contains lots of useful information and resources around genetics and breeding for beef and sheep herds.

This conference aims to promote best practice and facilitate the exchange of ideas relevant to all stages of youngstock rearing. It will feature a series of practical seminars addressing the latest developments in cattle breeding, nutrition and health.

During this webinar, experts from the four nations and the continent will discuss the latest updates regarding bluetongue virus.

These factsheets give advice and guidance on a range of key technologies for successful production of dairy beef.

Join us at this on-farm meeting to learn how to assess the nutrition and mineral status of your herd and ensure the correct balance is being delivered to get the best performance from grazed grass and silage. Mineral levels and nutrition from pasture can vary through the season, as can livestock requirements.

Teagasc with the support of the British Society of Animal Science (BSAS) and ABP are hosting an International Technical Conference in Ireland on the 16th, and 17th of October 2024 focusing on the production of beef from the dairy herd.

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