Stock Talk

Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Kirsten Williams.  On today’s episode, Kirsten is joined by Ross Robertson, a Farm Technology Specialist at the UK Agri-Tech Centre. Ross collaborates with a network of farms to create practical solutions and demonstrate use of technology on farm to increase productivity. Ross draws on his practical farming experience and knowledge gained through visiting systems in other countries to bring about innovative change at a farm level here in the UK. 

Episode Timestamps  

00.20 Introducing Ross Robertson, Farm Technology specialist and sheep farmer  

04.34 Sector technology: dairy, arable robotics and precision farming, pig and chicken technology and animal health 

09.00 Return on investment  

10.36 Understanding how to handle and understand the data – the importance of training  

13.32 Applying dairy technology to the beef sector  

15.41 Main driver for introducing technology: labour, cost saving, health monitoring, increasing productivity  

19.11 Ross’s background 

24.28 Biodiversity sensors 

27.42 LoRaWAN – Long Range Wide Area Network 

30.15 Connectivity - a barrier to the uptake of technology?  

32.01 ONE AgriTech survey – broadband, apps and expert help 

43.30 What motivates Ross  

Resources    

The UK Agri-Tech Centre | farming & food innovation 

Ross Robertson contact: 07858309293, [email protected]  

Opportunity North East (ONE) 

The University of Edinburgh - The Power of Data in Farm Animal Practice  

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot 

Facebook: @FASScot 

 National Advice Hub 

Phone: 0300 323 0161 

Email: [email protected] 

Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Kirsten Williams.  On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by Jilly Duncan Grant, Founder & CEO of Herd Advance Ltd.  Jilly has a real love for agriculture and her varied career led to a focus on data driven decision making and developing Herd Advance with her husband to improve herd performance, profitability and wellbeing.   

Episode Timestamps  

00.42 Introducing Jilly Duncan Grant – a Jill of all trades! 

09.18 What is Herd Advance? 

23.49 The family farm – managing ‘boom and bust’ fluctuation in the marketplace 

27.55 QMS board member role 

31.03 What motivates Jilly to keep pushing forward 

FAS Resources 

Data Driven Decision Making for Finishing Cattle | Helping farmers in Scotland 

Data Driven Decision Making for Suckler Herds | Helping farmers in Scotland 

FFBC_Case_Study_Improving_weight_data_capture_Glenkilrie_ 

Other Resources    

Herd Advance  

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot 

Facebook: @FASScot 

National Advice Hub 

Phone: 0300 323 0161 

Email: [email protected] 

Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Kirsten Williams.  On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by Turkey Farmer Paul Kelly. In 1971, Paul’s parents started the family business, known today as ‘Kelly Turkeys’ and ‘Farmgate Hatcheries’. The cycle starts with eggs going into incubators in April for 28 days. When they hatch, they go into brooding sheds, then by 5 weeks of age they are ready to go to the woodland where they roam freely. At Kelly Turkeys they have complete control over the whole production cycle, making them very unique in the industry and one of a kind in the UK. The business has developed resilience to deal with issues like Brexit, labour, marketing and work by the motto ‘change is the name of the game’.   

Episode Timestamps  

00.31 Introducing Paul and the turkey cycle 

02.41 Inseminating vs running with stags 

03.24 Genetics and breeding lines 

09.43 Hatchery business: 1.8 million chicks a year 

12.48 Kelly turkeys: 100,000 turkeys reared through to Christmas 

18.38 Split between whole turkeys, crowns and butterflies  

27.36 Bringing resilience into the business 

33.32 Avian influenza (bird flu)  

37.44 Markets, trends and online sales 

39.09 Weighing turkeys, sources of protein (acorns!) and organic  

44.36 Succession  

46.50 Marketing and celebrity chefs! 

FAS Resources 

Poultry | Helping farmers in Scotland 

Other Resources    

Kelly Bronze Turkeys   

Farmgate Hatcheries 

New GB avian influenza wildlife interactive map and data dashboard launched | SRUC 

Avian influenza (bird flu): how to spot and report the disease - gov.scot  

For more information, visit  www.FAS.scot 

Facebook: @FASScot 

National Advice Hub 

Phone: 0300 323 0161 

Email: [email protected] 

Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Principal Consultant Kirsten Williams.  On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by Colin Mason (Veterinary Centre Manager, SRUC). This episode focuses on livestock health and covers BVD eradication, show biosecurity, dairy beef calves, TB, Bluetongue and Schmallenberg virus.    

Episode Timestamps  

00.44 BVD eradication (phase 6) 

10.08 Top tips for biosecurity of show animals 

16.20 Health of dairy beef calves  

18.23 Colostrum management  

20.45 Blood tests for calves 

25.05 Weight for age and average DLWG 

27.29 Lung scanning 

28.53 Tuberculosis (TB)  

31.42 Bluetongue  

35.36 Schmallenberg 

40.23 Managing calf groups to reduce disease risk  

FAS Resources 

 BVD Eradication Scheme Update (YouTube.com)

Other Resources    

BVD Guidance | ScotEID 

GOV.scot - bovine viral diarrhoea - bvd 

Dairy beef booklet - SAC Consulting 

GOV.uk - bluetongue information and guidance for livestock keepers 

Bluetongue Virus Hub - Ruminant Health & Welfare 

Schmallenberg virus - GOV.UK   

ibTB - Mapping bovine TB (bTB) in England and Wales 

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot 

Facebook: @FASScot 

National Advice Hub 

Phone: 0300 323 0161 

Email: [email protected] 

Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Principal Consultant Kirsten Williams.  On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by farmers Ben and Harriet Lowe. HB Farms in Aberdeenshire consists of Newseat of Dumbreck, an arable farm on tenancy and Pitmillan Farm which is home to 450 breeding sows and a finishing unit. In addition to grass, forestry and land for environmental schemes, they grow 397ha of crops, with the grain used as feed for the pigs whilst manure is recycled back onto the fields. Soil health, circular agriculture and long-term biodiversity are priorities for HB Farms. 

Episode Timestamps  

01:05 Introducing Ben and Harriet Lowe 

05:38 Farm stats 

06:38 Pigs, from breeding to finishing and managing a weekly system 

09:15 Knowledgeable staff 

10:46 Creating a circular farm 

11:36 Saving on inputs due to pig FYM 

14:04 Ration changes throughout the cycle 

15:53 Data driven decision making 

19:19 Genetics and feed conversion 

21:14 Target carcase weight and spec 

23:36 Processing pig meat 

26:13 Managing cashflow 

27:31 Protein in the pig diet

33:18 Nuffield: closing the loop in pig production: the 5-mile pig 

39:30 LEAF demonstration farm 

41:09 Resilience in the business 

47:35 Advice for New Entrants 

FAS Resources 

FAS Case Studies - Gaining A Tenancy As A New Entrant  

Other Resources    

Instagram - HB Farms 

Nuffield scholar - Ben Lowe  

Leaf demonstration farms - HB Farms  

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot 

Facebook: @FASScot 

National Advice Hub 

Phone: 0300 323 0161 

Email: [email protected] 

Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Beef and Sheep Consultant Kirsten Williams.  On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by farmers Craig and Claire Grant who run a mixed farming enterprise across 1,300 acres arable and 400 acres grass (owned and rented) along with their team of 20 full and part time employees. The business has poultry across five sites with a total of 225,000 laying hens, in addition to 330 bulling heifers that are sold privately with high health off farm to producers throughout Scotland. Craig and Claire regularly engage with the public, sharing information about where food comes from. 

Episode Timestamps  

00.35 Introducing Craig and Claire Grant 

04.30 Business components, systems and staff 

07.44 Finding and retaining labour 

11.20 Enriched colonies and free-range birds 

14.50 Egg markets and Kindrought Egg Hoosie 

19.03 Cooperation in farming  

21.37 Audits 

23.47 Cattle: marketing on farm, scoring charts, high health, certification packages 

32.10 Buying young stock 

35.57 Building relationships and trust 

37.05 An award-winning business (Young Farmer of the Year, Mixed Farm of the Year, Overall Farm of the Year) 

FAS Resources 

Contract Farming Agreements Explained | Farm Advisory Service 

Business planning and financial management: An introduction | Farm Advisory Service 

Other Resources    

C J Grant | Facebook  

For more information, visit  www.FAS.scot 

Facebook: @FASScot 

National Advice Hub 

Phone: 0300 323 0161 

Email: [email protected] 

In this podcast we hear from Kirsten Williams who will be taking over Robert Ramsay’s role as the host on Stock Talk. Kirsten talks about her farming system at home as well as her interests at work. Robert mentions some of his favourite Stock Talk podcasts and how they can develop into something bigger (e.g. the deer farming podcast has now turned into a FAS Deer Farming Group). Kirsten wishes to continue Stock Talk with more farming stories as well as discussing more technical aspects.  

Related FAS Resources

Kirsten Williams: Let your determination grow stronger | Information helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service

In this podcast we hear from Sam Parsons from Balcaskie. He talks about the organic farming system and the use of regenerative agriculture practices at Balcaskie and how it has helped reduce costs. He also talks about meat eating quality in their choice of cattle as they sell their beef direct to customers through the butchery. They are using Lincoln Red bulls across the herd.  Sam talks about the challenges he has faced with changing his system from 6-7 months winter housing cattle to outwintering them most of the year. He also discussed with Robert the importance of young people coming into the industry. 

You can contact Sam by emailing [email protected] 

Related FAS Resources

Stock Talk - James Biggar & Lorna Galloway | Information helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service

In this podcast we hear from Jock Gibson who is a farmer and butcher. He talks about his farming system at home and how his cattle are certified with Pasture for Life. This means they are on a grassland and forage diet and are therefore slower to reach finished weights than conventional finishing systems which feed concentrate feed. Jock has native breeds of cattle to suit this system. Jock also talks about the butchery side of the business and direct selling to customers and the importance of eating quality of the meat he is selling to customers.  Jock also talks about his Nuffield Scholarship focussing on eating quality of meat which included travels to other countries to experience different systems and abattoirs.  Jock is a trustee of Farmstrong Scotland and this is something he is passionate about. This is now setup as a charity and is designed to help people with their mental health and wellbeing and encourage the creation of positive habits.  

Linked resources: 

Farmstrong Scotland - Live Well, Farm & Croft Well 

In this podcast we hear from Bruce Wyper, Stockperson at SRUC Easter Howgate. He talks about some of the projects have been going on at Easter Howgate including GreenCow and Green Shed. He also discusses the move to running the herd more commercially than it has been previously although it is still a farm used for research projects. He talks about the challenges the herd has faced including Johnes and fertility issues and how dynamic health planning has helped them to improve the performance of the herd.