Welcome to Stock Talk. On today’s episode we hear from James Orr who will be taking over from Kirsten Williams’s role as the host on Stock Talk. James talks about his career highlights as an agricultural consultant at SAC Consulting, his key areas of expertise and Kirsten reflects of some of her favourite projects from the past 20 years.

James looks to continue Stock Talk with more interesting farming stories as well as discussing more technical aspects.

Resources

Livestock Resources -

https://www.fas.scot/livestock/

Poultry Resources -

https://www.fas.scot/livestock/poultry/

FAS Connect -

https://www.fas.scot/connect/

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot

Facebook: @FASScot

National Advice Hub

Phone: 0300 323 0161

Email: advice@fas.scot

Welcome to Stock Talk. On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by Gordon Whiteford who farms at Lower Mill of Tynet in Banffshire. In 2012, Gordon and June Whiteford began Lower Mill of Tynet Farm. They built an egg business, then a micro-dairy in 2020, selling milk and now ice cream directly from their 24-hour farm shop. They have brought together traditional farming practices with innovative direct-to-consumer strategies and are proud to have won Sustainable Farm of the Year 2024.

Timestamps

01.10 How it all started for Gordon

10.23 Organic hens and starting out with poultry

13.14 Lower Mill of Tynet

15.40 Nuffield Scholarship – Organic

22.16 Brown vs white hens

31.49 Micro dairy – milk and ice cream

48.46 What’s next for Gordon

Related FAS Resources

Organics in Scotland - Lower Mill of Tynet Case Study | Helping farmers in Scotland

Getting Started with Organic Farming – How to Convert to Organic | Helping farmers in Scotland

Managing Grassland Under Organic Systems | Helping farmers in Scotland

Getting Started Growing and Grazing with Organics | Helping farmers in Scotland

Other Related Resources

Lower Mill Of Tynet.co.uk

Direct Retailing from a Poultry, Dairy, Beef, Sheep & Arable farm – Lower Mill of Tynet - FAS Video

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot

Facebook: @FASScot

National Advice Hub

Phone: 0300 323 0161

Email: advice@fas.scot

Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Kirsten Williams. On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by Dr Basil Lowman who has been a beef specialist with SAC Consulting for 55 years. Kirsten describes Basil as a legend in the beef industry. We hear about Basil’s varied career, his passion for the industry, how he thrives on challenge and is a pioneer of new ideas.

Episode Timestamps

01.37 Let’s go back in time

09.13 Body condition scoring of cattle

16.38 The development of silage and straw-based rations

24.24 The Green Shed

29.43 Beef farming in 10 years’ time

Related FAS Resources

Cattle resources for farmers from Farm Advisory Service | FAS

Body Condition Scoring - Maintaining condition (FAS)

Other Related Resources

The Benefits of Cow Condition Scoring - Part 1 (QMS)

The Benefits of Cow Condition Scoring - Part 2

Greenshed Graphic - SRUC

GreenShed video - SRUC - YouTube

For more information, visit  www.FAS.scot

Facebook: @FASScot

National Advice Hub

Phone: 0300 323 0161

Email: advice@fas.scot

Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Kirsten Williams. On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by two industry experts to discuss the beef industry. It’s a lively discussion covering many topics, including: replacement strategies, where the market is it at just now, sustainability and the future of the Scottish herd.

Gavin Hill is a Senior Beef Specialist with SAC Consulting and Robet Gilchrist is Chief Executive of the Aberdeen-Angus Society.

Episode Timestamps

02.30 Cattle replacement strategies

10.03 Where should the end price be?

13.26 Changing eating behaviours and changes in the industry

17.05 Future of the Scottish herd

27.45 Cow of the future

43.08 Matching the sire

50.07 What will the Scottish beef industry look like in the next 10-20 years

Resources

Livestock resources for farmers from Farm Advisory Service

Cattle resources for farmers from Farm Advisory Service | FAS

Sustainable Beef Systems | Helping farmers in Scotland

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot

Facebook: @FASScot

National Advice Hub

Phone: 0300 323 0161

Email: advice@fas.scot

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, ross.robertson@ukagritechcentre.com

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: advice@fas.scot

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: advice@fas.scot

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: advice@fas.scot

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: advice@fas.scot