EMEwan McCracken

1. Article · Sep 12, 2026 · Ewan McCracken

   Farmer Focus: Late calvers go to reduce stocking rate - Farmers Weekly (opens the original)

   Excerpt · English

   Read excerpt

   With September upon us and summer drawing to a close, what does your grass situation look like? Are you still feeding silage reserves? Ask any farmer in Northern Ireland and I am certain they will all give you a different answer. Those in or near the Ards will bite your hand off for fodder, while some of those in the wild west of NI will be mowing their fourth cut of silage. See also: Farmer Focus: AI request results in bespoke breeding index Regardless of surplus or deficit, the new month is a

   Feedback

2. Article · Aug 1, 2026 · Ewan McCracken

   Farmer Focus: Culling and concentrates up as drought bites - Farmers Weekly (opens the original)

   Excerpt · English

   Read excerpt

   Many people reading this from England will be rolling their eyes when I say we haven’t had decent rainfall in more than four weeks in Northern Ireland. Our rocky knowes (hillocks) have started dying, along with shallow, hilly soils, which has led to a drop in average farm cover and grass quality. After using Agrinet to plan for the worst-case scenarios, we have been culling cows with high somatic cell counts and increasing rotation length. We’ve increased the meal fed in the parlour from 2kg to

   Feedback

Last 90 days. Choose a month to open its work.

Named in the text we hold. One piece can cover several.

• Northern Ireland1 piece