FEATURES

New year, fresh start

Welcome to this year’s first issue of CowManagement, which is also under new management. I’m excited to share news that myself and my colleague Jason Davies are the proud new owners of what we hope will continue to be a popular, well-read and progressive dairy title. We’d both like to thank all the magazine partners, sponsors and advertisers for their continued support. And, most of all, thanks go to you, our readers, for your loyal readership and honest feedback. We’re looking forward to working with you in 2021. With that in mind, do get in touch if there’s anything you’d like to see featured in the magazine, or if there’s anything we could do to make your reading experience more enjoyable or informative. We’re just on the end of the phone or an email. We’re hitting doormats just before Dairy-Tech Online. So, if you’ve yet to sign up for any of the events that are happening during the two-week-long programme, take a look at page 10 to find out what you could be missing and how you can get involved. Also topical, as always, is the weather and, producers’ toes and fingers aside, it’s calves that are most vulnerable to the cold. See page 14 to find out more about a #Calfmatters trial that is taking temperature monitoring and mitigation to the next level, in a bid to help prevent bovine respiratory disease. And we have tips and pointers from vet Tim Potter on keeping calves cosy and healthy on page 35. This issue also includes our timely focus on forage maize to help producers and growers with some onfarm decisions about varieties and key aspects of crop management for the 2021 season. There are also some pointers on making the most of the resulting crop and the importance of regular maize silage analysis. Grass silage takes centre stage on page 18 and 19. Maximising feed e ciency and milk from forage are key to dairy productivity and, more importantly as we enter what’s set to be another turbulent year, profitability. Just what could be in store for producers in 2021 is outlined on page 39, where Andersons’ Mike Houghton shares his thoughts on prospects for dairying during the next 12 months. And always willing to share his thoughts with CowManagement readers is our regular and avidly-read columnist Roger Evans. His latest ruminations on a serious topic, but with a smile at the end, can be found on page 17. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @cowmanagement for the latest news and views from our team. And thanks again for reading CowManagement. Stay safe and here’s to a better year.

RACHAEL PORTER