June is here – and with longer days and warmer weather comes one of the busiest periods in the farming calendar. Whether you’re out in the field taking first cut silage or keeping a close eye on your grazing stock, there’s plenty to stay on top of right now.
In this month’s update, our team shares practical advice on forage planning, heat stress management, calf nutrition, and the mineral supplementation products best suited to summer conditions. As always, if anything here prompts a question or you’d like to talk through a challenge on farm, our specialists are just a phone call away on 01200 420200.
At the Clamp: What Stuart Rhodes Is Seeing This June
Stuart Rhodes, DN Retail Sales Manager
Most grazing stock is now out, and many farms have taken first cut silage – or are very close to doing so. Across our trading area, we’re seeing huge variation in grass growth and quality, alongside some genuinely unpredictable weather.
In the east particularly, a dry spell combined with low overnight temperatures and some late frosts has held back growth of both grass and other crops. Maize drilling is underway, but soil temperatures are still hovering below the required 8–10°C in places.
Forage Yields and Quality
First-cut yields are variable and depend heavily on winter management and whether pastures were grazed over the colder months. Aftermath growth and grazing platforms are recovering slowly, and in dry areas, fertiliser uptake is being limited by lack of moisture.
The key conversations we’re having on farm right now are centred around forage planning. Lower yields last year have left many farms running short this spring, with clamps empty or very tight on stocks. The time to plan what you’ll need for the year – and assess what you’re producing through the season – is now, before it becomes a problem.
Options If You’re Short on Forage
If first cuts have been disappointing, or some leys are past their best, there are several routes worth exploring:
- Forage extenders – fibre products and moist feeds can help bridge a gap
- Alternative forage crops – wholecrop or maize can bolster supplies
- Reseeding or overseeding – if leys are underperforming, now is an ideal time to get things back on track
Our advice: know what you’re working with, know what you need, and assess what you have – whether that’s testing grass for cutting/grazing suitability or testing forage in the clamp. Speak to your DN Sales Specialist or call us on 01200 420200.
Customer Focus: William Bristol, Whittaker’s Farm
It was a pleasure to visit William Bristol at Whittaker’s Farm recently to capture first cut silage in action. William farms just a stone’s throw from our Clitheroe mill and has been a valued customer of both Dugdale Nutrition and our sister company RBC Agri for a number of years.
“Last year we achieved 5 cuts which we’ve never done before. We try to get as much milk out of the forage as we can.” – William Bristol, Whittaker’s Farm
William is a great example of how Dugdale Nutrition and RBC Agri work hand in hand – with grass seed, reseeding advice and agronomy support on one side, and tailored compound feeds, minerals and nutritional expertise on the other. Check out the video we made here.
Calf Management & Heat Stress: Key Takeaways from Our Cargill Training Day
On 19th May, our sales team spent the day at GB Corners in Northallerton for a practical training session delivered in partnership with Cargill, covering two critical areas: calf and youngstock management, and heat stress.
Calf Nutrition: The Pre-Weaning Period Is Everything
The morning focused on the calf shed, with hands-on sessions covering:
- Colostrum quality using a Brix refractometer to check IgG levels
- Early illness detection
- Automatic feeder hygiene
The standout takeaway: feed conversion rates peak at 50–55% during the pre-weaning period, dropping to around 29% by first calving. Early nutrition is one of the highest-impact investments you can make on farm.
Heat Stress: It’s Not Just a Summer Problem
The afternoon session delivered a timely reminder – despite cool, wet conditions on the day, the THI (Temperature Humidity Index) monitor read 63, firmly in the borderline heat stress range.
Heat stress doesn’t wait for a heatwave. The dry cow group was highlighted as the most critical to manage: stress during this period can affect not just the cow, but her unborn calf and that calf’s future productivity.
Understanding Heat Stress Thresholds in Dairy Cattle
Heat stress affects dairy herds more readily than many farmers realise. At 60% humidity, the impacts begin to show earlier than expected:
| Temperature | Impact |
|---|---|
| 14°C | Behaviour affected |
| 20°C | Conception affected |
| 22°C | Milk yield, milk fat and milk protein affected |
| 24°C | Cows begin to show signs of heat stress |
The Whole Herd Solution: CoolCalver™ and CoolCow®
CoolCalver™ (for dry cows) helps regulate body temperature and hydration, primes the cow for the demands of lactation, encourages feed intake, and helps protect the unborn calf from the negative effects of heat stress.
CoolCow® (for lactating cows) supports feed intake and rumen health, helps prevent the summer fertility drop, and keeps cows active and comfortable during hot weather.
Don’t leave it too late – protect herd performance before temperatures spike. Contact your DN Sales Specialist for more information.
You can read our blog from the day here.
Notes from On-Farm: Debby Brown, Veterinary Technical Manager
May and June are some of the busiest months on farm, as spring gives way to early summer and crops and livestock require constant attention. Silage is being harvested, maize is being planted, and cattle are being prepared for turnout if not already grazing.
Grass growth should be at its peak but in some areas with the cold nights it has been slower to get going. Many silage crops have surprised with volumes though, and hopefully with the rain and warmer weather arriving the regrowth will take off. Early indications show good quality silage cuts with high energy and digestibility but protein levels are variable with more low/average than high from what I have seen so far. As well as managing grass growth for harvesting it is now that measuring and monitoring grass for grazing prepares the farm for the rest of the year ahead, as best as we can without predicting the weather.
Lambing is largely complete, but young lambs still need monitoring, marking, and in some cases treatment to ensure strong growth. Watch the nematodirus forecast in your area to ensure lambs are dosed appropriately and begin to monitor older lambs for worm egg counts to ensure targeted dosing. The humidity and heat within sheds are rising and so heat stress mitigation should be implemented ASAP. Fans should be running. Consider cooling additives such as Equaliser Cool Cow and Cool calver. Don’t forget dry cows and livestock outside grazing as well.
Feed & Mineral Supplementation Buckets for Summer
Mineral supplementation buckets are a convenient way to provide essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements to livestock. Placed in the field or shed as free-access supplements, animals self-regulate their intake.
DN Summer Garlic Bucket
A great addition to the farm through the warmer months for all classes of cattle and sheep. Designed for when insect populations are most active, it combines mineral, vitamin and trace element supplementation with the added benefit of garlic – widely recognised as a natural deterrent to nuisance flies and biting insects. It contains Availa Selenium and Availa Zinc.
Important withdrawal periods: withdraw 21 days before slaughter, and 7 days before parturition if milk is intended for human consumption.
DN Double Mag Bucket
A mineral lick for sheep and cattle, available in a 20kg tub. It uses multiple magnesium sources (including cal mag and mag phos) to increase bioavailability – making it particularly well suited to the spring and autumn periods when the risk of grass staggers (hypomagnesaemia) is highest. Also contains balanced minerals, vitamins, trace elements and vitamin B12.
Feeding rates: 1 bucket per 35 head of sheep, or per 15 head of cattle. Typical intakes: up to 30g/head/day for sheep, up to 150g for cattle.
Get in Touch
Whether you have a forage planning question, want to discuss heat stress management, or need help choosing the right mineral supplement for your herd, our team is here to help.
📞 01200 420200 📧 info@dugdalenutrition.com 🌐 www.dugdalenutrition.com
