Technical advice line: 03000 200 301 | Email: advice@farmingadviceservice.org.uk

Livestock

The Farming Advice Service supports livestock farmers in staying up to date with industry requirements and signposts support and guidance available through government and industry services.

Cattle lying down in field

On this page you will find FAS content related to livestock including:

  • Animal housing and handling
  • Animal nutrition
  • Animal health and welfare
  • Record keeping 
  • Available Government support and grants 

Technical Articles

Newsletters

  • November 2025 Front Page

    Issue 117

    • FAS Webinars
    • Budget 2025 update on agricultural property relief
    • RPA to start making Countryside Stewardship (CS), Environmental Stewardship (ES) and Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payments from December
    • News from the CSF Team: How a Dorset dairy farm improved its slurry storage capacity
    • Meet the EA's Agricultural Remote Sensing Team
    • Will there be a drought next year? Environment Agency publishes Winter Refill Prospects report including forward-look to Spring 2026.
    • Tree on Farm - Forestry commission CSHT webinars
    • Rural Payments Agency Guidance
    • - SFI Annual Declaration
    • - SFI Rotational Actions Declaration
    • - Get ready for your farm visit with RPA's video guides
    • - Beware of fraud
    • Updates from the Defra Farming blog and industry announcements
  • FAS Newsletter October 2025 Front Page

    Issue 116

    • Book now: Farming Advice Service Webinar - Improving Water Resilience on Farm
    • Animal Movement Rules - a Reminder
    • Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreements extended to support sustainable farming and nature recovery
    • Simplifying Payments with GOV.UK Pay
    • EA Case Study: SSAFO improvements at a large Lincolnshire beef unit
    • Summer Water Abstraction Returns
    • Water Abstraction Alerts
    • Have your say in reforming reservoir regulation
    • Updates from the Defra Farming blog and industry announcements
  • FAS Newsletter September 2025

    Issue 115

    • How to contact your local Catchment Sensitive Farming Team
    • How a Somerset dairy farm tackled challenges with slurry storage and silage clamp issues
    • An update on Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) and the Farming and Countryside Programme’s (FCP) annual report
    • Celebrating Young Farmers Week 6-10 October
    • New restrictions for burning on all England upland peat deeper than 30cm, unless subject to a license
    • £12 million to turn brilliant ideas into farm technology
    • Improved TB mapping tool ibTB gives farmers more certainty about disease risks when purchasing cattle
    • Innovate UK BridgeAI: free in-person workshops and online webinars
    • Updates from the Defra Farming blog and industry announcements
  • FAS Newsletter August 2025

    Issue 114

    • Environment Agency urges farmers to start preparations for winter slurry storage
    • New Technical Article - Water Quality and Farming
    • RPA blog: Getting the most from herbal leys within improved grassland systems
    • Sustainable Farming Incentive Expanded Offer for 2024 (SFI 2024): understanding the annual declaration
    • How a North Yorkshire a dairy farm addressed issues with its silage clamps
    • How Cambridgeshire Farmers Are Fighting Fires
    • Trees on farm: New video series “Stages of woodland management”
    • Continued Dry Weather – An Opportunity for Reservoir Inspection and Maintenance?
    • Constructing A Large Raise Reservoir
    • Updates from the Farming blog and industry announcements

Podcast

  • FAS podcast logo

    podcast

    Episode 9

    Support available from ADAS through the Future Farming Resilience Fund

    20 mins
  • FAS podcast logo

    podcast

    Episode 4

    Livestock movement and ID, with Laura Harpham and Ian Cairns

    25 mins

Upcoming Events

  • CSF

    Farming roadshow: support and resilience - Petersfield

    Join Catchment Sensitive Farming, the Forestry Commission and Natural England for a free workshop.

    4th Dec 2025
    09:00 - 14:00 (GMT)
    Whitewool Farm, Whitewool Farm, East Meon, Petersfield GU32 1HW

    Book your free place here

  • FAS

    FAS Webinar - Farm Finance Planning in 2026

    Join the Farming Advice Service and Kev Bevan, farm advisor and agricultural economist, for a session intro...

    18th Dec 2025
    16:00 - 17:15 (GMT)
    Zoom

    Click here to book your free place

Webinar Recordings

  • FAS

    Improving Water Resilience on Farm

    Improving Water Resilience on Farm – supporting farmers in England to reduce their vulnerability to future climate and water risks A free online event, delivered by Jerry Knox (Professor of Agricultural Water Management at Cranfield University) focused on the importance of water management on farm, the key challenges facing the sector, and approaches to help farmers understand risks and develop strategies to reduce their vulnerability to future water and climate shocks. Supported by CSF
  • FAS

    Nutrient Management with Mel Holloway

    Mel Holloway, expert farm consultant and FACTS qualified advisor, gave a presentation and Q and A session on nutrient management planning, NVZs, and Farming Rules for Water.
  • FAS

    Making the most of your SFI agreement

    Join the Farming Advice Service, Briony Burge of Creedy Associates and Fraser Hugill, Yorkshire farmer and advisor, for this webinar on lessons learned from the SFI offer so far, and making the most of your options.

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