A game changer for sheep on hill grazings?

It’s very tricky to castrate and tail lambs within 7 days unless lambs are born inbye. Could two new techniques, that allow castration and tailing up to 3 months of age, not only reduce pain levels in lambs, but allow better and easier management on commons and hills?

The all-important intake of colostrum and bonding of ewe and lamb can be disrupted by tailing and castrating. Changing timings, so that one or other is carried out when the lamb is older, perhaps alongside other treatments such as vaccination or worming, reduces mismothering, and could be more efficient.

The Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) report on tail docking and castration of lambs (2022) recommends that effective anaesthesia and analgesia should be used routinely for castration and tail docking of lambs, when the methods used are likely to cause significant pain. In recent years new equipment that can reduce the pain associated with tailing and castrating have been developed. Numnuts and Clipfitter are now more widely available and have been shown to have welfare benefits when used for tailing and castrating. In Scotland, the Government has allowed these techniques to be used beyond 7 days of age.

Here we discuss the two products: techniques, benefits and drawbacks, costs and practicalities for use with lambs and calves.

Subscribe to hear more about the project when we report on crofter’s experiences of using the products.

Related Resources:

Watch our webinar recording where we look at how three farmers are using different methods and approaches to tail docking and castration

Webinar - Sustainable Sheep Systems - Tail Docking and Castration

Technical Note (TN679): Castration and Tail Docking of Lambs

Using clipfitter in practice:

Using Clips for Castration and Tails

FAS TV - Tail Docking and Castration in Lambs

Many aspire to having and working a croft, however crofts are difficult to obtain, at least in the more productive and scenic areas. At the same time, retiring crofters sometimes find it hard to give up their business, their source of income and home. The Scottish Land Matching Service is designed to help aspiring new producers, whether crofters or farmers, with advice, guidance, and a database of opportunities. Ian Davidson joins us today to discuss the SLMS role in helping crofts to remain in productive use.

Related Resources

Scottish Land Matching Service

Support is changing, and although not all details are clear, crofters claiming subsidy need to have specific items and plans in place by next spring. Listen in to hear the essential information you need for next year’s Basic Payment Scheme claim.

We simplify one aspect of the new system, which is called the Whole Farm Plan. The WFP is actually made up of 5 different parts, of which 2 need to be in place next year, by the 15th May 2025. We discuss the most sensible and easiest routes for crofters to prepare.

The changes have come about as our subsidy system evolves outwith the EU. The new support system is in four Tiers, with the familiar Basic Payment Scheme in Tier 1. The Whole Farm Plan will affect Tier 1 Basic Payment Scheme. We will cover the other Tiers in future podcasts as more details are released and we understand the impact on crofting, so please subscribe to keep up to date.

Related FAS Resources

Preparing For The Future | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Crofts & Small Farms resources for farmers from Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Crofting Businesses: Carbon Audits and Preparing For Sustainable Farming | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Preparing Small Farms and Crofts for 2025 and Beyond - Events

Disease risk in livestock, and biosecurity is something we perhaps don’t consider as much in crofting areas as farmers might in more intensive systems. Crofting tends to be more extensive, with lower densities of stock, but we often share bulls, and graze on common ground. In this episode I’m joined by Kythe MacKenzie, who is a vet with SRUC, and Kate Lamont, who is a researcher, to discuss the practicalities of managing disease risk.

Linked FAS Resources

Crofting Discussion Groups | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Succession Planning – Crofting | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Crofting Legislation | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

This episode hears from 2 crofters with two different routes into crofting. In this episode we discuss how they gained their croft, what they found were barriers, and hints and tips for aspiring or new crofters. I’m delighted to be joined by Derek Dick, who is a relatively new crofter in Berneray, and Angus Ferguson, who is an experienced crofter in North Uist.

Linked FAS resources:

Crofting Discussion Groups | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Succession Planning – Crofting | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Crofting Legislation | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

In this episode we look at what we can learn from the Irish system, where farms are similar to our crofts. A group of crofters are just home from a study tour to Ireland, and we hear from Derek Jamieson who crofts in Unst, Shetland, what he took from this exchange of knowledge. We also hear from Keith Fahy, advisor with Teagasc, explaining the Irish subsidy system and improvements being made to their national flock and herd.

Ireland Study Tour with Crofters

Crofting in Unst

Typical Irish farms

Croft tenancies

Mart provision in Ireland and Scotland

Subsidies in Ireland

Agri-environment Schemes

The Irish Green Cert

Discussion Groups for Crofters

Linked FAS resources:

https://www.fas.scot/rural-business/crofts-small-farms/crofting-discussion-groups/

Gary Campbell is our guest this week. Gary is the new Chief Executive of the Crofting Commission, having just started his role in January this year. With a background working in both the public and private sectors he talks us through his previous roles, his own family crofting story, what he is planning to achieve in his new CE role and his vision for the Crofting Commission.

Related FAS Resources:

Crofting & Smallholders Guide to Organisations

Succession Planning – Crofting | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Crofting Legislation | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

We are at Dornie hall, talking to clerks and committee members about the issues they face when trying to run the common grazing, especially when it comes to finances. Firstly, we talk with Finlay Beaton from the Crofting Commission, about the problems that they deal with and the solutions for clerks. Finlay also has the advantage of having worked with RPID, so also understands the grant and subsidy systems. Arthur Macdonald adds his take from years of running finance training, working with landlords and crofters, and working at the CC. These meetings are continuing around the crofting counties, so if you are a clerk, book on!

We cover:

Common themes such as monitoring and accounting for funds, who is responsible for the funds; how and who to bring onto your committee; how to set it up; the difference between CG and clubs; vacant crofts

Useful Links

Finance Forms for Common Grazings | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

A Simple Guide to Common Grazings Terms | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

Appointment of Grazings Committees | Crofting Commission (scotland.gov.uk)

Regulated Commons Grazings | Crofting Commission (scotland.gov.uk)

Common Grazings Dilemmas | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)