News.

We recently hosted two practical, hands on workshops for livestock farmers, focused on improving animal handling, welfare, and on farm safety across all types of livestock.

Led by Miriam Parker of Livestockwise, the sessions explored livestock behaviour, how animals instinctively react to perceived threats, and how farmers can recognise when an animal is under stress. Attendees also learned strategies for creating livestock friendly handling systems, ensuring facilities are safe and comfortable for both animals and handlers.

One participant shared:

“I found the workshop very useful and I would recommend it to cattle farmers. I came away with a refreshed understanding of cattle behaviour and some helpful reminders about how to plan and assess livestock handling situations and what to watch for in the animals themselves.”

The workshops were particularly impactful for farmers affected by increased scrutiny from cameras and drones, highlighting the importance of maintaining high welfare standards in every aspect of animal care. Miriam emphasised that poor animal welfare is unacceptable and that understanding livestock behaviour is key to raising the bar across the industry.

Both workshops were fully booked and very well received. If you would be interested in attending a future session, please get in touch, we are building a list of interest to help gauge whether we run these workshops again. Email abigail@farmcornwall.co.uk to be added to the list.

We would like to thank Charlie Penna and Geoff Heywood for hosting and supporting these important workshops. We also extend our thanks to The Royal Countryside Fund for generously funding these events.