Beef & Sheep research capability

Productivity - Nutrition - Health & Welfare - Environmental Impact

World-leading research capability for the ruminants sector

View our interactive brochure featuring details of the research capability available, technical specifications, video walkthroughs and case studies.

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Beef Grower-Finisher System

Harper Adams University, Shropshire

Measuring intake of feed & water, GHG emissions, bodyweight and feeding behaviour of individual cattle to assess feed efficiency in growing and finishing animals, accelerating improvements in beef production.

High Precision Beef Production Research Platform

AFBI, Belfast

Developing new feed products to ensure animals turn feed into meat as efficiently as possible. Studies are helping to optimise use of high-quality pasture and develop integrated precision management systems that consider production & welfare.

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Mobile Sheep Feed Intake Facility

Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh

Precision assessment of individual sheep intake, to assess variation between sheep and enable selection for feed efficiency. The equipment can be employed in ram breeding flocks around the UK, delivering increased efficiency in terms of lamb produced per unit of grass eaten.

North Wyke Farm Platform

Rothamsted Research, Devon

The world’s most instrumented grazing platform: measuring loss of nutrients or veterinary chemicals to the air, soil & groundwater, and the impact of feeds on GHG production - enhancing finishing time, improving weight gain while reducing feed cost and environmental emissions.

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Robert Orr Small Ruminant Facility

Rothamsted Research, Devon

Supporting studies into different ways of rearing & producing lamb and examining the impact of meat production on the environment. Enabling complete segregation of flocks reared on different farming systems to fully examine and compare the environmental and efficiency benefits of each.

Small Ruminant Platform

Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Studies (IBERS), Aberystwyth University

Detailed metabolic studies leading to more efficient use of feed, fine-tuning of genetics to produce meat efficiently with least environmental impact, and the development of “bioactive compounds” of interest in manipulating metabolism and preventative health treatments.

Sheep Nutrition and Metabolism Unit

AFBI, Belfast

Assessing individual intake of forage, concentrates and water within a group feeding environment. 6 individual metabolism chambers to investigate the impact of genetics, diet and management factors on nutrient & energy utilisation efficiency and gaseous emissions.