Improving your land, fields, infrastructure, and flock are a continuous process to ensure profitable sheep farming, says Charl Saunderson, who was recently named the Veeplaas Climate-Smart Ambassador.

He farms on Nooitgedacht near Kenhardt in the Northern Cape, and his operation radiates a kind of joy and passion that is contagious. The farm operates with a clear sense of purpose, where each person understands their role in executing the strategy and contributing to the overall goals.

Saunderson’s farming is based on four important aspects that are part of the DNA of the entire team.

Firstly, the carrying capacity of the soil must be improved so that production can be increased. This approach has been followed at Nooitgedacht for the past 48 years.
Secondly, Saunderson understands that he’s not just raising a breed but must also take into account that genetics can vary, sometimes being excellent and other times less favourable.

On his farm, breeding objectives are put in writing and the strategy to achieve them is followed with great care so that the herd is well adapted to the climate to ensure sustainable, optimal production. For example, for the past 18 years, replacement ewes have been selected for fertility, lambing ease, and a lambing interval of 270 to 300 days.

The third aspect that makes his farm successful is the constant maintenance and improvement of infrastructure to ensure good pasture management. If boundary and camp fences aren’t in good condition, it isn’t possible to let fields rest.

Furthermore, camp sizes and the location of intakes are important to ensure even field consumption. Saunderson notes that the weaning percentage in camps with adequate shade is at least 5% higher compared to those without it. This 5% difference in gross weaning rates can translate into a 15% to 20% increase in net income.

Fourthly, predation management is an aspect that can never be ignored. Nooitgedacht has electric fences that are physically monitored every second day. Roads around each three- or four-camp system are regularly dragged with old truck tyres to make predators’ tracks easier to see and correctly identify.

Fourth generation

Saunderson is the fourth generation of his family to farm on Nooitgedacht. His great-grandfather bought the land in the early 1930s. An ‘orchard’ of Prosopis trees was planted at that stage, but since it is an invasive plant, Saunderson’s father started removing it in 1976.

After the invasive plants were cleared by 1982, a control process was implemented. Even after 42 years, up to 100 young Prosopis trees continue to be eradicated annually
Saunderson’s father started a ploughing process in 1982 to create seedbeds for the plants he wanted on the farm.

This involved forming furrows that would slow down the flow of water to improve water penetration and retention in the soil.

Saunderson himself began to feed the seedbeds, first with sheep manure and later adding bonemeal. He also collects the ashes from braai and cooking fires and dumps this into the ploughed furrows to obtain cooler and more fertile seedbeds.

By doing so, he also protects the soil moisture, giving the seeds that are sown in the furrows the best possible chance of germination.

Every August, high-value plant seeds are harvested and sown in the prepared furrows.
During the recent drought, Saunderson also mixed 30t of camel thorn tree pods into the sheep’s licks so that the excreted seed can be dispersed and germinate from the farm’s soil to establish shade trees for the future.

Email Corine Steyn at [email protected] or phone 012 349 1102. Visit rpo.co.za.