Livestock Disease Trends Report – May
The winter months lie ahead and additional nutritional supplementation should be given to animals in time.
Time to re-assess your carrying capacity?
Choosing the correct stocking rate is the most important grazing management decision in sustainable livestock and wildlife production, says Dr Mias van der Westhuizen of the Free State Department of...
Record-breaking Ngunis from the bushveld
Jannie Breytenbach’s Goedvoor Nguni Stud near Marble Hall is best known for setting a South African record price for an Nguni cow and calf sold for R86 000 in 2007....
Managing feed and breeding in replacement females
Heifers, first-calvers, maiden ewes and first-lambers need to be managed properly to reduce risk in terms of productivity versus production costs. Dr Francois van de Vyver, livestock nutritionist with Voermol...
KwaZulu-Natal dairy farmers’ success challenges
KZN can become SA’s leading dairy supplier, but industry challenges must first be addressed.
Challenges impeding poultry sector growth
Inadequate and slow service delivery, tight regulations, increased imports and high feed costs are contributing to an increasingly sluggish poultry industry in KwaZulu-Natal. Despite this, opportunities do exist.
Livestock Disease Trends – March 2015
February, March and April are the peak months for insect- and tick-transmitted diseases. The unavailability of the blue tongue vaccine resulted in serious losses to smallstock farmers and everything should...
Rigorous selection is the key to success
For Moorreesburg Merino stud breeder Johann Kotze, careful selection based on performance testing, BLUP values and strict visual selection of wool and conformation traits are all essential for a successful...
The value of instant green feed as livestock fodder
Germinated grain produced in a closed system is a highly nutritious fodder, but factors such as the high cost of production and the high moisture content may make it uneconomical,...
Successful switch to beef stud breeding
A burgeoning warthog population indirectly benefited smallstock predators on James Faber’s farm in the Northern Cape. The problem was so severe that he converted his farming operation from sheep and...
Can once-a-day milking work in South Africa?
OAD milking is becoming increasingly popular in New Zealand, but can it work in SA?
Man, cattle & veld
In his controversial new book, legendary Southern Africa cattleman Johann Zietsman urges other cattle farmers to buck the status quo, innovate and increase their production by more than 50%. Heather...
Sensible syndication success for the Mahlangus
Father and son team, Paradise and Temba Mahlangu, believe in sound education, hard work, service to the community and a balance between the drive to succeed and a sense of...
Livestock Disease Trends – February 2015
Monthly report on livestock disease trends in South Africa.
Limousin stud: starting well and getting better
At 23, Limousin breeder Rehan van Niekerk has already made a name for himself. This young Bothaville farmer established the Eran Limousin herd while still at school and has since...
Survey: Dairy producers get the basics right
A benchmarking exercise involving SA dairy producers showed few similarities between top producers. In fact, getting the basics right was the only common factor. Dairy consultants Chris Fourie and Justin...
Dual-purpose Braunvieh for meat and dairy
Cois Harman believes that the Braunvieh breed is ideal for both beef and milk production.
Loriza Brahman: where excellence is a given
The Meyer family has been farming Brahmans since the 1960s – and it shows. In 2014, the stud had the top performance herd in the country and the best cow...
A legendary cattleman’s insight
Cattle consultant Erwin Church is one of South Africa’s greatest stockmen. In this interview with Heather Dugmore, he shares some of his knowledge gained from a lifetime of working with...
