Cattle

The modern Santa Gertrudis is a compact, well-adapted animal that excels on the veld and in the feedlot, says stud breeder Desmond Robertson. Annelie Coleman reports.

Dairy farmer, Tshilidzi ‘Chilli’ Matshidzula, the Eastern Cape’s Agri SA Toyota Young Farmer of the Year, manages and partly owns a dairy operation near Alexandria in the Eastern Cape. Mike Burgess spoke to him about his contribution to resurrecting a failed empowerment initiative.

Mike Burgess visited Christo Nowers at the state-run Dohne Agricultural Development Institute near Stutterheim to better understand how the herd has achieved an average calving percentage of 83,8% since 2000, and an average herd ICP of 380 days.

The health of dairy cows is directly related to their conception rates and milk production.

Improved cow productivity reduces greenhouse gas production, according to specialist Agricultural Research Council researcher Prof Michiel Scholtz, who gave a presentation on the topic at the 1st International Conference on Tropical Animal Science and Production in Thailand. For this reason, he says, it is important to understand the basics of cow productivity.

Cloete Afrikaners takes the increasing consumer demand for grass-fed beef seriously. Adrian Cloete spoke to Gerhard Uys about the challenges of doing so in an industry currently geared to the interests of feedlots.

Enzootic bovine leukosis currently represents one of the largest threats to SA’s dairy industry. If nothing is done to prevent and control new infections, it is possible that in future there will be no uninfected dairy herds in South Africa, writes Dr Jan du Preez, managing director of the Institute of Livestock Technology.

Simmentaler stud breeder Dr Emile Kotzé is crossing the Pustertaler with the Nguni and Simmentaler to produce a veld-adapted, dual-purpose breed that can thrive in the feedlot. He spoke to Gerhard Uys about his efforts to attain his breeding goals.

Holstein farmers, Brett and Grant Puttergill, have proven that sire selection and selective breeding are crucial to a dairy operation’s viability.

While vaccination helps to prevent poultry disease outbreaks, well-planned biosecurity remains the first line of defence. Agmat Brinkhuis, chairperson of the SA Poultry Association and poultry farmer, spoke to Glenneis Kriel.

Afrisim cattle consultant Lynton Vermaak explains to Annelie Coleman that no breeder can afford animals that need unnecessary attention in the economic reality of sustainable and profitable red meat production in South Africa.

Winterfeeding, according to Free State commercial cattle farmer Johan Dannhauser, should not be seen as a separate operation. Rather, it is part of a year-round system that involves all aspects of herd production and pasture management.