Cattle

Dries and Minnie de Klerk produce fine, hardy Beefmasters at an altitude of between 1 883m and 1 950m in the Stormberg, with a severe winter climate. Heather Dugmore visited...

Age has not prevented a group of elderly communal sheep farmers in the former Transkei from embracing change and improving their flocks. The result has been better sheep, finer wool...

Merino breeder Johan Hoffman of Bothaville in the Free State has virtually eradicated wireworm (Haemonchus contortus) from his 800-strong stud flock. He spoke to Annelie Coleman.

Running a successful shisa nyama in the busy township of Mamelodi near Pretoria, Jerry Boshoga realised that buying meat was eroding his profit. Last year, he established a feedlot to...

Angora rabbits need a patient approach before their wool can be harvested. But the end-product is sought after by discerning consumers worldwide.

Johannes Uys of Cohanma Jerseys in the Overberg bred McIvor, the 2013 Taurus Jersey Bull of the Year. Denene Erasmus looks at the man and the herd behind this bull.

According to Alfred Maabelo, keeping a large herd of cattle on communal land is not always a good idea. It’s far better, he argues, to choose the breed carefully, keep...

Badly managed bulls are costing the national beef herd dearly, with disease and financial consequences that cattlemen will feel for years to come. Susan Botes investigates the re-emergence of STDs.

Introduction and summary of diseases and other conditions during August 2013.

Karel-Günther Jordaan began his working career in big business. But this chartered management accountant chose to farm Merinos and Bovelders in the Karoo instead, and is doing so well he...

Desmond Siteti farms in a communal area of the former Ciskei as well as on a 500ha commercial farm with Boer- and Savannah-type goats and a small, but impressive herd...

Implementing an integrated fly control programme can prevent overwintering fly populations from exploding in spring and help to improve udder health and reduce somatic cell counts. Robyn Joubert reports.

The science of genomics allows livestock breeders to predict the genetic merit of an animal. Dr Japie van der Westhuizen of SA Stud Book explains the basic principles to Annelie...

For many years, Frekkie Sentsho had very little option but to accept the deadly effects of poison leaf on his cattle and goats. He explains to Peter Mashala how he...

Identifying and preventing botulism and tetanus.

Agri North West’s 2013 Young Farmer of the Year, Heinrich Bruwer believes that it makes economic sense to increase individual animal productivity as this will be reflected in optimum income...

Fairly common, especially among free-range layers, this can be a hard habit to break – so prevention is better than cure.

Genomic testing and the ability to transfer embryos gives dairy company Inovula an edge in the industry. Dr Kobus Hendriks, the company’s managing director is also a vet and the...

Former Cabinet minister Dr Penuell Maduna has been out of politics for some time and is now building a name for himself in cattle-breeding circles. Peter Mashala visited him.

Veld management has more to do with the season of rest than the system of grazing. Izak du Plessis discusses strategy and action for managing stock on veld during drought.