Cattle

Oom Jacob Coetzee of Hartbeesfontein has watched agriculture develop over the course of the last century. Born in Cradock on 17 July 1912 he moved to the farm Mahemsvlei in the Klerksdorp district in the 1940s. He shared memories of his long farming career with Annelie Coleman.

Justin Stirk of Goodwoods Bonsmaras in the Eastern Cape is one of a group of Bonsmara breeders who present the annual Frontier Bonsmara sale in Grahamstown. Heather Dugmore talks to him about his mixed farming enterprise.

East Cape Nguni Club chairperson Wimpie Mostert calves over 200 registered Nguni stud females in an environment that has truly tested the value of the breed’s adaptability and hardiness. Mike Burgess reports.

The convenience of Eskom-supplied electricity is almost unknown to Bushmanland’s commercial livestock farmers. But thanks to the sun, wind and careful management, these farmers have all the power they need. Jaco Visser visited the area.

Ruminants are adapted to convert fibre into the energy needed to produce milk and meat, but total input needs to be balanced for optimum production.

James Stephen talks to Chris Nel about establishing a new stud herd and rehabilitating a previously neglected farm at the same time.

Urea can be mixed with silage and roughage to increase milk production.

Calf rearing is a critical aspect of dairy farming. Good calf rearing has the potential to create wealth and improve the quality of the herd.

The Du Toits of La Rhone in Tulbagh are fruit farmers. A fortuitous event inspired them to transform their beef hobby herd into an acclaimed South African Limousin stud. Denene Erasmus reports.

These critical periods need to be well managed in the dairy cow so that problems are minimised and production optimised.

The past two years have seen the 76-year-old Eduan Braunvieh Stud excel at the Vryburg Show and the Braunvieh Vleissentraal-ARC Special Performance Test Class. Mike Burgess visited Gawie Naudé to learn some of the secrets behind his family’s ongoing success with this breed.

Supplements are not a substitute for good nutrition, but trace elements are vital to dairy cow health.

Businessman Muzi Dhlomo and his wife Mmakeng own the Jodema Pinzgauer Stud. Muzi believes in keeping things simple. Peter Mashala spoke to him.

It’s the main component in all living animal tissue, yet water is often neglected in ration formulations.

Dr Roland Larson, a vet who has practiced in the Graaff-Reinet district for 27 years has made it his life’s mission to help farmers manage livestock parasite loads by encouraging a resilience-based approach. He talks to Heather Dugmore.

Chianina cattle are in a class of their own with high value for beef farmers. Chris Nel went to Italy with breeder Christiaan de Jager to learn more about these remarkable animals.

Kevin Lang began a milk processing plant to improve the profitability of his dairy cow herds.

The grazing, defecating, stomping and salivating of moving herds can build soil, restore vegetation and reverse the effects of desertification, a major cause of climate change, says holistic management pioneer Allan Savory who recently ran a three-day workshop in Graaff-Reinet. Heather Dugmore was there.

Silage eases fodder flow and bridges the hungry gap between the first frosts and the first flush.

The new Bioboost feeding system makes it possible to produce the equivalent of up to 30ha grazing under irrigation in a small 'container'. This means a farmer can increase productivity while reducing input costs, have a constant supply of fresh and highly nutritious feed available for livestock, and 'drought-proof' the farm, says Vivian Beukes, who developed the system. Denene Erasmus spoke to him