Hot or cold branding: both demand good technique
The quality and clarity of a brand determine how well it will stand up in court. Good branding technique and the proper equipment also reduces stress for animals.
Grass Silage: what you put in is what you get out
Pasture grass is regarded as the cheapest feed for SA dairy cattle. In the first of a four- part series, Wim Hofman, cattle specialist for De Heus Animal Nutrition, of the Netherlands, explains how careful pasture management can yield good grass silage.
Livestock Disease Trends – January 2014
After good rainfall in many parts of the country, reports of severe wireworm infestations in smallstock were received.
Effective veld management brings success
Diligent grazing management is paying off for Jannie Struis. He has been farming for only four years, but working closely with his mentor, Johan van der Walt, has enabled him to cope with drought at a time when even top commercial farmers are suffering.
Linking a mark to its rightful owner
The ability to identify an animal in a way that will stand up in court is crucial for any livestock owner. Backed up by legislation and government support, it ensures proof of ownership.
Machine-shearing skill can pave way to success
Developing machine-shearing skills in the South African wool industry could arm shearers with the expertise to pursue potentially lucrative careers in countries such as Australia and New Zealand.
Holistic farming could boost profits
The H-word might cause sceptics to cringe, but changing grazing and other practices is working wonders on this KwaZulu-Natal beef farm.
Kamab simbras: performance off the veld
Fertility and optimum meat production are the two pillars of Diethelm and Katja Metzger’s Kamab Simbra Stud. The second-largest Simbra stud herd in Southern Africa, it produces about 370 weaners a year.
Breeding with the best
Arthur de Villiers of Arcadia Bonsmara near Vrede is the 2013 recipient of the ARC National Beef Cattle Improvement Herd of the Year Award.
I know that’s my cow, but how can I prove it?
Chris Nel discusses traditional methods of identifying livestock. These methods may work well for day-to-day flock and herd management, but their limitations are apparent when subjected to the demands of a modern livestock industry.
Absolutely extensive Ngunis
Ted and Liz Reilly played a big role in putting the Swazi Nguni ecotype back on the map. Their cattle are run with game animals and receive no special treatment.
Livestock Disease Trends – December 2013
Weather conditions: Good rains fell in the eastern part of the country, but extremely dry conditions persist in the western and central regions. Very wet conditions occurred in some areas of the Western Cape.
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