Cattle

All beef cattle producers want their young bulls to develop into productive sires, but for this to happen, they need to manage these animals carefully. Annelie Coleman spoke to livestock nutrition specialist Dr Francois van de Vyver about how to achieve this.

Carol and Charlie Gould started breeding Droughtmasters three years ago and have only been farming full time for one year, but they have ambitious plans and say that even though they are new to farming, the Droughtmaster has made their job easy!

To stay ahead of their competitors in the breeding game, livestock farmers have to continually improve the genetics of their animals. Nollie and Pieter Stofberg, owners of Platdrif Sussex Stud in the Western Cape, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how they make use of embryo flushing to achieve this goal.

More meat per herd per year is the golden thread that runs through a profitable cattle enterprise, and genetics play a crucial role in the herd’s advancement. While DNA testing is useful for genetic selection, it can’t determine feed conversion rates. This is where Phase D performance testing comes in.

Pressure is mounting on dairy farmers to reduce their carbon footprint. The good news is that research shows it is not only possible, but can be done in a way that increases productivity.

The money-maker in the herd is the bull, says eastern Free State Simbra breeder Rick Dell. He spoke to Annelie Coleman about the management and selection of breeding bulls for commercial cattle herds.

Don McHardy says his interest in Droughtmasters was a natural progression in his quest to breed more efficient beef cattle that are able to realise optimal financial returns.

The cattle industry is one of the chief targets of climate activists who propose plant-based diets as a way of reducing global warming and moving towards sustainable food production. Sara Place, chief sustainability officer at Elanco Animal Health, spoke to Lindi Botha about the underestimated power of cattle to contribute to the well-being of people and the planet.

One of the basic principles of successful livestock farming is the implementation of a seasonal breeding strategy. Prof Frikkie Neser of the University of the Free State spoke to Wouter Kriel about putting a breeding season plan in place, and how to ensure that bulls are healthy and able to perform optimally.

The demand for red cattle has always been high in South Africa. To enter this market and offer breeders an alternative to the traditional options, the Du Plessis family, who owns the Brandwater farming business, managed to establish one of the country’s most successful Droughtmaster studs. Chris du Plessis spoke to Denene Erasmus.

André Hamman and his wife Maritha moved from Pretoria to retire to the coast. But instead of gardening and golfing, they took on a mammoth restoration project and built a mixed farming and tourism business anchored by a Nguni stud.

When his cattle business was hit hard by drought, fifth-generation North West farmer Loutjie Campher started breeding Charolais as a means of rebuilding his herd.