Animals

A livestock farmer, plagued by stock theft, turned to feeding sprouting grain in a feedlot to protect his sheep. And his trial has yielded some impressive results. Robyn Joubert reports.

The richest one-loft race in the world, the Sun City Million Dollar Pigeon Race is more than just another pigeon race. It's an institution that tests your skill as a breeder and the consistency of your pigeons, writes Thomas Smit.

Knowing how soft tissue injuries occur will help you alleviate your horse's pain and speed up the healing process, writes Kim Dyson.

Sussex cattle perform so well in a feedlot that the Huntersvlei and Skietlaagte Feedlots in the Free State pay a premium for Sussex or Sussex-cross weaners.The feedlots belong to the Rhys Evans Group in Viljoenskroon. General manager Arno Cronje told Annelie Coleman about the growing interest in Sussex bulls for crossbreeding because of the breed's exceptional weaning weights.

Once racing is over serious fanciers have more time available to attend to the little things about pigeon racing that make all the difference between winning and losing.

Some 145 pacing pigeons went under the hammer at Gauteng champion Harry Willson's pigeon auction at the Alberton Racing Pigeon Club recently. He's been involved with racing pigeons on and off since 1985.

Corridor disease isn't new to KZN, and respected KZN wildlife vet Dr Dave Cooper says the increasing appeal of stocking African buffalo on private game farms could be one of the factors contributing to the spread of this disease to the province's cattle.

Belgium's Herbots brothers are regarded as some of the world's top breeders, thanks to the performances of their remarkable birds, National 1 and The Leverige, writes Thomas Smit.

Feeding sheep flocks during a bad drought can be like throwing money down a bottomless pit, because no one knows when it will rain again. Jan Hoon of the Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute offers some tips to farmers willing to take the risk. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.

White line disease is an infection of the hoof wall of a horse, mule or donkey, which causes it to disintegrate, writes Dr Mac.

When Abel Erasmus bought five stock farms near Philippolis in the Free State to establish the 14 000ha Otterskloof Private Game Reserve, he focused on breeding rare game species, including disease-free buffalo, roan antelope and sable antelope. Mike Burgess spoke to him about his success converting stock farms into a game reserve.

If you have itchy red spots, beware - you might have caught them from your horse, warns Dr Mac.