North West cattle farmer puts his trust in proven stud bulls
Kgomotso Bantsho has been farming Bonsmara cattle and goats full-time in North West since 2017. He says that support from other farmers is critical, and that each farmer needs to...
Broiler producer uses her position to uplift others
Jo-andra Cloete, who farms in Joostenberg Vlakte near Cape Town, started producing broilers only a few years ago. She is now mentoring over a hundred farmers, whom she supplies with...
Sustainable game farming in the bushveld
On his 2 500ha game farm near Lephalale in Limpopo, Willem Frost aims to provide local and international hunters with an authentic hunting experience, which promotes the farm’s overall sustainability...
Intensive sheep farm achieves 180% per year weaning rate
Sheep production has become a numbers game, with an operation’s profitability being largely dependent on the farmer’s ability to produce large numbers of sheep at low cost. Farm manager Dirk...
On a quest to breed ‘the perfect Brahman’
A dream to farm Brahman cattle saw Auldrich Spies switch from construction to farming. Ironically, it was his initial ignorance that led him to become a successful stud farmer today....
Tilapia farming: Untapped SA market holds opportunity for growth
David Fincham has more than 30 years’ experience in aquaculture and is one of South Africa’s foremost tilapia specialists. Through his business in Muldersdrift near Johannesburg, he has supplied 450...
Dealing with colic during COVID-19
Colic is the leading killer of horses around the world, and COVID-19 has made it harder for vets to go out to stables to diagnose horses. Virtual diagnosis and colic...
Backyard broiler business: Start small, dream big
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and Emmanuel Gumede has taken this proverb to heart in his dream to one day own andoperate a large-scale...
Breeding top-performing Dohne Merino on 95ha
The Patience family started farming on 95ha of rented land in Saron in the Western Cape in the 1960s, beginning with just 10 sheep and a handful of cattle. Today,...
Beware of mouldy hay bales
When your horses don’t want to eat the hay you have bought in for winter, the bales could be mouldy, warns Dr Mac.
Record-breaking, high-altitude Ngunis
On 9 May 2020, the Biggs family, who farms in the Eastern Cape, sold a Nguni herd sire for a world-record price of R310 000. Clive Biggs spoke to Mike...
The importance of maintaining reproductive health in a herd
Fourth-generation farmer Gerhard Grobler says he has been able to achieve better results from his beef cattle herd after introducing crossbreeding. But, he adds, South Africa’s beef producers need to...
Young pig farmer shares lessons learnt during her first five years
Award-winning piggery owner Khulile Mahlalela says that to maximise profits, a farmer must get the pigs market-ready as rapidly as possible, and produce a low-fat carcass with tender meat.
Why aardvark numbers are dwindling in the Kalahari
It is not only livestock that are threatened during multi-year droughts; wildlife, too, can succumb to the stress. Dr Nora Weyer and other researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand...
Tooth caps in young horses
Deciduous teeth that are not shed can be problematic in young horses in training, warns Dr Mac
Vaccinate your horse!
You have to vaccinate your horse annually against African horse sickness using a registered product, but this alone is not enough to keep the horse safe, warns Dr Mac.
Choosing Afrikaners for extensive beef production
Jacquies Steenkamp produced the 2019 Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Afrikaner National Performance Test Class bull. Mike Burgess visited him on his farm near Rouxville to see why he believes this...
Poultry litter to biogas: adding more value to farm waste
The benefits of using chicken litter as fertiliser are well known. As the poultry industry grows, however, other uses for it must be found. Dr Idan Chiyanzu and Primrose Magama...
Breeding a resistant and resilient Sussex stud herd
John Viedge of the Lehana’s Pass Sussex Stud has been breeding cattle that survive in some of the harshest redwater disease areas in South Africa. Wayne Southwood spoke to him...
How Beefmaster Group helps cattle farmers
In these times of uncertainty, cattle farmers can rely on the Beefmaster Group to help them overcome short-term challenges and access markets, says Roelie van Reenen, supply chain executive at...
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