Animals

Napoleon Holborn of Komga is the 2018 Agricultural Research Council’s Emerging Beef Farmer for the Eastern Cape. Mike Burgess visited him to learn about his beef operation and how he has built it, and his other business interests, on the solid foundation laid by his father.

The myth that calves are better off receiving milk twice daily was recently dispelled in a study by Animal Sciences master’s student Bertus Myburgh.

Our climate varies dramatically from season to season, limiting the fish species that can be used in aquaculture, and the locations where it can take place.

Spa therapy is now easily available in South Africa to treat injuries in sport horses, says Dr Mac.

Western Cape pig farmer Leandre Mitchley was named Top Smallholder Farming Entrepreneur 2018 at the annual Female Entrepreneur Awards. Her success came after a slow start and a recent major setback, and is testimony to her resilience and discipline.

Due to its insistence on uncompromising quality, Frontier Bonsmaras in the Eastern Cape has sold every one of the bulls on offer at its annual sale over the past 12 years. Sabrina Dean joined the group on its pre-sale tour to find out how this event fits into Frontier’s formula for success.

It’s time to expose the urban legend that South Africa is too cold for tilapia farming, even in outdoor ponds.

Nelius Ferreira, the Free State’s Top Young Farmer for 2018, focuses on quality production in a global marketplace. Sabrina Dean visited him on his farm near Harrismith to learn more.

This American cavalry saddle has been in use for 159 years. It was employed in the American Civil war and the Second Anglo-Boer War, and is still used for stock horses, says Dr Mac.

The showing of cattle is often used by stud breeders to market their animals. However, as genetic values become more prominent as a tool to improve the performance of herds, is there still a place for the showing of cattle? Show judge and breeder Llewellyn Angus investigates.

The Barui-Driehoek Co-op was the ARC’s 2017 National Small-Scale Commercial Livestock Producer of the Year. Annelie Coleman visited the owners, husband-and-wife team Kabelo and Matshidiso Mooketsi, to learn more about their top-performing Bonsmara cattle

The populations of many indigenous fish are in decline. Here’s an easy and practical solution to boost their numbers.

Hendré Calitz, the chairperson of the Afrino Sheep Breeders’ Association of South Africa, manages the Koppiesfontein Afrino Stud near Smithfield for Piet and Theo Delport of Wesselsbron. Mike Burgess visited him to better understand the value of the Afrino under extensive conditions.

In an area where feeding total mixed rations is the norm for dairy production, Jurie and John Hartley milk 1 200 cows off pasture – with impressive results.

Ross Rayner and his father, Roger, farm 40 Nguni cows and 35 Bosvelder-type ewes on 250ha in the Mankazana Valley near Adelaide in the Eastern Cape. Their operation is an example of what value indigenous livestock holds for small-scale farmers.

Camargue horses are used to manage the feral black cattle herds in the salty marshes of the Rhône River Delta as it enters the Mediterranean Sea, says Dr Mac.

Developments such as cage culture of tilapia and small, privately owned pond systems signal a positive trend.

Data from species and environmental monitoring is often hard to translate into real-world management solutions. Conservationists Dr Pieter Olivier, Andrew Purdon and Michael Mole are solving this challenge with practical software.

Three key factors can reduce calf mortalities and boost milk yield: correct hygienic practice in calf cages, control of Cryptosporidium parvum, and implementing a colostrum programme. Specialist veterinarian Dr Chris van Dijk and feed specialist Kenneth Botha explain these.

Lipizzaners, well known for their high-level dressage displays, originated more than four centuries ago. However, the breed continues to amaze, says Dr Mac.