Animals

At the 2016 National Dormer Sale in Bloemfontein, a Welpic Dormer ram achieved the second-best price of R51 000. Mike Burgess visited JP Potgieter (26) to see how and why he is making an impact in the Dormer stud industry just three years after settling on the farm, Oude Woning, in the Lady Grey district of the Eastern Cape.

Owners of broodmares should ensure that their animals’ feed is optimal and the timing is right, says Dr Mac.

Cattlemen operating under extensive conditions are always looking for ways to increase production and profitability, says Dr Liesel Foster, a beef producer from Zastron. Her PhD research concluded that farmers should carefully consider the cost and management involved in supplementary feeding to achieve this goal.

With government assistance, many rural small-scale fish farmers could turn their operations into viable enterprises.

For producers to benefit from the growing national and international demand for live goats and goat products, it is essential to have healthy flocks. Dr Alan Rowe, chief state veterinarian for the Harry Gwala District Municipality, shares tips on goat health management.

Magnesium sulphate has a wide range of medicinal uses for humans, from easing inflammation to acting as a laxative. And it’s no less useful on horses, says Kim Dyson.

Cornel van Heerden is the Eastern Cape’s 2016 TAU SA’s Young Farmer of the Year. Mike Burgess visited him recently on the farm Wildefontein in the Lady Grey district to learn how he established an award-winning livestock enterprise while saving money, and why his extensive Bonsmara beef operation has proved such a success.

An ill-fitting saddle can affect performance and even cause behavioural problems and back injuries in a horse. Follow these few simple techniques to ensure a good fit, says Dr Mac.

The Nagenoeg Polled Hereford Stud was established by Gerhard Botha and his father, Manie, on their family farm near Barkly East in 1975, but by the 1990s only commercial animals were being farmed. The stud was re-registered in 1997 and has excelled.

Pigeon fanciers Albert Lingenfelder and André Mills have again made their mark, this time in the inaugural Western Cape Classic.

In a candid and sometimes emotional interview, Dr Dave Cooper, an award-winning wildlife veterinarian with Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife, reveals the toll that the rhino poaching scourge is taking on him and his colleagues.

Obesity and insulin resistance are common problems today. Cinnamon is a useful treatment, says Kim Dyson.

The Romagnola cattle breed is a relatively new entrant to Namibia, but is set to add great value to the country’s beef production industry in the long term. Annelie Coleman visited Babette Stöck and Andreas Wiese, owners of Ongeama Romagnolas near Windhoek, to find out more.

Establishing sanctuaries is the only way in which we can protect our Blue Kurper populations from the spread of Nile tilapia.

Today’s domesticated pig has most of the qualities that the modern farmer looks for in livestock, including high profitability, explains Shane Brody.

Is your horse in poor condition, despite receiving good food? Worms could be the problem, says Dr Mac.

For emerging poultry farmers, the key to success with day-old chicks is to buy rather than breed them.

In this third part of our series on twinning in cattle, Chris Nel highlights some remarkable stud beef cows that have produced multiple twins, and explains why dairy and small-framed cattle are normally unsuitable for twin births. He first reported on this complex topic in January 2000.

A sarcoid can occur on any horse (or indeed, any equid) and can be troublesome if it grows in vulnerable areas prone to chafing or similar irritation. Kim Dyson explains.

South Africa’s farmers have little choice: they must adapt in order to limit the effects of climate change on livestock production and animal health, according to experts.