Animals

SA has the potential to become a successful producer of Nile tilapia, yet government’s latest efforts aimed at supporting commercial aquaculture are counterproductive.

Flystrike can be just as problematic in horses as in sheep, says Dr Mac.

With careful management and good quality birds, any fancier with the right attitude can become a contender, says Thomas Smit.

Livestock transportation should result in as little stress to the animals as possible, whether they are being transported to the abattoir or other farms. Glenneis Kriel spoke to Dr Dirk Verwoerd and Giepie Bester about best practices when transporting livestock.

When a horse that has previously done well starts to misbehave at shows, you can be fairly certain that it’s nervous and needs habituation, says Dr Mac.

Thousands of tortoises are inadvertently killed by electric fences in South Africa each year. Yet there are simple, practical steps that farmers can take to stop this. Dr Luke Arnot of the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science, and Steven Molteno of the global network, Local Governments for Sustainability, explain the extent of the problem, and provide solutions.

For 15 years, the Muller family, near George, has been using biological farming methods and no-till practices. Their pasture-reared dairy herd is thriving and can be directly traced to the operation’s original 17 cows.

The hobby of keeping exotic ornamental fish in a home aquarium is nowhere near as popular as it once was.

Get the sweat out of your horse, as well as dirt and loose hairs. Dr Mac shows how.

It’s crucial for a broiler producer to get floor management right. This will improve the birds’ physical environment, reduce disease and result in better quality broilers. So says free-range poultry producer Kobus Visser, who spoke to Glenneis Kriel.

The frog acts as a shock absorber for the foot as it strikes the ground. If the frog is infected with thrush, your horse will be reluctant to walk and could even become lame, warns Kim Dyson.

Pond aquaculture systems may be the answer to producing bulk quantities of tilapia simply and affordably.

The socio-economic dynamics of an ever-growing and increasingly globalised human population are placing increasing demands on the world’s livestock producers. German Agricultural Society president, Carl-Albrecht Bartmer, explored these issues at the opening of EuroTier 2016.

Breed, conformation and supply and demand are among the factors that affect the price of a horse, explains Dr Mac.

Mecki and Brigitte Schneider of the Okabra Brahman Stud in the Grootfontein district in Namibia own one of the largest stud and commercial beef cattle operations in Southern Africa. Wayne Southwood investigates how they made significant improvements to their herd by continually applying sound scientific principles.

Hanging baskets will brighten up your stable yard and keep away flies, mosquitoes and other annoying pests, by Kim Dyson.

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.