Small-scale piggery success in the Western Cape
With her tiny 10-sow piggery, Western Cape pig producer Augusta Thomas lacks economy of scale. But despite this, she is making a reasonable living. She spoke to Glenneis Kriel about...
Breeding record-breaking Mutton Merinos
Henning Vorster sold a SA Mutton Merino ram for a South African record price of R110 000 at the National Sale in Bloemfontein in 2017. To find out why farmers...
Aquaponics: how to get plumper, healthier fish
If you want to grow plants and decent-sized fish, the first step is to get rid of those plastic circular bins.
What is African horse sickness?
The severity of African horse sickness (AHS) is strongly linked to the immunity status of the horse concerned, and the dose of the virus it receives from biting midges.
Want a profitable bull? Do your homework first!
Selecting a bull that will significantly improve a herd can be a daunting task, especially for a new buyer. At the 2017 Aldam Stockmans School, cattle veterans Martin Seyfferdt, interbreed...
SA’s top young Angus breeder – a star at 26
Despite being a stud breeder for only five years, the ARC’s 2017 National Young Beef Cattle Breeder of the Year, MJ Ernst, has already made his mark. Annelie Coleman visited...
The Gysie Britz story
With his passion and skill, Gysie Britz raised the bar in South African pigeon racing. Thomas Smit spoke to the champion fancier about his success.
Goat breeding: the challenges faced by smallholders
The market for slaughter and breeding goats in South Africa appears to be almost insatiable. With more than 60% of the local goat population in the hands of smallholder farmers,...
Happy pigs make for good business
With 9 600 sows, Chalala Farms near Malmesbury in the Swartland will soon produce more than 275 000 piglets per year. Jeff van Zyl, manager of the piggery, spoke to Glenneis...
Dealing with the shying horse
A horse that gets into the habit of shying at every perceived danger can be both irritating and dangerous. Fortunately, there are ways of teaching it to become more confident.
Single-step genomics: a game changer for livestock breeding
The Single Step method makes it possible to include genomic information in BLUP breeding values. This has put SA Stud Book at the forefront of genomic methodology, says Dr Japie...
Cage culture for SA: small scale, big benefits
There are massive dams and reservoirs in South Africa that are ideal for cage culture, yet are not used for this purpose. What a waste of this marvellous resource!
