Latest articles
Importing horses
Bringing in competition horses from overseas can be expensive and requires expert help, cautions Dr Mac.
How to keep farming sheep in drought
Drought is a fact of life – and death – in South Africa, and the current drought is certainly no exception. Overberg sheep farmer, Thys Delport, gives practical advice on how a sheep farmer can continue farming his/her sheep in drought, and remain lucrative.
The limits of stocking rates for aquaculture
In South Africa, open ponds for aquaculture are impractical due to our cool winters. And with the country’s electricity crisis, one can ill afford to adopt an indoor system that does not yield good results.
Dealing with the rattles
Rhodococcus equi infections can be fatal, especially in Arabian foals, says Dr Mac.
Brucellosis in cattle
The bacterial disease, brucellosis, costs the local livestock industry millions of rands every year. In the first of a new animal health series, Dr JH du Preez and Dr Faffa Malan, discuss this impact.
Know your horse breed: Percheron
Percherons have become extremely popular in South Africa, not least because these gentle giants are easy to handle and still have some use on the farm, says Dr Mac.
Livestock Disease Trends Report – May
The winter months lie ahead and additional nutritional supplementation should be given to animals in time.
Groblersdal’s champion Damara Stud
Neels Nel has been breeding Damara sheep near Groblersdal in Limpopo for almost 25 years. Today, his Krinkhout Stud, which has consistently won South African champion titles over the years, is highly respected in the industry.
A passion for fish farming
Aquaculture is a demanding career that requires perseverance and an abiding interest in fish. Unless you have the ‘fish bug’, rather consider running a fish-and-chip shop.
Talking to pigeon fancier Deon du Toit
Deon’s first racing season in the Kalahari Pigeon Federation was in 2014, and his birds led from the start, writes Thomas Smit.
Make hay while the sun shines
The coming winter looks set to be hard. Horse owners should plan ahead to ensure they have enough food to take their horses through this difficult time, says Dr Mac.
Time to re-assess your carrying capacity?
Choosing the correct stocking rate is the most important grazing management decision in sustainable livestock and wildlife production, says Dr Mias van der Westhuizen of the Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development at Glen.
About gaited horses
‘Gait’ is the way a horse moves, but there are also breeds known as ‘gaited horses’, explains Dr Mac.
Record-breaking Ngunis from the bushveld
Jannie Breytenbach’s Goedvoor Nguni Stud near Marble Hall is best known for setting a South African record price for an Nguni cow and calf sold for R86 000 in 2007. Mike Burgess visited Jannie on his 403ha Goedvoor farm recently to find out why his Ngunis remain so sought-after.
Farming with ornamental fish
You don’t need an expensive system to produce top-quality ornamentals that can compete with fish from the Far East and elsewhere.
A promising new colour variant for game farmers
With colour variants in rare game being in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, ‘White Saddleback’ blesbok may be the way to go for breeders who want to ensure colouring won’t change over time. Gerhard Uys examines this hardy breed.
All about fenugreek
Horses that compete in sports where big, strong muscles are needed will benefit from having this herb in their feed regularly, says Kim Dyson.
Invasive trees halve broiler heating costs
Eucalyptus trees are seen as a threat to native plants and scarce water resources, requiring the eradication of these trees at a considerable cost. Broiler producer Hugh Davison has found a way to turn these trees into a valuable asset – using them to heat up his broiler houses.
New AHS vaccine schedule
The Directorate of Animal Health will now enforce vaccination between June and October in the Western Cape’s African horse sickness-free zone, reports Dr Mac.
Charles Carlson Jnr’s pigeons auction
Top racing pigeons were on offer at Charles Carlson Jnr’s auction at the end of April. It’s not often that a collection of such excellence becomes available at a single sale, says Thomas Smit.
