Profiting from a feedlot
Mvalo Msiza has value-added in steps – building a beef herd, establishing two butcheries, and starting and expanding a feedlot. He spoke to Peter Mashala.
How to set up an aquaponics system
Starting small will not necessarily give you an accurate idea of what to expect when going commercial.
Awassi rams for Free State milk sheep flock
For Elmarie van Aswegen, returning to the family farm, Patria, near Smithfield in the Free State in early 1997 went hand in hand with producing sheep’s milk cheese and breeding...
New deal for pig farmers
Smart producers realise that producing within environmentally and socially sustainable limits is an opportunity, says Dr Glen Illing of Topigs. He was speaking at the recent RSA Pork Producers’ Organisation...
Livestock Disease Trends – November 2013
Drought: It’s been very dry in SA’s western and central areas, and reports of severe protein and energy deficiencies were received. Heavy mortalities, downer cows, cows too weak to calf,...
The survival of Africa’s elephants
As the war against rhino poaching in South Africa continues, a war against elephant poaching is taking place in other parts of the continent.
Chinkerinchees flowers are poisonous to horses
Chinkerinchees are indigenous to the Western Cape and highly poisonous to horses, warns Dr Mac.
Ganna Ngunis – breeding for excellence
Michiel van Niekerk runs a stud Nguni herd in the arid region of the western Free State between Petrusburg and Kimberley. For him, the economic realities of livestock farming mean...
Dairy farming across the Atlantic
Argentinian dairy farmer Francisco Mihura keeps his operation profitable by practising economies of scale and using home-grown food to lower his costs. Denene Erasmus was there.
The pigeon fanciers’ mecca
The Kassel International Pigeon Market is one of the biggest of its kind in the world, says Thomas Smit.
Farm dams are a good idea
Sadly, SA fails to exploit its irrigation dams for aquaculture. But farm dams, connected to well-built pond systems, offer great potential for growers.
Bonsmaras, and a thirst for knowledge
The Agricultural Research Council’s Free State Emerging Beef Farmer for 2013, Robert Thekiso, farms more than 100 commercial Bonsmara cows on 669ha. Mike Burgess visited him.
Livestock Disease Trends – October 2013
In many parts of the country the drought took its toll, with reports of protein and energy deficiencies being received.
From cattle farm to game paradise
The lush, 3 700ha game farm, Iwamanzi (place of the falling waters), which Stan and Jacqueline Burger built up from scratch, was once an overgrazed cattle farm.
Horses and back problems
The signs of backache are evident in almost every stable yard, but there’s hope – and help, says Kim Dyson.
Monitoring your horses basic health
Your horse’s temperature, pulse rate and breathing can be warning signs, so keep track of them.
Pigeons: Good genetics, good results
Champion fancier Joe Lemos’s retirement got off to a healthy start with an auction of his birds bringing in big money, says Thomas Smit.
Aquaculture ponds need careful planning.
Capital costs, running costs and potential market are the three major concerns faced by those who want to start fish farming, and I’ve often discussed these factors in relation to...
