Animals

The showing of racing pigeons is like an avian beauty pageant - a celebration of external qualities based on textbook prescription, writes.

James Moore is an ambassador for the sport of pigeon racing – and his pigeons have consistently done well in competitions, writes Thomas Smit.

Breeders are quietly optimistic that they can develop a modern animal for the profitable sheep-fat market, while Persians are increasingly being used to breed fat and fertility back into Dorpers, writes Roelof Bezuidenhout.

With a sport horse, the performance of the animal is critical to its success and to this end, it's essential to make sure the saddle is chosen carefully, says Dr Mac.

Living legends in the pigeon racing fraternity, twins Bob and Eddie Gibbs have decided to retire from the sport at the age of 84. Thomas Smit reviews their remarkable careers.

Not all races are won by the sprinters, which can be knocked out of the running by adverse weather conditions.

Locally bred Letelle sheep are known to be economically balanced, hardy animals that are well adapted to South Africa's sometimes harsh environment.

Black, brown, bay, chestnut, palomino - horses come in several colours. Except white. Dr Mac explains why.

The key to successful pigeon racing lies in good pigeon health, which you won't achieve if pigeon housing is poor. Thomas Smit presents a beginner's guide to building an effective racing pigeon loft.

Food proteins that can't be broken down by microbes are passed down to the duodenum and digested enzymatically. Malcolm Stewart-Burger examines these undegradable proteins and how they are absorbed.

Summer brings flies and diseases to your stables. Kim Dyson gives some advice on how to protect your horse against the other critters and ailments the warm weather brings.

By the time Riekert Erasmus could walk, he was picking up tips on how to break in horses from his father. At 16, he was taming and training wild horses for pocket money.

A livestock farmer, plagued by stock theft, turned to feeding sprouting grain in a feedlot to protect his sheep. And his trial has yielded some impressive results. Robyn Joubert reports.

The richest one-loft race in the world, the Sun City Million Dollar Pigeon Race is more than just another pigeon race. It's an institution that tests your skill as a breeder and the consistency of your pigeons, writes Thomas Smit.

Knowing how soft tissue injuries occur will help you alleviate your horse's pain and speed up the healing process, writes Kim Dyson.

Sussex cattle perform so well in a feedlot that the Huntersvlei and Skietlaagte Feedlots in the Free State pay a premium for Sussex or Sussex-cross weaners.The feedlots belong to the Rhys Evans Group in Viljoenskroon. General manager Arno Cronje told Annelie Coleman about the growing interest in Sussex bulls for crossbreeding because of the breed's exceptional weaning weights.

Once racing is over serious fanciers have more time available to attend to the little things about pigeon racing that make all the difference between winning and losing.

Some 145 pacing pigeons went under the hammer at Gauteng champion Harry Willson's pigeon auction at the Alberton Racing Pigeon Club recently. He's been involved with racing pigeons on and off since 1985.

Corridor disease isn't new to KZN, and respected KZN wildlife vet Dr Dave Cooper says the increasing appeal of stocking African buffalo on private game farms could be one of the factors contributing to the spread of this disease to the province's cattle.

Belgium's Herbots brothers are regarded as some of the world's top breeders, thanks to the performances of their remarkable birds, National 1 and The Leverige, writes Thomas Smit.