How intensive sheep farmers can improve traceability and profit
Intensive sheep farming has given eastern Free State farmer Gareth Angus the opportunity to increase his lambs’ survival rate, boost profits and ensure traceability from birth to farm gate, while...
Commercialising communal goat farming in KwaZulu-Natal
Since 1975, a rural development project in KwaZulu-Natal has been helping communal farmers improve their production of indigenous goats. Today, these farmers are focused on herd health and adopting technology...
Using the drought to up your game
The Northern Cape’s Williston district is sheep country through and through, but six years of drought have made extensive sheep farming here desperately difficult. Wouter Kriel spoke to producer Hannes...
Sexed semen: a game changer for Damara stud
Using sexed semen in an artificial insemination programme carries a 90% assurance that the surrogate animal will deliver offspring of the desired sex. Annelie Coleman spoke to Damara farmer Stan...
Farming successfully on communal land
Juhillin van Wyk grew up on a Northern Cape farm, and today runs a flock of Dorper sheep on communal land near Williston. He spoke to Wouter Kriel about what...
Starting a Boer goat stud on a 10ha farm
Jonathan Carlson started working on his dream of becoming a farmer straight after he finished school: he made and sold neck clamps for cattle to raise the funds he would...
Sheep farmer creates her own work and success
Emily Kok, a Karoo sheep farmer and winner of several carcass competitions, spoke to Wouter Kriel about the challenges of communal farming on government-owned land, and how she is overcoming...
Kalahari Red goats: A solid reputation built on great genetics
Kalahari Red goat farmer Eddie Goosen is building his stud by buying animals from breeders who can prove full traceability of their lineage. He spoke to Lindi Botha about his...
Sheep farming: the best ways to reduce lamb losses
Farmers suffer their greatest sheep losses before weaning, with the majority of lamb deaths occurring during the first 10 days after birth, and more than 20% during the first three...
Partnerships prove a winner for new mohair producer
Going from a part-time communal farmer to a full-time commercial producer is easier said than done. Eastern Cape farmer Sindile Lloyd James spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how he overcame...
From subsistence to commercial success for Meatmaster breeder
Ga-Mothapo farmer Thabana Mokgohloa grew up looking after his family’s livestock, and in 2009 took over the running of his parents’ farm. With his focus on maize and sheep, he...
The Boer goat mentor who’s changing lives
Stud Boer goat breeder Desré Ferreira from Vryburg in North West provides a valuable support network to developing and commercial Boer goat farmers. She started mentoring a group of about...
Painted Persian sheep demand a handsome profit
The demand for multicoloured Persian sheep in the Middle East has helped Northern Cape breeder Koenie Kotzé endure the drought. Annelie Coleman reports on how he discovered this market.
Northern Cape sheep farmer’s lessons from the drought
The devastating drought in the Northern Cape that lasted from 2018 to 2020 taught award-winning new sheep farmer Etienne van Wyk many lessons about sustainable farming. Annelie Coleman visited him...
Managing a sheep flock before, during and after drought
Prof Tertius Brand, a scientist in animal nutrition at the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute, shares advice on how to manage a sheep flock during and after a drought in order...
High demand for Boer goat meat brings opportunity
André and Brenda Swanepoel started farming Boer goats as a part-time activity on their smallholding in Mpumalanga. In no time at all, they found themselves running a thriving commercial operation,...
Productive ewes: the bedrock of the Jordaan Merino stud
Andrew Jordaan Jr of Spekboomberg farm in Cradock in the Eastern Cape was named the Voermol National Sheep Farmer of the Year in 2018. Mike Burgess spoke to him about...
Breeding wireworm-resistant Meatmasters
Through rigorous selection, Meatmaster stud breeder Nico Grobler from North West has succeeded in significantly reducing wireworm infestation in his Kern Meatmaster flock. This has enabled him to run the...
Onions to the rescue of a sheep farmer!
Diversifying to vegetable seed production has enabled Karoo sheep farmer PF Theron to reduce his climatic and production risks while greatly improving profitability. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how he...
Intensive sheep farm achieves 180% per year weaning rate
Sheep production has become a numbers game, with an operation’s profitability being largely dependent on the farmer’s ability to produce large numbers of sheep at low cost. Farm manager Dirk...
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