Getting started with dairy goats: practical tips from a farmer
Three years ago, WA Hugo started farming dairy goats on 8ha just outside Lambert’s Bay. Today, he has a herd of 150 goats and produces various cheese products. Jeandré van...
How best to feed lambs and ewes
The first phases of a lamb’s life are crucial for future growth. Kenneth Hamlett of Tau Mills spoke to Gerhard Uys about correct feeding practices for lambs and in-lamb ewes.
Merino sheep: sacrificing size for superior wool
By producing medium-framed Merino sheep with ultra-fine wool, Johan Müller can run more animals and generate as much income as producers of larger-framed animals. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about...
Strict selection the key to Boer goat meat production
Award-winning stud breeder Gerald Calitz runs a 200-strong Boer goat stud on his 70ha farm near Ventersdorp in North West. He spoke to Annelie Coleman about his breeding techniques.
Afrino sheep excels in producing mutton and wool on the veld
Hendré Calitz, the chairperson of the Afrino Sheep Breeders’ Association of South Africa, manages the Koppiesfontein Afrino Stud near Smithfield for Piet and Theo Delport of Wesselsbron. Mike Burgess visited...
Indigenous livestock perfect for small-scale farmers
Ross Rayner and his father, Roger, farm 40 Nguni cows and 35 Bosvelder-type ewes on 250ha in the Mankazana Valley near Adelaide in the Eastern Cape. Their operation is an...
For the love of Mohair
In an industry with a history of sustainability and ethics, one thing stands out more than anything else: love.
Damara sheep: No environment too tough
Since importing his first Damaras from Namibia in the late 1980s, stud breeder Frank Blumenthal has firmly believed in the integrity of the breed. The Free State farmer says that...
World champion Savanna goat breeder’s winning formula
World champion Savanna goat breeder Koenie Kotzé believes in strict selection, the best possible genetics, and top conformation and type. Annelie Coleman visited him on his farm Niekerkshoop in the...
Indigenous veld goats: A family’s profitable passion
Indigenous Veld Goat breeder Erik de Witt is following his dream of preserving indigenous livestock breeds. Sabrina Dean visited him and learnt that with innovative marketing, it is also possible...
Precision breeding with extensively farmed Merinos
Stefan Erasmus, the 2017 Toyota/AgriSA Eastern Cape Young Farmer, has boosted his Merino weaning rate more than 30% by lambing in a closed system. Mike Burgess visited him near Middelburg...
Eastern Cape’s world-class student Angora stud
The Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute (GADI) Student Angora Stud is accustomed to accolades; it produced, for example, the South African Champion Ram at the 2009 International Mohair Summit in Graaff-Reinet....
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...
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,...
New Zealand’s new fatter, healthier, tastier Te Mana sheep
A decade of intense research and development in New Zealand, involving geneticists, food technologists and more than 50 farmers, has led to a new breed of lamb that is claimed...
Bergplaas Merino Stud: lessons that keep it in the lead
In 2013, Farmer’s Weekly reported on the Bergplaas Merino Stud in the Eastern Cape. Gavin Isted recently paid the farm another visit in recognition of its 80th anniversary, and to...
Veld rearing & good dam selection: key to top Dorpers
Adél van der Merwe’s Plusline Dorper Stud was a 2016 Stud Book Elite Awards finalist. Mike Burgess visited her on Pinegrove, in the Eastern Cape, to find out how she...
Merino farming family shares recipe for success
The Southey family of Middelburg in the Eastern Cape has a long legacy of Merino sheep farming. Generations of dedication paid off last year when Julian Southey was named the...
A successful Boer goat stud in the Hantam Karoo
Careful management and marketing are both crucial in Boer goat production. Pip Nieuwoudt of Nama Stud, the oldest Boer goat stud in the Western Cape, spoke to Jeandré du Preez...
The finest Merinos in SA bred using genetic extremes
The Fairworld Merino Stud in the Eastern Cape has been at the forefront of genetic fine wool production in South Africa for over a century. It holds the current South...
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