Sheep & Goats

Communal and emerging wool farmers produce 12% of the national clip. One of these is Nophumzile Sithole in Naledi, between Sterkspruit and Lady Grey. She is a regular contributor to the provincial wool clip and has been congratulated by the National Wool Growers’ Association (NWGA) for the quality of wool she provides.

Is there a place for the hardy Tankwa feral goat in smallstock production? Roelof Bezuidenhout investigates.

Freddie Peters has combined the best qualities of two breeds to establish the Meatmaster breed.

Dewormer resistance in small ruminants has increased worldwide. Veterinary scientist David Bartram provided an insight into this problem at the recent World Merino Conference.

In the second part of a two-part series on managing sheep nutrition, Dr Francois van de Vyver takes a closer look at various economically efficient methods of readying slaughter lambs for markets and feedlots.

Once a ewe’s maintenance nutrient requirements have been met, nutrients can be effectively channelled to achieve optimum production. Dr Francois van de Vyver looks at nutrient requirements during the crucial production stages of the breeding ewe.

The first person to successfully commercialise Merino farming in South Africa was Michiel van Breda. He started farming Merino in 1817 on the historical Zoetendals Vallei farm in the Overberg near Cape L’Agulhas.

Goat farming is central to the economy of the Bakgatla Ba Kgafela Traditional Authority (BBKTA) in North West. A project to improve the local goat herds through world-class genetics is now underway. Annelie Coleman spoke to BBKTA leader Kgosi Nyalala Pilane.

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 South Africa’s first recognised milk sheep breed. Mike Burgess spoke to her about pioneering the SA sheep milk industry and the impact that fat-tailed Awassi sheep may have on its future.

By integrating their clients as partners in the marketing chain, these breeders face the problems in the industry head on.

The Schoonheid Boer Goat flock began as a sideline on the Kriek family’s farm near Amalia in North West. Since then, strict selection and the introduction of top genetics have developed the flock into an award-winning stud that has produced world champions.

Hannes Eksteen and his son Lochner run the largest Pedi sheep flock in the Western Cape and find that this productive, problem-free breed gives excellent returns. Jay Ferreira reports.

The Bergplaas Merino stud in the highlands of the north Eastern Cape was established in 1936 by Frikkie Nel and is today managed by his grandson, Stefan. Mike Burgess visited the farm, Prospect, to better understand how Merinos have sustained and defined the Nel family for almost 80 years.

When Ross Rayner started farming near Adelaide six years ago, he purchased several hardy Xhosa Lob-eared goats, an Indigenous Veld Goat ecotype. Producing quality kapaters off the veld has defined Ross’s pioneering farming venture. Mike Burgess reports.

The Dormer, one of the most popular mutton sheep breeds in SA today, has an interesting history.

Well-known Merino stud breeder Eddie Prinsloo has diversified into Dormer sheep and is getting excellent results with this dual-purpose breed.

Most of South Africa’s livestock reportedly occur in communal areas, but few generate income.

This year, Hilson Shuman produced his 60th wool clip. He is as passionate about his Merinos as he was in 1952 when the death of his father, Ken, put him in charge of the farm Grey Craig near Queenstown in the Eastern Cape. Mike Burgess reports.

A health setback for Alastair Catto, and Marianne Joos’s longing for goat milk cheese produced in Switzerland, brought this duo together in a partnership that would see them raking up cheese awards for their Goat Peter dairy. Lindi van Rooyen spoke to them about producing goat milk cheese for the most discerning palate.

As many extensive farmers in the Karoo know, raising lambs successfully can be an enormous challenge. Farmer Flippie Loock from the Middelburg district knew he had to find an alternative, so eight years ago he started farming with Savannah goats. Heather Dugmore visited him.