Sheep & Goats

Elnora Crous explains to Glenneis Kriel how laparoscopic insemination has helped to accelerate genetic progress in the Dohne Merino stud on their family farm, Jongensklip, near Caledon.

Sexually transmitted animal diseases and a lack of vaccines are the foremost challenges facing Northern Cape livestock producers. Annelie Coleman asked Dr Koos Louw, chairperson of the provincial Red Meat Producers’ Organisation’s (RPO NC) Animal Health Forum, to explain.

Award-winning goat’s cheese and milk producer, Christo Venter, believes A-grade goat’s milk is needed to produce cheese of distinction. He told Gerhard Uys how veld-reared milk goats can supply the high-quality milk needed to achieve this.

Tink Strydom’s Hartebeesfontein Stud produces Merinos that excel on grassveld and have good medium to strong wool. He spoke to Gavin Isted.

Dr Erika van Zyl discusses alternative manners in which to deal with parasites in smallstock.

Farmers are often deterred by the challenges of an intensive sheep farming enterprise. Wayne Southwood visited Dr Karin and Manie Wessels who run the Mamre Dorper Stud near Vrede, to see how it is done.

For four generations, the Jordaan family has been dedicated to advancing the Boer goat breed.

Rooibos tea is currently selling at record levels of about R46/kg, but prices were below R5/kg only six years ago. To reduce his exposure to the volatility of the market, Willem Engelbrecht of Groenkol Boerdery, diversified into intensive sheep production. Glenneis Kriel spoke to him about how he adapted a model from the US.

Boer goat stud breeder Johan Boshoff uses production data as a valuable tool to breed a new generation of goats to take his herd, the breed, and the industry forward. He explains to Gerhard Uys why this is important and how he goes about it.

SA Stud Book’s top smallstock breeder for 2015, Clynton Collett from Venterstad, plans to increase the performance of his Meatmaster stud through better selection based on reproductive performance.

The legendary Wauldby Dohne Merino Stud from the Amabele area near Stutterheim in the Eastern Cape was founded by Deemie Blaine in 1947. Mike Burgess visited Blaine’s grandson, Robbie, a finalist in the 2015 National Sheep Farmer of the Year competition, to find out how he continues to farm his stud in this challenging environment.

A passionate farmer committed to a scientific approach, Paul Collett won the Agri SA Toyota Young Farmer of the Year award for the Eastern Cape. Lourens Schoeman visited him on Speelmanskop to learn more about his operation.