Sheep & Goats

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.

When one of your sheep takes first place in a major carcass competition dominated by other breeds, you are on the right track. Regina Harmse produces Ile de France on 300ha near Ermelo. On limited land, improving quality is non-negotiable, she told Gerhard Uys.

The Dorper and the White Dorper are hardy mutton breeds that can produce under suboptimal veld conditions. Achieving a high lambing rate requires fertility and conformation to breed standards. Namaqualand stud breeder Pikkie Rossouw showed Jacques Claassen how he achieves these.

PW van Heerden’s Meatmaster stud began as a crossbreeding experiment, but is now a top stud.

Van Pletzen is a well-known and highly respected name in the SA Merino wool sheep industry. Gavin Isted visited the farm Sterkfontein near Jamestown to find out why.

The much-maligned and hunted Barbary sheep may have a niche commercial value when farmed sustainably in a well-managed confined production environment. Shane Brody investigates.

Drought is a fact of life – and death – in South Africa, and the current drought is certainly no exception. Overberg sheep farmer, Thys Delport, gives practical advice on how a sheep farmer can continue farming his/her sheep in drought, and remain lucrative.

Neels Nel has been breeding Damara sheep near Groblersdal in Limpopo for almost 25 years. Today, his Krinkhout Stud, which has consistently won South African champion titles over the years, is highly respected in the industry.

Sheep milk is far richer in fat, protein and minerals than milk from cows or goats, and thus makes excellent cheese. While in the Netherlands, Jacques Claassen visited a dairy sheep farm that produces an array of organic sheep milk cheeses.

With the advent of industrial agriculture, Southern Africa’s indigenous goat breeds faced extinction. However, some farmers such as Hilton Sanders of RH Ranching Mbuzi Stud, are dedicated to ensuring that these ecotypes remain relevant, and they are doing so profitably.