How to Livestock

Optimal reproductive performance is crucial to the success of a beef cattle enterprise. A defined breeding season can help to achieve this.

To maximise kilograms of meat or wool produced per hectare, it is crucial to maintain a farm’s carrying capacity during winter. This invariably means producing high-quality stored fodder, and making sure there is enough of it. Deal Miles, a beef, mutton and wool farmer in the Cedarville area of the Eastern Cape, outlined his methods of achieving this to Lloyd Phillips.

These fat-tailed sheep, which are smaller than average, are kept for meat. They appear in various combinations of white, brown, red and black.

With the increasing spread of infectious diseases, biosecurity needs to be taken seriously on every livestock farm.

Discrepancies between estimated breeding values and livestock performance have led some farmers to doubt the accuracy of these values. They are, in fact, excellent indicators, but animals may not be able to reach their genetic potential.

In this article, Dr Louis du Pisani, national manager for production advice and development at the National Wool Growers’ Association, explains how to carry out post-drought recovery and reconstruction of a livestock enterprise to achieve optimal, lasting results.

This deadly zoonosisis a real threat to all warm-blooded animals.

Foot-and-mouth disease has drastically reduced South Africa beef exports, as importing countries buy animals and animal by-products only from FMD-free countries.

The sweet thorn tree has been appearing in increasing numbers. Yet this ‘invader’ should be welcomed by farmers, as it provides year-round feed and shelter, writes Roelof Bezuidenhout.

This article examines how to breed and feed chickens properly, as well as how to maintain good hygiene in order to keep the birds healthy and productive.

This indigenous fat-rumped meat breed does well in arid semi-desert, savanna bushveld and coastal spekboom veld. The lambs mature early.

Keeping sheep and cattle in top shape requires careful management and a balancing act between eliminating vectors and avoiding resistance build-up to medication. Lindi Botha spoke to veterinarian and MD of RuVASA Dr Faffa Malan about how to maintain a healthy livestock enterprise.