How to Livestock

This sexually transmitted disease could be the reason your lamb crop is smaller than expected. Roelof Bezuidenhout offers advice on prevention.

Chickens must be provided with a warm, dry sleeping area, and plenty of fresh, clean water.

A vaccine against wireworm has become a vital tool in helping to control the disease and thereby reduce contamination of pasture by the eggs of the parasite.

The Boer goat, which is bred primarily for meat, is farmed very effectively in combination with cattle due to its browsing ability and its limited impact on the grass cover.

This locally developed, dual-purpose meat and white wool breed thrives in semi-arid regions.

This breed matures early, producing meat with a high ratio of lean meat to fat. This makes it an attractive proposition to the modern consumer.

Ngunis have excellent breeding potential, renowned resistance to tick-borne livestock diseases, and outstanding maternal ability. But feedlots often offer unattractive prices for them. Crossbreeding may solve the problem.

The Kalahari Red breed has a fine head, lob ears, round horns that are bent backwards, and tender meat.

In most developing countries, salmonella is a major cause of illness and death in children under the age of five, warns Zimbini Mdlulwa, a researcher at the Agricultural Research Council.

Diseases can result in huge financial losses for a livestock farmer. Any potential problems should therefore be treated as soon as possible.

Rabbits are inexpensive to keep and produce high- quality protein. They can also be housed in a small space, making them ideal for the small-scale farmer.

The present genetic stock of these dairy goats in South Africa originated from animals imported from Switzerland in 1951. Their milk is used to produce a variety of hard and...