Protect your cattle against brucellosis
All involved with cattle farming and milk processing must work together to control and eradicate this disease.
Advice on how to mark your livestock
Marking your livestock proves ownership, and it's part of the record keeping that's essential if your farming enterprise is to survive and do well.
Get the best value from your abattoir
A misunderstanding about how prices are determined can leave a farmer seething at the abattoir. Here are some guidelines from Estelle van Reenen of Sparta Beef in Welkom, where 700 to 1 100 animals are slaughtered daily.
Safe slaughtering
The formal red meat sector is structured and organised in such a manner that the consumer is guaranteed a good product.
What is lumpy-skin disease?
Lumpy-skin disease (LSD) is a viral disease of cattle typically characterised by nodules or lumps on the skin.
Dealing with diseases in goats
As livestock farming becomes more intensive, greater health problems will inevitably occur, increasing animal health costs on farms, warns Johan Steyn from Boer Goats SA.
The basics of Johne’s disease
Also called paratuberculosis, this is a contagious, chronic and sometimes fatal infection that affects cattle, sheep, goats and certain game species.
Managing the kidding process
Knowing how to handle a kidding doe and new kids can put a young goat on its way to a productive life, says Johan Steyn from Boer Goats SA.
Rabies: a potential killer
Rightly feared worldwide, rabies is spread from animals to humans and is invariably fatal. If exposure is suspected, a vaccine should always be administered.
Breeding season for goats
A well-planned breeding season can increase profit, says Johan Steyn of Boer Goats SA.
Dealing with anthrax
This is a highly contagious disease of domestic and wild animals that can affect humans.
Goat farming: nutrition and veld management
Feed and grazing management can make all the difference to a goat farm’s profitability, says Johan Steyn.
Indigenous sheep and goat breeds list
Some South African sheep and goat breeds enjoy commercial status, while others are vulnerable and even endangered, says Leon Kruger of the ARC-Animal Production Institute.
Goat production: Weaning kids
It’s important to wean kids so ewes can regain the condition they lost during pregnancy and be ready to breed again.
Farming with Angora goats
The upswing in the Mohair market has again got many farmers interested in Angora goats. But they should do their homework before venturing into this branch of smallstock farming, warns Roelof Bezuidenhout.
Rodent control
Rodents can cut into your profits – and spread disease. Paul Donovan discusses ways of preventing this from happening.
Brucellosis biosecurity
This highly contagious zoonotic disease of cattle continues to be of great concern, says Dr Sewellyn Davey, State Veterinarian, Western Cape.
Anti-venom basics
Using anti-venom has its disadvantages, but in the right hands, and at the right time, it is life-saving.
The basics of heritability – Part 3
Genetic markers, selection and cross-breeding play a role in improving profitability in pigs, says Prof Cheryl McCrindle of the University of Pretoria.
Europe’s influence on South African cattle
A wide variety of cattle breeds are seen in South Africa today, says Theo Oosthuizen.
