Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just

$149.99

$74.99/Year

Try GOLD - Free

Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just

$NaN

$NaN/Year

Hurry, Limited Period Offer!

Hours

minutes

seconds

Stockfarm Magazine - February 2026

Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Read Stockfarm along with 10,000+ other magazines & newspapers with just one subscription

View Catalog

1 Month

$14.99

1 Year $149.99

$74.99

$6/month

Save 50%
Hurry, Offer Ends in 3 Days

Hurry! Offer ends in

71 Hours

45 Mins

53 Secs

(OR)

Subscribe only to Stockfarm

Gift Stockfarm

Cancel Anytime.

(No Commitments) ⓘ

If you are not happy with the subscription, you can email us at help@magzter.com within 7 days of subscription start date for a full refund. No questions asked - Promise! (Note: Not applicable for single issue purchases)

Digital Subscription

Instant Access ⓘ

Subscribe now to instantly start reading on the Magzter website, iOS, Android, and Amazon apps.

Verified Secure

payment ⓘ

Magzter is a verified Stripe merchant.

In this issue

Meat’s freshness from store to table Koos Kooy: Testing the limits with genetic progress Ewe synchronisation ensures progress: Nova Barletta Eastern Cape dairy legends honoured Tax season • Lucerne hay quality • Land reform can work • Ticks in autumn Dairy farm audits • Shearer training • Ewe nutrition • Silage chop length Asiatic redwater • Mastitis in dairy cows

Tax season: Strike a balance between the good and the bad

As the end of the tax year approaches, it is always prudent to ensure that your affairs are in order ahead of filing your tax returns later in the year. Equally important is staying informed about recent regulatory tax changes that may affect your farming business, whether positively or negatively.

5 mins

Slow Cruisers and slower demerits

One month into what many predict will be a year of big geopolitical changes, we are happy to report that our little sheep farm is still peacefully following the instructions of Psalm 37.

3 mins

Shearer training for improved performance

Lungani Maqakalana has sheep shearing in his blood. Both his father and uncle were shearers, and from a young age he aspired to follow in their footsteps.

4 mins

Dairy farm audits: Best practice for sustainability

During a recent webinar presented by the Dairy Standard Agency (DSA), the organisation's operations manager and food safety management system (FSMS) auditor, Tania Blignaut, outlined how the DSA’s audit programme continues to adapt in a changing environment.

2 mins

From store to table: How long does meat stay fresh?

When meat shelf-life guidelines are followed diligently, they guarantee a safe and enjoyable eating experience. Ignoring them, however, can result in an unexpected trip to the hospital.

5 mins

Profitability of niche meat markets: What producers need to know

South African livestock producers are often not adequately compensated for meat that meets the standards of organic, veld-finished, or free-range production. However, opportunities exist in foreign markets that can offer better returns, provided these markets are successfully accessed.

5 mins

Testing the limits with genetic progress

Koos and his wife, Nada, live on Misty Heights, a farm near the small town of Mooi River. Koos is the general manager of De Heus South Africa, while Nada is an industrial engineer. His journey with De Heus began when Nada accepted a position in the Netherlands, giving the family the opportunity to live in Europe for several years.

4 mins

From lease to livelihood: Land reform success

South Africa's land reform programme, launched in the 1990s, was designed to undo centuries of dispossession and create meaningful opportunities for black producers in commercial agriculture. Nearly three decades on, the programme has struggled to generate large numbers of successful, independent black commercial producers. Yet across the country, stories of perseverance and progress challenge the dominant narrative of failure.

4 mins

The dynamics of the South African lucerne hay industry: Grading and quality

In the January issue of Stockfarm, part one of this series explored the role of lucerne hay in South Africa's animal feed industry.

5 mins

The grazing paradox: Towards better data

Producers are often under pressure to reassess their grazing strategies and consider dramatic management changes aimed at sustainability.

5 mins

Ewe nutrition for a healthy lamb crop

Producers widely acknowledge that the success of any sheep enterprise depends heavily on the potential and management of the farm’s female animals.

4 mins

Molatek phosphate supplementation in livestock

Phosphate supplementation is essential in maintaining optimal production and reproduction in your cattle and sheep, and especially when they are grazing on green pastures.

1 mins

Does chop length really matter?

Chop length is a critical factor in producing successful silage. Mistakes made during this initial stage can have lasting, irreparable effects.

2 mins

Ewe synchronisation ensures better management and genetic progress

“The building blocks of our flock are fertility, genetics, and maternal traits,” says Lodie van Reenen of the Nova Barletta Dormer Stud near Clocolan in the Eastern Free State. The stud takes its name from the farm on which it is based and is part of Zuikerkop Boerdery, which also houses a Hereford stud, a commercial cattle herd, Merino stud, grain division, and a mill in town.

5 mins

Boer goat management: Nutrition

Ensuring proper daily nutrition should be a top priority for anyone aiming to maintain a successful Boer goat flock. These animals remain in continuous production cycles and therefore require balanced nutrition throughout the year, tailored to each production phase. This will allow them to kid optimally.

3 mins

Managing breeding stock and unsold weaner calves

Persistent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) have dealt a severe blow to the South African cattle industry.

1 mins

Functional efficiency in small stock

Functional efficiency, the combination of structural soundness, adaptability, mobility, mothering ability, and reproductive capability, is as important as genetic merit for economically important, measurable traits.

3 mins

Asiatic redwater: The role of vaccination and disease reporting

Redwater is an important disease in South Africa, and is responsible for significant losses and rapid onset of deaths among cattle. Its continual spread into new regions poses a serious threat to livestock health and productivity.

3 mins

Place these ticks on your autumn watch list

Heavy tick infestations and an increase in the incidence of tickborne diseases such as redwater, gallsickness, and heartwater remain a serious challenge for livestock producers in South Africa, particularly when environmental conditions favour these parasites. Effective control strategies and sound management practices are therefore essential.

2 mins

Tackle mastitis in dairy COWS

Mastitis is one of the most significant challenges in the dairy industry, reducing milk yield and overall profitability.

5 mins

Litigation:

The value of class action

2 mins

Misuse of an employer's property

An employer's property is an integral part of the business infrastructure. Any loss, damage, accidental misuse, intentional misuse, or waste of this property constitutes serious misconduct, placing unnecessary strain on the employer to repair or replace it.

2 mins

Read all Stories from Stockfarm