Business
Stockfarm
Six Basic Behavioural Traits In Cattle
Cattle exhibit various behavioural traits that require close observation.
5 min |
November 2020
Stockfarm
Creating Standards For The Live Export Of Sheep By Sea
The live export of sheep from South Africa to Kuwait had until that point been at the centre of a legal struggle between the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) and Al Mawashi, a Kuwaiti-based livestock trading company.
6 min |
November 2020
Stockfarm
Irrigation: Choosing The Correct System Ensures Success
Agriculture is a sector in which the judicious application of water is crucial, but South African producers have learned from the best over the years – think Israel, which is a desert area for the most part.
4 min |
November 2020
Stockfarm
Considerations When Erecting Pens And Camps
Livestock farmers don’t have the luxury of wasting time.
5 min |
November 2020
Stockfarm
Building A Farm Through Diversity And Training
Mavis and Pienaar Mtlokwa farm on Java between Kestell and Harrismith.
5 min |
November 2020
Stockfarm
Feed Technology In The Milking Parlour
There are two ways in which the use of feed management technology in the milking parlour can have a considerable impact on profit margins.
5 min |
November 2020
Stockfarm
REDWATER: The parasites that take no prisoners
Each year ticks cause significant losses in terms of reduced productivity and fertility, as well as mortality in livestock.
3 min |
November 2020
Stockfarm
Water use licences and appeals: Reconceptualising the application process
In June this year, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) committed itself to fast-tracking water use licences, promising meaningful engagement with all stakeholders in a bid to resolve delays and issue water use licences within 90 days.
3 min |
November 2020
Stockfarm
Regenerative Farming For Naturally Produced Products
A regenerative farming system is used in North West to produce veld-reared beef, free-range chickens and eggs, and raw honey on a sustainable and profitable basis. These products are marketed under the farm’s own brand in order to add value to the farming enterprise.
4 min |
October 2020
Stockfarm
Poor Sucking Reflex In Newborn Calves
It all started with a conversation I had with a farmer who mentioned a friend who had trouble with newborn calves that were unable or unwilling to find the dam’s teats after birth. He referred to these newborns as ‘dummy calves’.
6 min |
October 2020
Stockfarm
Bush Thickening And Encroachment
Bush thickening (BT) and bush encroachment (BE) are caused by the densification of alien and indigenous woody shrub and tree species, such as Senegalia mellifera (blackthorn), Vachellia species (Senegalia and Vachellia were previously known as Acacia spp.) and Prosopis (mesquite). BE refers to instances where woody species (shrubs and trees) establish in areas where they did not previously occur, while BT is when woody species that already occur in an area become naturally denser.
4 min |
October 2020
Stockfarm
Lick Supplements: Set Your Goals For Every Season
The annual transition from winter to summer, and from summer to winter, gives rise to changes in the lick requirements of livestock. The specific region of the country in which a producer farms will ultimately determine the fundamentals of this change, but broadly speaking it boils down to the fact that livestock require a protein supplement in winter and a mineral supplement in summer, with phosphorus at the forefront of each.
5 min |
October 2020
Stockfarm
Low-Stress Cattle Handling: The Basics
Reducing stress during handling not only improves productivity, but also prevents physiological changes that lower productivity. Handling stress lowers conception rates and reduces immune and rumen function in animals. It is therefore vital for handlers to have a good grasp of livestock behaviour in order to reduce stress and injury, which in turn will lead to increased profit.
5 min |
October 2020
Stockfarm
Agricultural Training: Preparing The Next Generation Of Producers
Many students eager to enter the agricultural sector graduate from universities and agricultural colleges only to find that the professional skills they possess do not necessarily match industry requirements. This skills gap is not a reflection on the theoretical knowledge each graduate has, but rather points towards a lack of knowledge when it comes to implementing what they know.
6 min |
October 2020
Stockfarm
Good-Quality Grazing Grass Is Worth Its Weight In Gold
A livestock producer’s biggest task is to have enough grazing to feed his animals. Good-quality grazing should also be available throughout the year, when and where it suits the producer.
5 min |
October 2020
Stockfarm
Mitigating viruses in pig feed ingredients
While the world holds its breath every time a new virus breaks out, veterinary researchers in the United States (US) and Canada have become particularly interested in the role feed has to play. A team of leading experts dived into the question of how viruses might be shipped around the planet.
5 min |
October 2020
Stockfarm
Born and raised to breed cattle
Cattle has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. His grandfather and father were both cattle farmers on communal land in the vicinity of Kuruman in the Northern Cape. This is also where Christopher Melamu kept his first cattle before acquiring his own farm near Vryburg. Today he is one of the most prosperous emerging Bonsmara breeders in the region.
4 min |
October 2020
Stockfarm
Emerging farmers in the Western Cape receive bull power
Seven emerging farmers from Genadendal recently received a Bonsmara bull each from the Western Cape Department of Agriculture. This is the first of 23 bulls from the department’s bull project that will be distributed to small-scale farmers this year.
2 min |
October 2020
Stockfarm
The Role Of Organic Matter In Soil
Of all the components of soil, organic matter is probably the most important and most misunderstood. Organic matter serves as a reservoir of nutrients and water in the soil, aids in reducing compaction and surface crusting, and increases water infiltration into the soil. Yet it is often ignored and neglected.
4 min |
September 2020
Stockfarm
Crunch Those Numbers Before Planting Pastures
It is often difficult to ascertain whether planting spring grazing crops is worthwhile for a livestock farmer. Some of the most important considerations include the purpose of the grazing, how it will be utilised, and the existing resources available on the farm.
5 min |
September 2020
Stockfarm
Practical Recordkeeping For Financial Success
Business management leader, Peter Drucker, once said: “You can’t manage what you can’t measure, and if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” One can add to this that you can only measure something if you keep track of it.
5 min |
September 2020
Stockfarm
Disease Transmission Through Artificial Insemination In Cattle
Many cattle producers are looking to improve their profitability by investing in superior bulls that will drive genetic improvement and increase overall meat and milk production in their herd. Artificial insemination (AI) allows a producer to hand-pick a specific bull to be mated with a specific cow, provided the bull has been proven fertile.
6 min |
September 2020
Stockfarm
Nutritional Flushing Of Sheep
The economic pressure that sheep producers have experienced in recent times has been detrimental. To relieve this pressure, flush feeding could be used as a management tool to maximise the economic viability of producers’ sheep farming enterprises during a crucial part of production – the breeding season.
3 min |
September 2020
Stockfarm
For The Love Of Farming
Farming and rearing livestock because you love it is one thing, but without a proper marketing strategy all your efforts will be in vain. This is, however, not the case for the Molotsi family, as their proximity to the Free State town of Steynsrus means they have a market right on their doorstep.
5 min |
September 2020
Stockfarm
Marking Your Animals Is Worth Your While
There are still cattle farmers who believe the marking of their livestock is a waste of time. The truth is that this small chore has numerous advantages that will ultimately save producers a great deal of money and effort. Without reliable identification in the form of a mark, the animal cannot be traced back to the owner, which will throw his or her ownership into question.
4 min |
September 2020
Stockfarm
Analyse And Plan Before Investing In Cultivated Grazing
For many, the idea of cultivated grazing invokes an idyllic image of grasslands gently blowing in the breeze. There is also a growing number of producers who are considering expanding their livestock components and reducing the area under grain production due to the country’s erratic rainfall.
6 min |
September 2020
Stockfarm
Makgatlo: Lesotho's solution to livestock theft
Tyron Boucher with two members of the Hamasile Mokgatlo. On his left is Hlopo Mosia and on his right is Thabane Polo.
2 min |
September 2020
Stockfarm
Silage Fermentation And The Use Of Inoculants
Since the dawn of time there has been a need to provide a good quality supplementary feed source in times when grass or other forage options are limited. In modern agriculture, silage production forms an integral part of most livestock production systems.
10 min |
August 2020
Stockfarm
Sernick Bonsmaras: Selecting For Feed Conversion And Growth
When breeding female animals, the focus of your selection process should be on the improvement of reproduction and relative growth. Since nutrition (the environment) has such a huge impact on reproduction and milk production, it is crucial that enough feed is available for the cow.
5 min |
August 2020
Stockfarm
The Animal Diseases Act: What Farmers Should Know
Part 15: Control of Johne’s disease
5 min |