The Basic Principles Of Dry-Season Nutrition For Cattle

Dry-season nutrition for cattle is essential, especially in the summer rainfall regions and given the declining nutritional value of grassveld in the country’s interior during winter.

The Purpose And Methods Of Marking Livestock

The main reason for marking livestock is the identification of animals based on their ownership and ancestry. This is particularly important in instances of livestock theft, where producers must be able to identify their animals quickly and easily. To make the most of grazing, some producers also let their livestock intermingle with those of other producers. If cattle have been marked, it is easy to distinguish the herds from each other.

Should We Have A System To Identify Lameness In Sheep?

Facing hoof problems in a sheep flock can be overwhelming. Producers are often left to sort out hoof problems on their own. This can be partially because cattle are difficult to treat and require the help of professional hoof trimmers who can help producers to identify hoof lesions, as well as perform proper trimming.

Mineral Supplements For The Transition To Winter

Precision feeding is playing an ever-increasing role in guaranteeing the sustainability of a profitable livestock production system. Fertility is crucial for a modern livestock farming operation and nutrition is key to its success. Relying on the same summer and winter supplements year after year is no longer an option.

Your Guide To Significant Poultry Diseases

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which causes severe clinical symptoms and high mortality in poultry, poses a threat to producers in South Africa this season. Avian influenza (AI) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting several species of poultry, pet birds and wild birds.

Preparing Your Weaner Calves For The Feedlot

Excellent growth and feed efficiency are the two main traits of weaner calves that have the greatest influence on the profitability of a feedlot. The calves’ age and weight will, for the most part, be determined by the feedlot’s resources as well as their management system.

Supplements For Overwintering: Do Not Overestimate Lush Grazing

Livestock producers in large parts of the country are heading into the winter with camps full of lush grazing after widespread, good rainfall. Yet the nutritional value of this grazing can be misleading and may even put a damper on the profitability of enterprises. With the right nutritional supplements, however, this problem can be remedied.

Scan Your Sheep For Improved Management

The old adage that ‘knowledge is power’ applies to all livestock producers. To farm profitably, producers need to be aware of the status of their herds, whether the farming enterprise is operated on a commercial, extensive, intensive, stud or emerging scale.

Jan Masiu: Building A Family Business

For Jan Masiu, who used to earn his living as a farmworker in the Marquard area of the Free State for most of his life, sitting at home after retiring in 2011 was not an option. He wanted to continue farming on his own with the 75 head of cattle he managed to accumulate over the years.

How To Rehydrate The Land

In the article ‘The hidden role of water on earth’ featured in the January edition of Stockfarm, we discussed the crucial but often ignored role that water plays in making earth habitable. This article, the second in the series, provides a brief overview of the steps that can be taken to ensure that enough water is available in the right places to have a stabilising effect on the climate, which will also make the land more drought-proof.

Is The Self-Mixing Of Feed A Viable Option?

A livestock producer’s decision to either self-mix his own feed rations and licks, or buy in readymixed feed and supplements, is influenced by many factors. This decision requires careful consideration so as to determine which system will be most advantageous and cost-effective.

The health of the national herd begins on the farm

Animal diseases are an unavoidable aspect of any livestock farming enterprise and require due attention. Yet it is often overlooked, leading to major economic losses.

Triplet model creates new possibilities

Deon and Tina van Wyk’s dream of breeding a sheep ewe that regularly produces triplets throughout her productive life is delivering results. They hope that by the end of the year they will be able to make their sheep breeding model accessible to new small-scale producers who want to start a viable business.

Veld testing sets new benchmarks

The veld testing concept, as practiced in veld bull and veld ram tests under the auspices of Veld Bull and Ram Southern Africa (VBRSA), is gaining momentum and popularity, according to Dr Hannes Dreyer. He is generally regarded as the father of the veld testing concept in South Africa.

Feedlot + silage = a formidable combination

As in most industries, it is becoming increasingly difficult for an agricultural enterprise to remain profitable. Therefore producers need to be resourceful when adding value to their products. Ian Brown and his son Gordon are cattle producers in the Tlhakgameng region north of Vryburg, and are not ones to shy away from challenges. In fact, they see a challenge as an opportunity to expand their farming enterprise.

The What, How And Why Of Nitrite Poisoning

Although the atmosphere is made up of 79% nitrogen (N2), living organisms cannot utilise this form of nitrogen due to the inactive property of the gas. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil convert nitrogen into ammonia, which in turn is converted to nitrite and then nitrate by the same bacteria.

Shane Simpson: No Silver Bullet To Success

In 2020 Simpson & Son Farming was crowned the overall winner and national silage king in Plaas Media’s Santam Agriculture National Silage Competition.

Focus On Hoof Care (Part 2): Genetics And Conformation

In part 1 of this series, I explained why we often see cattle with long claws and I touched on the principles that must be kept in mind whenever the subject of feet comes up.

Free-Range Pig Farming: From Pig To Pork

Free-range pork, poultry, and other livestock products have gained popularity in recent years.

Rotational Grazing For Animal Productivity

The term ‘rotational grazing’ is very often misinterpreted and has become closely aligned with a very rigid system where decisions based on actual veld condition are rarely considered.

The production of good-quality hay

Good-quality hay is known for several properties.

Keeping Game Safe From Mineral Deficiencies And Poisoning

Game kept in intensive systems and that are moved to larger camps or open farms, can suffer from mineral deficiencies.

Piet Mothepu: Creating A Legacy

Piet Mothepu and his wife, Maria, have been farming on Kirkdale in the Koppies area of the Free State for three years.

Artificial Intelligence: Paving The Way For Traceability

It may be a weighty term, but artificial intelligence (AI) will play a significant role in the intensive beef cattle industry in future. This is according to Dr Andy Hentzen, senior lecturer at the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Onderstepoort’s Production Animal Science Department, and clinical manager of the Production Animal Clinic at Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital.

Low Stress Methods For Moving And Herding Cattle On Pastures

In order to lower stress and improve productivity, calm, quiet handling of cattle in all aspects of management is very important. There are three steps in the process of moving cattle on large pastures:

Stringent hygiene protocols can keep abscesses at bay

Sheep and goat abscesses are not only painful to the animals they affect, but can have a devastating effect on a producer’s pocket.

The Mukota: Saving the breed from extinction

The Mukota is an indigenous, domestic pig found primarily in Zimbabwe with smaller populations found in Mozambique and Zambia.

The hidden role of water on earth

Water is the most precious substance on earth, a fact which has been undisputed throughout history. Water has unique properties that are required for life. This article focuses on the importance of water in stabilising the earth’s climate.

Smallholder farmers can make it big

Smallholder farmers are usually defined as farmers who own or have access to a small plot of land on which they produce food for their own use and the market.

Rural safety: Legislation and resources

This is the second in a series of three articles focusing on different aspects of rural safety.