Protect your silage from mycotoxin mayhem

Some filamentous fungi are able to grow in food and produce toxic secondary metabolites known as mycotoxins.

A Look At Silage Quality

Silage is an important source of feed for the dairy and beef cattle finishing industry.

The Ins And Outs Of On-Farm Lambing Pens

There are two prominent schools of thought in sheep farming: One is in favour of the use of lambing pens and the other believes that ewes must lamb in the veld without human intervention.

The Building Blocks Of A New Life: Little By Little Goes A Long Way

Eighteen years in jail for armed robbery taught Solomon Molefe one thing: Life is precious and short, and it should never be wasted.

The 2020 Silage King: Simpson & Son Farming

The winners in the seventh Plaas Media Santam Agriculture National Silage Competition were announced during a virtual presentation in Centurion, Gauteng.

Patrick Sekwatlakwatla: Unsung Agri Hero

Patrick Sekwatlakwatla, head of transformation at the Sernick Group outside Edenville in the Free State, can hold an audience in the palm of his hand, creating an atmosphere of lighthearted goodwill and unity. I realised this when I first saw him in action at a Sernick emerging farmers’ day. He is witty, authoritative and hugely compassionate while directing proceedings, and he makes everybody feel welcome and special.

The Do's And Don'ts Of Tail Docking

Tail docking is usually performed in sheep and involves both surgical and non-surgical methods to shorten or remove the tail.

Sarah Green: A Young Female Farmer's View On Livestock Farming

After qualifying as an occupational therapist at the University of Pretoria and practicing in Johannesburg for six years, 29-year-old Sarah Green moved back to the family farm, Harmony, near Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal earlier this year.

Keeping Your Livestock Cool During Summer

The summer months are usually the period during which producers must devise plans to keep their livestock cool.

Condition Assessment: A Useful Management Tool

The production potential of sheep is highly dependent on the availability of energy and protein in particular.

Trends in the 2020 silage competition: Maize raises the bar

As was the case in previous years, the 2020 Plaas Media and Santam Agriculture National Silage Competition once again saw good participation nationwide. This despite the setbacks brought on by COVID-19 that brought many companies and industries to their knees. According to Prof Robin Meeske, chairperson of the competition’s protocol committee, the competition received a total of 64 maize, seven sorghum and 13 oats silage entries.

A Merino Stud With Its Feet Firmly On The Ground

Earlier this year Stockfarm visited the dry winter landscape of Dordrecht where Peter Cloete and his son, David, manage the Pine Grove Merino Stud.

The How And Why Of Dehorning Cattle

Cattle are dehorned to keep them from hurting one another, to reduce the risk to workers, simplify transportation, free up trough space, and to give both dominant and subordinate animals an equal chance to feed.

Six Basic Behavioural Traits In Cattle

Cattle exhibit various behavioural traits that require close observation.

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.

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.

Considerations When Erecting Pens And Camps

Livestock farmers don’t have the luxury of wasting time.

Building A Farm Through Diversity And Training

Mavis and Pienaar Mtlokwa farm on Java between Kestell and Harrismith.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.