Livestock and game
Transition successfully from winter to summer
As the seasons change and the first summer rains bring new pasture growth, livestock producers often look forward to improved grazing conditions. However, the transition from winter grazing to lush summer grazing is a critical management period that can significantly influence animal health, production and profitability. During the winter,[...]
The true cost of weaning stress in an extensive beef cattle production system
Leo Roets is a cattle farmer from Piet Plessis in the North West province of South Africa. Leo has been farming Bovelder cattle since 1996 in a family business with his father and father-in-law. He farms with about 650 cattle on about 5 000 hectares of natural grazing in[...]
Early chick mortality part 2: MANAGEMENT AND NATURAL CAUSES
Poor management is a significant cause of early chick mortality. To keep your flock alive and healthy, your management practices should be extremely sound. Chicks reared in poorly managed brooding houses won’t be able to reach their full genetic potential. The following are some of the management blunders farmers[...]
A practical cattle handling system from Algar Ind BK
Good cattle handling starts long before an animal reaches the crush. A well-planned system must guide movement, reduce pressure on workers, limit unnecessary stress on the animal and keep the flow of cattle controlled from the holding area through to treatment, sorting or loading. This is where Algar Ind[...]
Early chick mortality part 1: Causes and remedies
Chicks are very frail and vulnerable, especially during the first few weeks of their life. Hence, it is imperative to have sound management to keep your flock alive and healthy. However, early chick mortality cannot be completely avoided even if our management is robust and the quality of the[...]