Ultra-high-density grazing for sustainable beef production
As the sun slowly rises over Van Rooyenswoning farm in the Reitz area of the eastern Free State, a 500-head herd of predominantly commercial Drakensberger beef cattle lines up expectantly along a 100m-long strand of portable electric fencing. At exactly 6am, an automated system lifts the strand to above head height and, with excited bellowing and surprising bursts of speed, the cattle stream into the adjoining temporary grazing block to start grazing the maize crop residue.
This is a typical start to a day in Danie Slabbert’s ultra-high-density grazing (UHDG) system. He implemented it almost two years ago as an addition to his sustainable agriculture toolbox, which already comprised of no-till practices
