Bovins domestiques

Most people don’t put enough effort into calf training. They say, “You’re either born with big calves or not. It’s all genetics.” Yes, calves are stubborn. But so is your girlfriend, and you haven’t given up on her yet. Right? Try a five-second pause

When a large milk buyer decided in 2001 that it was no longer worth its while to collect the milk from small dairies in the Western Cape’s Droëvlakte area, the Kasselman family of Klein Soebattersvlakte, en route to Stilbaai, decided to help out. At

New research from Michigan State University in the US demonstrates significant improvements in cow productivity with specific fatty acid supplementation through early lactation. The concept of feeding fat in dairy rations is nothing new; the energy-d

Each morning after milking their cows, the female dairy farmers of Zambia used to walk for an hour and a half to reach the nearest depot, by which point the milk had often spoiled and lost value. Enter Onyx Connect, a tech start-up offering women pay

Champion credentials Warden of The Fishmongers' Company (www.fishmongers.org.uk)and New England Seafood founder I suppose you could say that the sea is my countryside. What gets me out of bed every morning is the world of fishing, plus I’m passionat

Pretoria – The Showcase Boran Sale was held in Murrayhill on 29 May. The highest price of the day was achieved by the bull GLB 15 08, which was sold by Groenland Borane in Koppies to DJ Pretorius of Moorreesburg for R110 000. Bulls were sold for an a

Homeostasis is the tendency of a body to maintain a stable internal environment in response to changes in external conditions. On a very hot day, for example, an animal will instinctively seek to maintain stability by keeping in the shade, drinking m

A legal case spanning more than seven years, involving a cow leasing arrangement, has finally been concluded with the accused in the case, Cornelius Loggenberg, being sentenced to an effective 25 years imprisonment by the Kroonstad High Court. Ten ye

Having a breeding (and calving) season can optimise the reproductive performance of a breeding herd and the pre-wean growth rate of calves. This, in turn, can profoundly influence the profit margin of a beef cattle enterprise. The aim of a breeding s

“The Afrikaner is a low-input animal with good-quality beef. Herein lies the real value of the breed,” says Jacquies Steenkamp, who registered his Derus Afrikaner Stud in 1996. Today, he runs 240 Afrikaner female animals, half of which are registered

In agriculture, biosecurity refers to procedures to reduce the risk of infectious diseases being transmitted amongst animals. It is an important factor in the livestock industry. Symptoms of a disease may not always be obvious, especially in the earl

Livestock production systems are the world’s largest users of land resources, and the situation in Southern Africa is no different. Approximately 84% of the surface area of South Africa is available for agriculture, of which only about 13% is arable.

Like too many other black farmers in South Africa, David Rakgase of Rakgase Farms in Northam, Limpopo, has spent decades being refused the right to buy the state land he had been living and working on for decades. The 74-year-old Rakgase, who runs a

As part of my project management work in communal farming areas in the northern reaches of the Eastern Cape, I’ve noticed livestock handling facilities are either dilapidated or non-existent. This makes it difficult to hold auctions and most sales th

IF ‘a peck of March dust is worth a king’s ransom’, then what’s a whole April of dust worth? Weather lore doesn’t tell us, because it’s unprecedented, here in Galloway anyway. Of all the Aprils for it to happen, this one has been heaven-sent, as the

During a drought, a lack of drinking water is often a bigger problem for livestock than a lack of forage. Livestock are removed from pastures with adequate feed left in them because there’s no drinking water after the pond or stream dries up. Ensurin

Developing a healthy respect for animals is part of every on-the-farm education. We all have stories about the times our animals have surprised us, and not always in good ways. My mother’s childhood was populated by evil roosters and geese that made

To the question whether the Hindus ever ate beef, every Touchable Hindu, whether he is a Brahmin or a non-Brahmin, will say “no, never”. In a certain sense, he is right. From times [sic], no Hindu has eaten beef. If this is all that the Touchable Hin

I have met some outstanding trappers in my lifetime. These trappers are not only dedicated, but their attitude reflects the best qualities of true sportsmen and human beings. Most, if not all, are willing to share knowledge and help others become bet

All countries with a wildlife reservoir for BTB share a common history of a high BTB burden in cattle, which spilled over to wildlife they were in contact with. In South Africa, the most important wildlife reservoir is, without any doubt, the African

Having retired from corporate life last year, John is fully focused on the continuous development and improvement of Nondo Private Game Reserve, a 638ha safe haven for a full spectrum of smaller mammals, birds, predators and a thriving free-ranging t

BEING ATTACKED AND killed by an enraged elephant is an horrific way to die. In 1972 at the time of this incident, was a Rhodesian Department of National Parks & Wildlife Management game ranger. My area of responsibility was the Zambezi Valley’s Urung

• Certified organic goods, services or businesses are marked: • Non-certified producers are included on the implicit expectation that they share a philosophical and practical commitment to recognised standards of organic production. Organic Gardening

The recent unpredictable fluctuations of the New Zealand dairy payout price has created a burgeoning interest in grass-pasture-based dairy farming. Yet for Mark Flipp, an organic dairy farmer at Oroua Downs (Manawatu) it wasn’t a case of returning to

Email: editor@organicnz.org.nz Post: PO Box 9693, Marion Square, Wellington, 6141. I really enjoy reading Organic NZ – it’s a great and informative magazine. It’s encouraging to read about wonderful people growing organically, and the tips and advice

Advertising campaigns in the late 20th century established the myth that milk was essential to building strong bones and getting enough vitamin D—falsehoods that are still pervasive today. Because of the dairy industry’s long-standing financial ties

Practicing for roping, sorting, working cow horse, or any cattle class is challenging without, well, cattle. That was one reason Bill Riel and fiancée Emma Reichert decided to introduce cows to their small horse farm in Mechanicville, New York. Riel

Cows have been providing products for us for millennia, and are more useful to us than any other farm animal. We encounter cow products every day, whether that’s eating a beef burger, putting milk in our tea or wearing a leather jacket. Widespread ac

One of the unsung heroes of heritage livestock farming is Norris Albaugh. He has dedicated his life to bringing back an important historic cattle breed — the Native Milking Shorthorn. I had the great pleasure of meeting Norris in 2011 in my role as s

Business partners Soyama Mthongana and Athenkosi Denga, both 26, started farming in Peddie in the Eastern Cape in 2011, but only formalised their business, Lizwe Meat, in 2015. Growing up in Port Elizabeth, the pair learnt about farming from their fa