A dirty tail, pale eyelid or swollen jaw may be the first warning that parasites are already eating into a flock’s health and profitability. By the time sheep lose condition or start dying, the problem may have become far more difficult and expensive to control.

As water resources dwindle on his family farm near Mooketsi in Limpopo, Dr Doug Reed has shifted away from crops and towards adaptable, low-input Nguni cattle. Clayton Swart visited the Modjadji Nguni Stud to learn why fertility, longevity, and adaptability underpin Reed’s breeding philosophy.

The Dormer sheep breed has a proud South African heritage, but more importantly, it remains deeply relevant in today’s modern agricultural landscape.

Conservation and economic development in the SA wildlife industry do not have to be opposing forces, according to Kgomotso Maphai, director of marketing at Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA). He was speaking during the North West Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Women’s Month High Tea in Rustenburg. Here is an adaptation of his speech.

More young women are entering South Africa’s stud and livestock sector, which remains largely male. Charlize Meintjes, who manages the Ankole, Boran, and game enterprises at Sterkfontein Farms in Gauteng and North West, spoke to Henning Naudé about finding her way into farming through an unexpected route and earning credibility in a competitive stud environment.

The dry period plays a major role in determining a cow’s health, fertility, and productivity after calving. Detecting and addressing problems at this stage can reduce post-calving disease and involuntary culling, limit milk losses, and improve reproductive performance.