Stockfarm
Stockfarm is a semi-scientific magazine for commercial and aspiring commercial livestock farmers who wish to farm more profitably by applying sound farming practices. Stockfarm is calendar driven and addresses topics ranging from feed and nutrition, to animal health, crops, grazing, breeding, handling and management. Sound information for farmers who are serious about their trade.
Read Stockfarm in March 2025
Sheep farming is indeed profitable, but just how profitable is it really? And what about a mixed farming operation that includes crops? In the March issue of Stockfarm, we learn of research into the profitability of pure wool, pure mutton and mixed farming enterprises, sharing information relating to income by farm type, the lowdown on losses and risks, and even which breed is best to farm in South Africa’s Central Karoo. Also included are need-to-know articles on sheep and cattle carcass block tests and their relevance to the red meat industry, and insurance for livestock, game and grazing, among others.
Also look forward to the following articles:
- The 2024 red meat industry report.
- Managing the somatic cell counts of dairy herds.
- Central role of the Wool Forum and Wool Testing Bureau.
- RPO Western Cape puts producers first.
- Cutting-edge technology for diagnosing abortions.
- Ebbi Fischer: From weekend farmer to top breeder.
- Value of annual cultivated winter forage crops.
- Metabolic disorders: Ball and chain of the lambing season.
- Feeding for fertility: Impact of early-life nutrition.
- A useful guide to superior breeding in small stock.
- Use lambing seasons to your advantage.
- Strategic and tactical treatment of liver fluke.
- Pulpy kidney: Timeous planning for the best outcome.
- Do not abuse the Trespass Act.
- And much more!
Stockfarm is available from your nearest retailer or become a subscriber today! To subscribe phone Beauty Mthombeni on 064 890 6941 or SMS ‘Subscribe’ and your phone number to 064 890 6941 and we will get back to you. The magazine is also available at www.magzter.com and can be downloaded as an interactive flipbook at digimags.agriorbit.com. Download the online PDF version here.
Read articles from Stockfarm
On buying a cheaper Chinese vehicle
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Gert, our farm mechanic, often gets consulted by young staff needing advice on a used car they want to buy....
Damage caused by game: Who is legally liable?
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
This raises the question as to whether someone can be held legally liable for damage that has already occurred, and...
The Eastern Cape Boer Goat Club’s veld ram project: A balanced...
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Rams in the adaptation phase need to adapt to changing grazing and climate conditions.
Upon completing the adaptation phase, rams are...
Animal disease trends in January 2025
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
The overall driver of disease trends during January 2025 was fast changing environmental factors. Interactions between the following main factors...
Keep your herd redwater free
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Redwater remains a pressing issue, especially in South African cattle herds, says Dr Hanri Bester-Cloete, state veterinarian at the Bloemfontein...
Effective worm control in sheep
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Worms pose a significant threat to sheep, making effective control measures essential for flock health and productivity. Dr Takula Tshuma,...
The Unemployment Insurance Act and the employer’s responsibilities
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Employers and employees contribute to the fund, and employees who become unemployed, or their beneficiaries where this may be the...
Spot the culprits to prevent sweating sickness
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Bont legged ticks are a familiar sight in South Africa, often leaving a trail of disease and complications in its...
Greater predator numbers, bigger problems
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Role-players in the livestock industry are concerned about the increase in large and foreign predators that have been killing off...
Ewe synchronisation: Understand the breeding cycle
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Some breeders do not want to interfere with nature and prefer to leave a ram with the ewes so that...
Unravelling the forage quality of pasture mixtures under grazing
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Plantain, if maintained at 60% in a pasture mixture, can improve forage quality and milk production.
A kikuyu-ryegrass pasture see-saws dramatically...
The consequences of not reporting livestock theft
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
South Africa is unique in publishing official livestock theft statistics, including the number of animals stolen and recovered, as part...
Predation takes on new dimensions
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Jackals and caracals remain Karoo livestock producers’ greatest concern, with their numbers appearing to have increased since rain broke the...
Guard against eye diseases in livestock
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Hot, humid summer conditions in South Africa create an ideal environment for the spread of eye diseases in cattle and...
Soil and cattle health: Is there an association?
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Regenerative farming principles, such as minimizing soil disturbance, maximizing plant diversity, keeping soil covered, maintaining living roots, and integrating livestock,...
Effect of prolonged drought on livestock numbers in the Central Karoo
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
The recent drought in the Central Karoo started in the first half of 2015 and lasted until October 2021. Scientists...
Tips for making the best hay
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Making hay is expensive, which is why every producer should strive for high-quality hay.
Unevenly fertilised hayfields impact yield and quality,...
Silage crown finds a new home in Mpumalanga
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Technology, knowledgeable workers and high-yielding fields are the three top ingredients in the TW (Te Water) Group’s recipe for success.
The...
Troublesome livestock diseases: Reporting reveals trends
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Veterinarian Network, in collaboration with RuVASA and RMIS, manages the national disease reporting system, which relies on private veterinarians reporting...
Save money with polished diesel
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
The one expense on my farm that gives the highest returns from better management is not something simple such as...
Six ways to end the employment relationship
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Termination of employment in South Africa is primarily governed by the Labour Relations Act, 1955, and case law, requiring employers...
Mediation in terms of the new Land Court Act
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
The Land Court Act, 2023, which came into effect on 5 April, replaces the former Land Claims Court and repeals...
Alternative energy in the agricultural landscape
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Solar power is becoming increasingly popular due to the country’s abundant sunshine and the rising costs associated with the electricity...
How to become a stud breeder
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Registering your stud animals requires meticulous breeding, selection, record-keeping and management practices.
Stud breeders have a great responsibility on their shoulders.
Through...
Only an effective vaccination plan can prevent lumpy skin disease
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Every year producers suffer substantial losses because of their cattle contracting lumpy skin disease – yet this disease is entirely...
Feeding for fertility: How early-life nutrition impacts dairy herds
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
The Guinness World Record holder cow for lifetime milk production, Smurf from Ontario in Canada, achieved an average daily milk...
Effective prevention and treatment of inkberry and tulip poisoning
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Poisonous plants like inkberries (Cestrum species) and yellow tulips (Moraea pallida) pose serious risks to livestock health, leading to fatalities...
Vaccination and immunisation: Two sides of the same coin
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
The purpose of a vaccine is to expose healthy animals to particular disease-causing organisms in a bid to develop immunity...
The low-down on salt intake
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Salt, consisting of 40% sodium and 60% chloride, is essential for the nervous system, muscle function, and maintaining water-mineral balance...
The art of promoting breeding values
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
The Groot River Mountains, a significant feature between Willowmore and Jansenville, provide a scenic backdrop to the farm Worlds View,...
