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 supplies information that is applicable to a particular season and particular circumstances. The magazine 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. This page contains a selection of articles from Stockfarm. In order to subscribe to the magazine, please visit digimags.agriorbit.com or SMS ‘Subscribe’ and your phone number to 064 890 6941.
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Genetic improvement in commercial and stud herds in Southern Africa
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
In any population, genetic change is driven by the efficiency of selection in the stud populations. Progress in the...
Keep a watchful eye on long-necked bankrupt worm
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
The long-necked bankrupt worm – or thin-necked or thread-necked worm – belongs to the genus Nematodirus and is found...
Climate-smart livestock farming (part 5): Mitigate the effects of drought
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Drought is a recurring phenomenon in the arid and semi-arid regions of Southern Africa. In fact, there is 100%...
Poultry houses for broilers
Poultry raised for meat production are called broilers, and a broiler house is the structure used for growing them. Proper planning of broiler housing...
Strategy to regain South Africa’s FMD-free status
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
South Africa still has a long way to go before it can regain its foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) free status,...
Black quarter targets especially growing animals
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Clostridium bacteria are responsible for diseases such as black quarter, malignant oedema, uterine gangrene and gas gangrene. The infection...
Milk a goat … and pay it forward!
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
You cannot grow in business, if you do not share your good fortune with others. The words of Rina...
Prevent botulism from crippling your herd
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Producers are constantly faced with managing a wide range of animal diseases, of which botulism is one of the...
Boschveld chickens tick all the right boxes
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
It is no secret that the African climate can be very unforgiving, especially when it comes to farming. Luckily...
Climate-smart livestock farming (Part 4):
Livestock that efficiently convert veld into profit
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
The first three articles in this series focussed on the optimal use of...
Emerging cattle farmers tackle challenges through co-operative
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
The challenge of making genetic progress in beef cattle breeding in a communal area where hundreds of cows and...
Tetanus: Deadly, but highly preventable
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
While most animals can contract tetanus, or lockjaw as it is commonly known, the disease is especially prevalent in...
The other three Ps of (weaner calf) marketing
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
The harvest period for cattle producers has finally arrived with weaning that generally takes place from April to June...
Sheep production: Through yesteryear into the future
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Sheep farming was part of South Africa’s history long before Jan van Riebeeck arrived in the Cape. As stated...
The versatile prickly pear: Perfect for supplementary feed
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
With skyrocketing agricultural input costs and predictions that, despite ample rain, the next drought is on its way, producers...
Climate-smart livestock farming (Part 3):Radical veld improvement and recovery
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
The first article in this series explained the importance of a healthy water cycle in helping as much rainwater...
Ticks: Carriers of some nasty little friends
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
By this time, we should really admire ticks because they are so skillfully adapted to make a successful appearance...
Keep acidosis from flaring up in your flock
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
When ruminants suddenly over-consume low-fibre carbohydrates such as grains, without them having been adapted to it beforehand, it can...
Experience and innovation: Sparta’s winning recipe
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
“We are a feedlot. This means that feeding animals is our core function. We strive to do it to...
Why the South African meat classification system needs to change
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
There are two ‘material’ profit drivers in the production of beef in South Africa, namely quality and quantity.
The quality...
Silage: Top ten with the first try
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Attention to key management aspects such as compaction, cutting at the most optimal time and feed-out with minimal wastage...
Keep a close watch on liver fluke this autumn
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Dr Paul Reynolds, a veterinarian at Warden Veterinary Clinic, describes liver fluke as a parasitic worm that causes serious...
Climate-smart livestock farming: Part 2
Veld that can withstand a volatile climate
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
In the first article in this series on climate-smart livestock farming, we learned...
Labelling of red meat for optimal consumer satisfaction
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
The Global Burden of Disease Study recently reported that poor-quality diets are now the leading cause of disease worldwide...
RSG Landbou: 7 Maart 2022 – geborg deur BKB
Georganiseerde landbou het onlangs ‘n hofuitspraak oor billike en regverdige vergoeding van grond verwelkom. Hans-Jurie Moolman van Moolman & Pienaar Ingelyf lewer kommentaar op...
Early-maturing traits to optimise profitability
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
An early-maturing, easy fleshing, short on the leg animal with excellent hormonal balance. That is the breeding objective that...
The fundamentals of intensive and precision sheep farming
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Intensive sheep production involves the manipulation of the ewe flock’s production environment in a way that maximises production per...
Klimaatslim veeboerdery (Deel 1): Laat elke druppel water tel!
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Daar is voldoende wetenskaplike bewyse dat die wisselvalligheid van die klimaat oor die afgelope twee dekades die produksie-omgewing en...
A1 versus A2 milk: The position of the organised dairy industry
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
The difference between A1 and A2 milk is associated with a variation in the protein composition of cow’s milk....
Anaplasmosis: A tickborne disease to be reckoned with
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Anaplasmosis, or gallsickness, can wreak havoc in cattle herds. Despite the possible underreporting of gallsickness cases, the annual average...
