The cheapest way to grow animals is off good veld grazing. But veld may be deficient in essential elements, and during the dry winter months grass becomes woody and unpalatable, with low protein levels. Animals need supplementary nutrition to compensate for deficiencies and to maintain condition.
Green veld or lush pasture is more palatable and more digestible to livestock and has a higher nutritional content. Palatability and mineral levels decrease in the colder, drier months. Ratselane Marumo of Afrivet says these deficiencies must be corrected, as the importance of minerals in the functions and processes of livestock is significant.
There is an expectancy of positive outcomes at a livestock sale. This is where farmers network, meet up with other local farmers, talk farming, get an idea of prices and look at one another’s animals. The auction is a place where people connect and leave more hopeful at the end of the day.
WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN? Focus and work with what I have to achieve what I want. Our journeys won’t be the same and we cannot all tell the same story. IF THERE’S ONE THING YOU COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Nothing, otherwise I wouldn’t…
In season 2 of African Farming, we featured farmer Solomon Masango, who has been such an inspiration to farmers far and wide. In March this year tragedy struck his farm, when an incident of suspected arson caused extensive damage. We visited him to find out what happened…
From when she was in high school, Keneilwe Raphesu started shadowing her father, Dr Mamabolo Raphesu, on his farm. Two years ago, she came out from his shadow to swop life in academia for life on a farm. Peter Mashala caught up with this ambitious father-and-daughter team.
Autumn is the time for sheep and goat farmers to work at keeping the body condition scores of their ewes up so that when lambing starts in about a month, the lambs and kids will get the best possible start. During autumn grass starts losing quality and cattlemen change to a higher-protein winter lick to stimulate the intake of low quality grass. This increases the intakes of low-quality grass. Tomato tunnel farmers are harvesting the last of their crops before winter’s frosts arrive.
Autumn is the time for sheep and goat farmers to work at keeping the body condition scores of their ewes up so that when lambing starts in about a month, the lambs and kids will get the best possible start. During autumn grass starts losing quality and cattlemen change to a higher-protein winter lick to stimulate the intake of low quality grass. This increases the intakes of low-quality grass. Tomato tunnel farmers are harvesting the last of their crops before winter’s frosts arrive.
