Until now, you might have managed without keeping detailed performance records of your animals. But the future of successful livestock farming no longer relies solely on management skills, good husbandry and efficient resource use.
By Roelof Bezuidenhout
There are two main reasons for this shift. First, new traceability legislation and increasing pressure from consumer and activist groups will make it harder to sell farm products without proper documentation. Second, and even more importantly, a reliable record-keeping system helps you identify your top-performing animals and remove the underachievers.
Good Records Mean Better Profits
Numerous trials have shown that keeping accurate records is the cheapest, easiest and most effective way to increase income and survive the relentless cost–price squeeze that’s driving many farmers off their land each year.
If you’re unhappy with your farm’s financial performance, don’t fall into the trap of thinking a new breed or more expensive sires will automatically increase profits. That approach could actually make things worse.
Likewise, relying only on the traditional “eye-and-walking stick” method to select breeding stock is outdated. Yes, some of the best-looking animals may have strong genetics – but not always. And that’s the problem: what you see (the phenotype) doesn’t reveal what you can’t see (the genotype). Some animals may even appear impressive because they don’t deplete their bodies through regular reproduction.
Also read: Keep these records and make more money
One Western Cape sheep farmer’s experience illustrates this well. After he began keeping records, he discovered his input costs per ewe were about R1 000 per year. But while the top 25% of his flock generated R2 250 per animal, the bottom end brought in just R800. He had been farming at a loss with a significant portion of his flock.
Poor animals eat just as much as productive ones do. Without records, he wouldn’t have known which were which – and would still be wondering why his bank balance looked so grim. Today, he’s breeding from the top performers and culling or phasing out the rest. His lambing percentage is steadily increasing (fertility is highly heritable), and so are growth rates, weaning weights and the milk production of his ewes. His wool cheque is growing too, while the unproductive “passengers” are no longer eating into his profits.
Interestingly, females that never conceive don’t contribute to the gene pool at all – they effectively cancel themselves out. But those that breed irregularly are even more problematic. They may seem productive, but by skipping breeding seasons they pass on undesirable traits. These are the animals you need to identify and sell.
Remember, higher lambing (or calving) percentages allow for stricter selection and more livestock to market. Low reproduction rates slow turnover and force you to keep older animals just to maintain numbers.
Start Simple, But Start Keeping Records Now
What the experts are saying is clear: To be a successful farmer today, you also need to be a competent record-keeper – whether you like it or not.
Getting started requires some planning and effort, and maintaining a system will take time. But it’s the only sustainable way forward – the most cost-effective way to boost profitability using the animals you already have. Farmers who’ve adopted it say it gave them a completely new perspective on their business, and they cannot imagine managing without it now.
You don’t need fancy software or apps to begin. Basic tools like coloured ear tags, a marker and a ledger are enough – along with some perseverance. Once every animal has a birth date and a number, it becomes easy (and fascinating) to track their performance over time.
Here’s a simple tip to get started: Use a blue tag in the left ear for single lambs, and a tag in the right ear for twins. Use red or other colours to highlight other important details.
Traceability tags are available from the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO) for about R7 each.
 | Roelof Bezuidenhout is a fourth-generation wool, mohair, mutton and game farmer and freelance journalist. Attended Free State University, majoring in animal husbandry and pasture science. Other interests include agricultural extension and rural development. |
