SHEEP
Eunice Lephoto, Greylingstad, Balfour, Mpumalanga

We run Mutton Merinos and Konsortium-Merinos on our mixed farming operation. The Konsortium-Merino is a dual-purpose sheep that offers a good carcass and quality export wool.

Towards the end of the month the sheep will be vaccinated with Multivax Plus to control lamb dysentery, pulpy kidney, tetanus, blackleg, black disease and clostridial metritis. Their diet will change to hay and maize stover for the winter period.

We also change their supplementary licks to high-energy supplements, especially for the pregnant ewes.

Because the ewes are little more than three months pregnant and are expected to start lambing in May, it is vital to provide sufficient trace minerals, which are important for optimal immunity, healthier and heavier lambs, and reduced ewe mortality.

A good diet also boosts milk production and improved growth in the lambs.

The Multivax Plus vaccine is a good one for pregnant ewes as it helps to control lamb dysentery, pulpy kidney, tetanus and pasteurellosis in their lambs – provided that the lambs receive sufficient good-quality colostrum in the first day of life.

We have planted teff, which the animals will go onto just before the winter starts.