By Matsobane Manaka
“A successful livestock management starts with a proper plan to increase production and sustainable livelihood. The plan must entail disease management, vaccination programme and feeding programme among others”.
Jan Schoeman of Andre Kock & Sons was speaking during a livestock information day held at its Auction Pens, BelaBela, Waterberg District.
The Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (LDARD) in collaboration with Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) and Agricultural Research Council (ARC) have organised this livestock capacity building under the theme, “Enhancing Livestock Management through Health and Technology”.
Key focus of the session sought to capacitate livestock farmers on the importance of legislation regulating management of livestock; animal improvement strategies, technologies and market access as well as management of diseases.
In his presentation, Schoeman unpacked the layout of how management of livestock should become.
“Farmers need to develop a spreadsheet indicating the vaccine, dose, dip and feed, as well as the date given and the repeat in a calender month to calves, bulls, cows and heifers”, explained Schoeman.
The spreadsheet will further indicate when and how to provide summer feeding, creep feeding, winter feeding comprises of protein and energy lick, vitamins and mineral injectables, summer feeding and phosphate licks in terms of price, dose, weight, p/ml, and p/cattle. This will also help as a budget tool. Dr Klaas-Jan Leeuw added that the location of the feedlot such as near abattoir and close to feed producing area matters.
Schoeman appealed to farmers to also develop a herd identification chart indicating the tag number, gender, date of birth and date sold or died. This will not only help the farmer to track down the growing stage of either the calf, bull or heifer but when sold in auction.
The empowerment session further covered Kaonafatso ya Dikgomo initiative, where Charity Makaleng from ARC, Thabang Mashilo and Maphuti Setati from DALRRD have highlighted the importance of integrating health practices and technological advancements such as Assisted Reproductive Technologies in livestock management, which are in line with regulatory landscape for animal improvements in South Africa.
Livestock farmers get invaluable insights about the management of livestock for better profits.
