Theron Swanepoel of AM Swanepoel Boerdery near Smithfield in the Free State began converting his extensive lambing operation into an intensive system more than a decade ago. At the recent Free State National Wool Growers’ Association Congress, Swanepoel explained why the system works so efficiently.
It is a tall order to manage 600 in-lamb ewes carrying twins and not suffer any losses. This was the main reason that Theron Swanepoel, his brother, Thian, and father, Adam, owners of Mooihoek Merinos near Smithfield in the Free State, began exploring an intensive lambing system more than a decade ago.
The system is not designed to accelerate lambing so that the ewes lamb more than once a year, neither does it involve intensive production, where the ewes are fed constantly. Rather, it is designed to maximise income or weaning rate per hectare.
“I don’t think lambing pens will work for everyone,” says Swanepoel. “It must fit into your farming and management system and, most importantly, make a difference in your farming operation.”
INTRODUCTION OF LAMBING PENS
Swanepoel and his brother knew they wanted to return to the farm Mooihoek after finishing their studies, but they realised they would have to make the business more sustainable.
“We looked at those 600 ewes and saw we’d have to move towards something semi-intensive to increase the weaning percentage,” says Swanepoel. At the time, the weaning percentage was around 100%.
While Swanepoel only joined the farm full-time in 2014, and his brother only returned in 2011, both were involved with the initial stages of implementing the intensive production system in 2006 while they were still at school, working on the farm during weekends and holidays.
They started off by establishing about 20 smaller 1ha camps around the homestead.
“We put the ewes in there and definitely saw a difference in the weaning percentage.”
この記事は Farmer's Weekly の May 03, 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Farmer's Weekly の May 03, 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
