Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Sericea Lespedeza - Armmanslusern


Sericea  Lespedeza
Sericea, also known as Poor man’s lucerne, is gaining rapidly in popularity amongst SA farmers who require low-cost legume pastures.  Unlike lucerne, Sericea does not require costly soil mineral corrections – this is how it earned the poor man label.  Another very important characteristic, also unlike lucerne, is that animals do not bloat on Sericea.  Sericea grows very satisfactorily on run-down old lands and will even produce valuable grazing and hay on shallow soils. Liming is rarely required but Phosphorus is needed when soil levels are extremely low in this all-important energy mineral.  The other great advantage of Sericea is that it makes protein rich and very palatable hay – far superior to the average quality hay farmers make from Eragrostis.  Moreover the hay can be baled four hours after cutting on a hot and dry day.   Sericea makes ideal sheep pasture but it is good for cattle too, provided it grazed at a young stage.  Sericea’s biggest drawback is the fact that most farmers find that it takes at least three years for it to become fully productive.     Early summer planting will most often result in well- developed plants that produce some seed by the end of the first season.

Hendrik Botha from the farm Harmonie in Matatiele, experienced the success of Sericea and share his experience: We as farmers are always looking for that miracle pasture that can produce effective grazing and hay on a sustainable basis.
I am excited to announce that after 30 years of farming, I have been exposed to what seems to be close to a miracle pasture.
•This pasture has become a solution to many years of expensive hay production and unstable fodder flow problems. It can be used as spring and/or autumn grazing for sheep, dairy and beef cattle and produces cheap, good quality hay. •This pasture has changed old, unproductive and marginal lands into valuable and productive units, increasing the carrying capacity of our farm phenomenally. •It has alleviated our fodder- flow problems and placed our sheep, beef and dairy enterprises on an economically sound basis.
We have never used any pesticides before or after planting – an annual foster crop may be used for sun or heat protection.
Because of the expensive management of any pasture (except sericea) we are now applying the principle of not only managing a low cost perennial legume pasture but applying the most important practical way as we farm with nature.
No cultivation is needed for any hay production or feed. 
The soil is improved naturally with the forming of humus and plenty earth worm activity, and at a very low cost.


Belangrikste aspekte van Armmanslusern:


Belangrikste aspekte van Armmanslusern:
·                      Die gewas groei suksesvol in die oostelike hoër reënval gebied in SA, minimum somer reënval 550 mm, met meer reën is produksie net beter..
·                    Wees geduldig vir die eerste tot tweede jaar na vestiging
·                    Die jaarlikse onderhoudkoste is minimaal
·                    Die gewas kan op arm en vlak grond aangeplant word
·                    Die gewas verryk die grond en verhoog veral die organiese materiaal inhoud
·                    Diere blaas nie op tydens beweiding nie
Dit wil voorkom asof beweiding van Armmanslusern neig tot minder vatbaarheid vir interne parasiete.











Skeertyd deur Josua du Toit van Ouplaas Prins Albert Hamlet Ceres










Kunstenaar Barbara Philip se uitstaande skildery. Sien haar kunswerke op haar Facebookblad of op    http://silvermere.africanpainting.com/

Skeertyd deur Josua du Toit van Ouplaas Prins Albert Hamlet  Ceres

Langwol merino’s wat teen mekaar stuit
in maalbewegings soos ‘n kabbelende spruit
groot wolstapels wat oor hul rue rol
tot uiteindelik die kraalhek
agter hul sluit.

Dis weer tyd om te skeer
Energie en opwinding laai die atmosfeer,
‘n oes gaan inkom met ‘n ryke ritueel,
‘n skouspel beloof om hier af te speel

Die skeerders skerts
Oor die voorkoms van die trop -
Swaargewigte met plooie hier en daar
Die vangkraal volgeprop,
Vasvat en styfstaan vir dae aanmekaar

Die voorman gee die teken
En hul storm die vangkraal in -
‘n stryd om die ligste vangs te win
Die skeerders het begin:
Lang rugte knak oor vaal figure
Die kommentaar gaan saam
Met die ritmiese klap van die skêre
Elk op sy eie tyd en met sy eie faam

Penswol word deur die vloerman opgeraap
Vir die stukkiestafel.
Vagvol rol af soos branders
Sonder om uit te rafel
Die witskaap is verlig
Om die skeervloer te verlaat
Terwyl geoefende oë reeds soek
Vir sy volgende maat

Intussen word die vag haastig gevat
En die wolgooier skiet dit
Soos ‘n groot karos
Op die tafel se hortjiesblad

Behendig word die rugwol en randte verwyder
Die vagwol land in die regte bak
En die wolgooier staan en wag
Met die volgnde vag

Onverpoos gaan dit voort
Skaap vir skaap, vag vir vag
die hokskaap laat ons bietjie wag en
en kry weer veslag
oor sy dightheid en sy drag

Dan word die skêre geslyp
Op ‘n klip wat saam met die skeerders reis
en weer word gewag vir die laaste man
voor die teken om te vang

Die stormloop word herhaal
en die musiekspel
van die skêre vertel
in hul eie taal
die volle verhaal

Hok vir hok tot die son gaan slaap
en die laastes getel word, skaap vir skaap
dan word die skêre  opgehang
die lootjies soos dobbelstene
gegooi, getel en aangeteken
terwyl hulle slyp met uiutgestrekte bene

Die vuur in die kookskerm brand hoog
terwyl dien kok die pap en vleis berei
word die skaapvel en komberse
op die skeerplek oopgesprei –
skeerplek, werkplek, rusplek,
nomadiese koninkryk vir hom beskik
eenvoudig soos sy toerusting
twee skêre,’n slypklip en waterblik

As die wolbakke vol loop
kom die woltrappers by
wat die wokl in ‘n pers trap
tot die baal sy vorm kry
en gepers word tot by blinkstyf dy

Die netjiese stapels skoonwit bale
is die trots van die wolkweker
en dra sy naam
die vrug van sy arbeid
met sy dankbaarheid saam-
‘n simbool van sorg en tradisie
die kleding van die mensdom sy missie

Uiteindelik is die laaste trop van hul drag bevry
en hulle klim die hange in ‘n neutvars gewaad
almal wat deelneem is bly
want ‘n taak is voltooi
die skeersel en die skape is mooi

Nou is tyd om boeke op te maak
Lootjies word getel om die loon te bepaal
Wat man vir man self kom haal
Skeerwonde was binne perk
En daar is bonus vir goeie werk

Die plaasvrou kom groet
Met ‘n stel gebreide musse
of serpe vir die skeerders
om ons saamwerk te onthou
by hul tuiste in die winterkou

Die wolkweker en die voorman groet mekaar
met ‘n ondelinge kontrakgebaar
vir die volgende skeertyd
anderkant van die jaar

Mag ons die Goeie Herder
tevrede stel
as Hy ons elke dag se lootjies tel.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Tips for dealing with Poisonous Plants



Inspect camps properly and on an ongoing basis for signs of poisonous plants. Know what poisonous plants are found in what camps, and when. Animals should be taken out of camps while getting rid of such plants. 
Good pasturing means that the veld is not over-utilised and good pasturing practises are applied.  Farmers should be especially careful during early spring when pasture is poor. Poisonous plants are usually the first plants to shoot, for example, gifblaar and gousiektebossies. Many poisonous plants are extremely toxic during this stage. Unfortunately, many animals prefer this attractive greenery to other not-so-attractive available food in the veld.
Gifblaar - Dichapetalum cymosum

When poisonous plants are interlaced with eatable plants, for example, Vermeerbossie and young Senecio plants, they are eaten by accident.
Animals suffering from certain mineral shortages (e.g. phosphor and calcium) can lose their natural ability to distinguish between eatable and non-eatable plants.

Overgrazing puts pressure on veld and poisonous plants take root easily. 
Sheep are primarily affected by
·         Geeldikkop
·         Poisoning by cardiac glycoside-containing plants
·         Vermeersiekte
·         Seneciosis
·         Gousiekte
·         Diplodiosis
Bitterbos takes over when veldt is over-utilized and is mainly due to ineffective veldt management. “Although it flourishes in different types of soil, it is seldom found in alkaline/brackish soil. It is found on plains and hillsides. It is an active intruder plant and associated with weakening poor veld. It is one the most important species taking over the Karoo. It usually blossoms during spring and autumn, but depending on weather conditions, can also be present during the year.
The bush often is eaten during times of pasture scarcity by adult small stock and cattle. Small amounts of bitterbos taken in with other pasture are not harmful though. Big amounts result in diarrhoea. Some animals die fast while others develop intense and even bloody diarrhoea. 


Reproductive efficiency



Sheep have the potential for multiple births.
Therefore, select #twins for replacements when possible.
With good management, mortality of twins should not be much higher than that of singles.
Measures of reproductive efficiency include age at puberty, fertility, #lambing rate, and #length of the breeding season. #Reproduction in sheep is strongly influenced by the environment. By most estimates, the heritability of reproductive rate is low, but breed differences exist. Fine-wool breeds are highly fertile and have been used successfully in crossbreeding programs to improve reproductive rate. Breeds that have been used under intensive management systems to increase lambing rate include the Finnish Landrace, Border Leicester, and Suffolk as well as Merinos, Dormers and Dohne Merinos.