FENCING
Know the basics of good fences
Every smallholding needs fences for a variety of reasons , and not only to fulfil the adage “ good fences make good neighbours . If you keep livestock , you ' ll need fences to keep them in , to manage your grazing pasture and to keep unwanted animals out . Various veld types can be partitioned to form camps where grazing can be utilised optimally and rested periodically according to seasonal requirements . If you ' re running a horticultural operation or planning to turn your entire property into an animal free zone you ' ll still need to maintain boundary fencing to keep any wandering stock out . Like any investment in your
plot , fencing must be utilised thoughtfully . How well or how badly you plan and erect those fences will lead to either improvement or deterioration of your lands and stock . If you are new to the world
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DISEASE
From page 41
confused with other conditions which also cause a loss of condition , including worm infestation , coccidiosis or malnutrition . In cattle the disease can be confused with chronic fascioliasis and paramphistomiasis . Johne ' s disease is a controlled disease in terms of the Animal Disease Act ( Act 35 of 1984 ). The occurrence or suspicion of the disease thus has to be reported to the State Veterinary Services . There is a vaccine for sheep and goats , namely Gudair Vaccine , made by Virbac . The vaccine may only be purchased subject to a prescription obtained from a state veterinarian . It may only be used in infected herds under the direct supervision of a state veterinarian . Vaccinated sheep and goats have to be permanently identified to the satisfaction of the state veterinarian , usually by an ear tag . If you are running a small flock as lawn mowers on your land , you probably will not want to go to the expense of having your sheep tested . However , if you are running a serious breeding programme it would be advisable to do so . There is a Vendor Declaration Form available , which one can use when buying and selling sheep and goats . A copy of it is to be found on the Gauteng Smallholder website .
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