Gauteng Smallholder September 2015 | Page 44

LIVESTOCK From page 41 Their meat is succulent with good flavour and is very low in cholesterol. Their production environment includes hot, dry to hot, humid bushveld and savannah. It is not unusual for a flock to have a 190% kidding rate. In one year, 50% of the ewes give a single kid and the other 50% twins or triplets on the first kidding for the year. On the second kidding in the same year, 50% of the ewes will probably kid, of which 50% produce singles and the other 50% twins. Products include meat; skins with a great variety of beautiful colour patterns that can be used in making value-added “hair-on” items; quality Twin births, and even triplets, are common muzzle, chest, back and lower legs, which protects them from the sun. They have a wide variety of colours and colour patterns which helps in camouflaging and make them difficult to be spotted by predators. Most indigenous goats grow cashmere between their hairs in the cold winter season to protect them. In summer they shed this woolly cashmere