Turn down your stress levels
Many articles have been published about stress in dairy cattle. Heat, cold, mud, suboptimal nutrition, parasites, infectious diseases and poor management are a few well-known stressors in dairy cattle which lead to adverse metabolic changes. Cattle are also susceptible to a variety of psychological stress factors - rough handling can cause them to become apprehensive of people and poor housing conditions or any of the other stressors can lead to illnesses, with a detrimental effect on productivity.
Veg of vlug? : redakteursbrief
Stres. Ons weet almal hoe dit voel. Stres kan 'n mens motiveer om harder te werk en meer in te sit. Maar meer dikwels is stres iets negatiefs.
Ruimte vir prysverhogings : praat syfers met Dok Koos
Soos deur die Melk SA Bedryfsinligtingswerkgroep bepaal, word Dairy Digits opgestel vanaf inligting wat deur Melk SA en Sampro verskaf word. Dit is amptelike statistiek van Melk SA en word deur 'n komitee van MPO- en Samproverteenwoordigers voor publikasie gekontroleer.
Invitation to submit letters to the editor : speak your mind
2015 : wat het ons geleer?
Source: The Dairy Mail 23, pp 11 –13 (2016)
2015 was 'n moeilike jaar vir melkprodusente met prysverlagings, stygende insetkoste en die grootste droogte in 50 jaar. Hierdie artikel gee 'n terugblik op die jaar en 'n voorskou van wat moontlik in 2016 op melkboere wag.
2015 in veevoer : voerkoste-indeks
Vanaf Desember 2014 tot Desember 2015 het die voerkoste in al die melkproduserende streke op 'n indeksbasis met gemiddeld 22% gestyg. Aangesien die gemiddelde melkprys in die ooreenstemmende periode met gemiddeld 4,6% gedaal het, is dit baie duidelik dat die winsgewendheid van melkboerdery oor die afgelope jaar drasties gedaal het. Die styging in voerkoste was die hoogste op die Hoëveld, gevolg deur KwaZulu-Natal en daarna die Oos-Kaap en Wes-Kaap, wat persentasiegewys aan dieselfde styging onderworpe was.
Dairy digits March 2016
Source: The Dairy Mail 23, pp 21 –35 (2016)
Licence and registration please - water use licences for dairy farming
Licensing and registration go hand in hand, even when it comes to your slurry dam. The Department of Water and Sanitation issues both the licence and the registration documents, but one cannot exist without the other. Registration depends on licensing.
Moet nie stres nie, dit benadeel jou koeie : rentmeesterskap
'n Melkery is dikwels 'n voorbeeld van georganiseerde chaos, met voermasjiene wat heen en weer beweeg om koeie te voer en koeie wat deurentyd aan die beweeg is om gemelk, gevoer of behandel te word. Eers laat in die aand kom die aktiwiteite op 'n melkplaas ietwat tot stilstand. Dan moet koeie rustig vreet, daarna gaan lê en herkou sodat die rumen gesond kan bly en melk vir die volgende dag geproduseer kan word.
Source: The Dairy Mail 23, pp 52 –53 (2016)
While much research has been dedicated to understanding mental health disorders, until recently little was known about how individuals thrive and how this knowledge can be applied to foster happiness, mental health and fulfilment.
Frogs, orchids and dandelions
Source: The Dairy Mail 23, pp 55 –59 (2016)
We all have to-do lists to get us through the day. Some of the tasks are nice and easy and we get them done in no time with little stress. Other tasks, however, never seem to get done. It may be a difficult phone call or a particularly boring job that needs to be done. So we procrastinate and after a while it can really stress us out.
Arbeidswetgewing hoef nie 'n kopseer te wees nie
Volgens die Wêreld Ekonomiese Forum se Globale Mededingendheidsverslag van 2015/2016 word Suid-Afrika 138ste uit 140 lande ingevolge aanstel- en afdankpraktyke gerangeer. Volgens die verslag is Suid-Afrika 127ste vir betaling teenoor produktiwiteit en 140ste ingevolge samewerking in werkgewer-/werknemerverhoudinge. Die verslag noem ook dat beperkende arbeidsregulasies gesien word as die mees problematiese faktor by die doen van besigheid in Suid-Afrika. Dit is dus duidelik dat dit uiters belangrik is om op hoogte te bly en te voldoen aan die vereistes van arbeidswetgewing, asook om klem te lê daarop om arbeidsverhoudinge proaktief te bestuur.
Onderhandel en hou op stres
Byna elke melkprodusent in Suid-Afrika gaan by een of ander diensteverskaffer skuld aan, hetsy om kapitaal of implemente te bekom, gewasse aan te plant, 'n kudde uit te brei of om 'n meer effektiewe infrastruktuur te bou.
Don't stress about talking to the bank manager - money matters
Despite what people think, there is no reason to stress when approaching a bank manager, especially if you are well prepared.
Summer's stressors : production
Author Nelita Van Dyk
Source: The Dairy Mail 23, pp 72 –76 (2016)
There is a popular saying that goes "happy wife, happy life". The same can be said for your dairy cows. Various factors influence the comfort and welfare of your lactating herd, which will in turn affect milk production and profitability. Although some of these stress factors, such as environmental factors, cannot be avoided, some preventative actions may reduce stress and the effects thereof. Environmental stressors should decrease as the season progresses, but with the current El Niño and drought situation, events will most likely not follow the normal cycle. The latest report by the International Research Institute for Climate and Society predicts that the strong El Niño effects will continue through March 2016, confirming the December 2015 Seasonal Climate Watch released by the South African Weather Service.
Toxins can mould your reality : production
Source: The Dairy Mail 23, pp 78 –81 (2016)
Mycotoxins are almost a household name, and the potential consequences of these compounds have become a popular research subject. Possible causes for this increased awareness may be the solid scientific data demonstrating the effects of the various toxins in animal species where clear pathological effects of specific toxins have been measured.
Plan now to keep cows out of the mud : production
Everyone knows what stress is; however, it is not easily defined. One could define stress as an adverse effect in the environment or management system which forces a change in an animal's physiology or behaviour to avoid physiological malfunctioning and assist the animal in coping with its environment. Animals respond to challenges in their immediate environment by several interacting mechanisms. Identifying and minimising stressful situations allows for greater wellbeing, growth and reproductive efficiency of the animal, as well as economic benefits for the producer and consumer.