agricultural production
TRANSCRIPT
January 2016 | Volume 5
The Hummingbird
Item Page
Why and How to Vaccinate 1, 2,
Personal Story: Feeding His
Family and Creating an
Income from Cabbage
7, 8
Events 9
Frequently Asked Questions
from Readers
10
Chlorine in Agriculture (Part
3) Potable Water
11
Advert Prices 13
Why and How to Vaccinate
It is often said that prevention is better than
cure –which is why we all vaccinate our animals
against a host of different diseases. Is it howev-
er totally necessary to vaccinate our animals
every year and how does one even administer
all the different vaccines?
The “Why”
Animals need to be vaccinated against the dis-
eases endemic to the area they are kept in. A
vaccine is essentially a dead or weak
strain of the disease we are trying to pro-
tect the animal from. This is injected into
the animal and it challenges the immune
system to fight it –in much the same way
as the actual disease
would, only less aggres-
sively. The immune system
then builds antibodies
which can specifically fight
the disease. In essence, the
vaccine “trains” the im-
mune system to fight cer-
tain pathogens. Once the
immune system has been “trained” if the
animal actually contracts the disease, it
can fight it quickly and effectively. The
vaccine therefore does not prevent the
animal from becoming infected but it
does give the animal the best chance of
overcoming the disease in question.
Why though does an animal need to be
vaccinated every year? Well, certain dis-
eases such as AHS (African Horse Sick-
ness) are viruses which evolve on an on-
goig basis. Thus every time a new strain
or type is discovered, the vaccine is
changed to incorporate these new strains.
If we only vaccinate against some of the
strains that exist and our animal
then contracts a strain which
was not vaccinated against, the
animal will not have the neces-
sary antibodies to fight that
specific strain and will likely
fare as badly as an unvaccinated
animal. The second reason for
vaccinating every year is that
the antibody responses decline over time
so we need to in a sense “remind” the
body that it has to be ready to fight an
infection if one comes.
The “How”
Different vaccines have different modes
of administration. For poultry most vac-
cines are done in a spray form in he
hatchery. If you receive day-old chicks
they are likely already vaccinat-
ed against Mareks Disease, IB
(Infectious Bronchitis) and NC
(New Castle Disease) if bought
from a reputable hatchery. IB
and NC vaccination can also be
done through the water between
14 and 21 days. These vaccines
can also be done in spray form but water
is the general mode of vaccination.
Cattle and sheep are usually vaccinated
with a multi-vaccine which is a vaccine
that covers more than 1 disease. Usually
these cover diseases such as lumpy skin
disease, black quarter, botulism, rift val-
ley fever and others. Such vaccines can al-
so usually be administered to cattle, sheep
and goats and are not species specific.
Most injectable vaccines are given intra-
muscularly or
subcutaneously.
Intra-muscular
injections are
injected into a large muscle region such
as the neck, shoulder or rump. The in-
jection should be given slowly to pre-
vent abscess formation. Subcutaneous
injections are given under the skin.
These injections can be administered in
the neck (where the neck and shoulder
meet) in cattle and can be administered
under the skin of the inner thigh in sheep
and goats. You should pull the skin up
and away from the muscles underneath
and then slide the needle into this gap.
Again, inject slowly so that no abscesses
can form.
Different vaccination schedules exist for
different regions –these are dependent on
which diseases are prevalent in the area.
You can download a free vaccination
schedule for cattle and small stock from
Agriscope’s Google drive account or from
DAFF and Onderstepoort.
Free Classifieds
Agricultural Consultancy
Plans, Services and Advice for the Small Scale
Farmer
If you are starting your own farming business let us
help you! We :
Write business plans
Facilitate Training Courses
Link you to professionals and suppliers in the in-
dustry
Provide a wide variety of marketing options
Contact 071 401 5983 or
[email protected] for more
information
Contact us for
drought feeds, and
grass
Consider us on all poultry, pig-
gery curtains lowering and lift-
ing equipment plus
general tarpaulins
078 283 3322
Gorgeous Hand-Made Metal Products
Wine racks
Saddle racks
Bridle racks
Boot racks
Broom and rakeholders
Name plates
Bird cages
Jump fillers
And more!
Contact Justin on 083 291 5879 or
Free Classifieds
Feeding His Family and Creating an Income from Cabbage
Written by IT Maimela
With unemployment level at more than 26,1% nationally
and over 15 million people receiving social grant, many
people do not have enough money to buy food. The
number of people facing hunger today is estimated
around 14 million in total. More jobs losses have oc-
curred due to new government policies and climatic
condition such as drought.
Thomason Thobejane is ons individual who is affected
by both poverty and unemployment. The 28 year old
lives in Ga-Mampa Mafefe in Limpopo province and is
currently a secretary of Mohlapetsi wetland project. He
lives with his parents, siblings, son and wife in an RDP
house.
He is also a producer of tomato, cabbage, onion, sweet
potato and dry beans. He farms these crops rotationally
on a two hectare plot and also runs a spaza shop.
These crops are grown for home consumption except
for excess cabbages and tomatoes which are grown
and sold to local consumers to generate some income.
He produces 4 tons of tomato and 100 head of cabbage
Continued on page 8
seasonally sell it R3 per kg and R9 by head
respectively.
Mr. Thobejane is currently working with the
Welstrong pty limited company to advance
his agriculture skills and market his pro-
duced. “I received remarkable advice from
Welstrong. I want to expand my business ”
says Mr Thobejane.
Here are some spacing tips from Mr
Thobejane on cabbage production:
Planting space is ideal for market purpose.
Small scale producers of cabbage usually do
not consider planting spacing as important
factor. Farmers at Mankweng farming
scheme produced tons of irregular, large head of cabbage which is less marketable. Planting of
30cm apart in the row and 50 cm between rows is ideal for fresh produce market purpose. Produc-
ers need to adopt recommended placing spacing in order to achieve uniformity of head size which
is well received by the fresh market.
Common problems in cabbage farming
J- rooting
It caused by poor transplanting practis-
es, when seedling are pushed into the
soil in such a way that the roots are
not vertical, but bent to one side. This
has a negative effect on plant growth.
Economical loss due to cutworms in
untreated soil
Various pests and diseases attack
cabbage production and these have
lead to serious economical losses. I
recently transplanted cabbage seed-
ling to the field as a trial at university of
Limpopo horticulture centre. I noticed
a loss due to cutworms in untreated
soil and double head due to Bagrada
bug. One third of the planted cabbage
was lost in one night due to cutworm.
April 6 Joburg Market Day. Free entry, RSVP to 011 703 5452. Joburg Mar-
ket
May 17-20 NAMPO @ NAMPO Showgrounds in Bothaville
June 19-21 AgriFood Expo @ Gallagher Estate, JHB.
Events in 2016
Readers FAQ Here are some frequently asked farming questions and their answers. If you have a question or some excellent advice for our
farmers please email [email protected] and your question/advice may be featured in the next quarterly edition of
Hummingbird.
Q: At what age does a hen start to lay?
Generally pullets reach sexual maturity between 18 and 20 weeks. Therefore the first egg is
usually laid at 19 weeks and by 20-21 weeks all hens in a flock should be in lay. Sometimes the
first eggs are small and do not contain a yolk. As the bird matures, normal eggs will be laid
unless there is a problem.
Q: How many eggs does a chicken lay per day and how long is the laying period?
The time that it takes for an egg to develop from ovulation to formation of the shell and cuticle is around 22 to 24 hours. There-
fore generally only 1 egg per day is laid and this is usually laid in the morning. Sometimes a hen may skip a day.
Q: Can you feed kitchen scraps to cattle?
The short answer is “yes” but I would advise that you only do so with vegetable produce and avoid brassica species (cabbage, cau-
liflower etc). As with all diet changes in animals, the scraps should be introduced slowly, over a period of 2 weeks. Animals should
be monitored closely for any signs of metabolic distress and diarrhea. Green scraps that can be obtained from vegetable farms
should be fed in moderation and the animals should have ad lib access to dried fodder such as Eragrostis hay. Vegetable scraps
usually have a high moisture content so feeding kilos and kilos of scraps will take up a large amount of gut space whilst providing
very few nutrients to the animal body. It is however a cheap means of keeping cattle over winter and is quite popular in South
Africa.
Q: My sheep has a swelling under its jaw. What could this be?
If the swelling is broad (encompassing almost the entire jaw/throat region) then it is likely a condition nknown as bottle-jaw which
is associated with internal parasites. The best means of treatment would be to deworm the animals with an anthelminthic and
then about a week after deworming, move them to a different camp. Rest the camp they were grazing in so that the parasite eggs
have a chance to hatch and die (due to lack of hosts) before moving the animals back. In severe cases you could dose the animals
and then dose them a second time after about 3 weeks. The most scientific means of getting the dosing schedule exactly right is to
ask your vet to do a faecal egg count. This involves the vet collecting a manure sample and counting the number of parasite eggs
in a dilution.
If the swelling is more like a hard lump it could be due to trauma (thorns, sticks, wire etc causing an injury to the face) or it could
be caused by wasp or bee stings, bont-tick bites or abscess formation. Abscesses can form for a variety of reasons and should be
drained and disinfected. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis bacteria cause abscess swellings which consist of foul-smelling
green pus. When draining abscesses like these it is critical to do so in a clean environment and preferably not in the veld or kraal
as the bacteria in the pus will then go back into the ground and reinfect the animals.
Q: My chickens have scaly leg mite. What do I do?
The first thing to do is to move the chickens and disinfect the pen as best as possible. This can be done with F10 and Carbadust. All
bedding material should be collected and burnt. Nest boxes especially should be disinfected. The hens themselves can be dusted
with Carbadust (the easiest way is to make them a Carbadust bath so that they can dust themselves). Their legs should be washed
with a disinfectant (Savlon or Dettol etc) and then smothered with either Vaseline or another oil-based salve. This is to suffocate
the mites so that they die. Another means of controlling the mites is to ask your vet to work out a safe dosing schedule of Iver-
mectin which you can then give to the birds orally. Ivermectin is not registered for poultry so you will not be able to eat the eggs
of dosed birds for a period after administration.
Chlorine in Agriculture
Potable Water Written by John Robertson
About a hundred years ago the current programme of water purification (the filtration and chlorination of drinking water) began in the developed world. Prior to that, the water coming from rivers and boreholes pre-sented a major health risk to both small and large com-munities. Thousands of people died annually, killed by water-borne agents of cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and hepatitis A. Currently the World Health Organisation estimates that 1.2 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water with approximately 3.4 million (mostly children) dying every year from water related diseases. These diseases are caused by bacteria, viruses and parasitic protozoa Bacteria and viruses contaminate both ground and sur-face water and while the developed world has largely conquered water-borne pathogens, the developing world has not. Access to drinking water that is clean is a basic right and safe water supplies, hygienic sanitation and effec-tive water management programs are fundamental to human health. The need for uninterrupted, reliable and trustworthy water supplies is reaching alarming levels.
This urgency is felt whether it involves water disinfec-tion at municipal water treatment plants which service the metropolitan areas or smaller rural areas supplied from boreholes and other water sources. Surface and underground water sources can contain harmful contaminants and micro-organisms. These must be removed from the water in order to achieve a water quality that is fit for use. Treating these water sources also aids in preserving water system infrastructure. The World Health Organization recognizes that products containing chlorine are an effective water treatment method. Whether sanitation is needed in urban or rural areas, granular chlorine tackles this task: should it be the need to sanitize water in reservoirs, dams, storage tanks, boreholes or other isolated water sources i.e. municipalities with contamination problems, rural ho-tels and resorts, farming operations and emergency wa-ter provision after floods etc. Granular chlorine products can be accurately dosed with automated granular chlorine dispensers.
John Robertson 082 444-3500 [email protected] www.johlesproducts.com
Advert Pricing