Tackling the future challenges of Organic Animal Husbandry - vTI

RAHMANN G & GODINHO D (Ed.) (2012): Tackling the Future Challenges of Organic Animal Husbandry.
Proceedings of the 2 nd OAHC, Hamburg/Trenthorst, Germany, Sep 12-14, 2012
Material and methodology
The experiences and knowledge gathered during more than 20 years of sustainable farming on Farm
Springbockvley form the base of this paper. In addition various production data is included. Recorded
on a daily, monthly and yearly basis these comprise of rainfall figures, livestock numbers,
expenses and income statistics. Stocking rates and meat production figures are processed from documentation
since 1994 with meat production being kg-live-weight produced per year (cattle and
sheep combined) and including increase and / or decrease in livestock (Isele and Külbs 1989-2011;
Isele, Külbs with Volkmann, 2010).
Results and Discussion
Well adapted small frame cattle and sheep are run in few combined herds of up to 300 head of cattle
and 2000 sheep. With the practice of Holistic Management Planned Grazing on Farm Springbockvley
it was possible to continually increase stocking rates (see also Barrow, Binding and Smith
2010). This has been achieved in spite of the erratic rainfall which varied between 60 and 680mm
since 1989. Stocking rates culminated in more than 40kg live-animal-mass per hectare by the end of
2011 which is significantly higher than on most farms in the region. Simultaneously since 1995 a
remarkable ratio in meat production per hectare of more than one third of the stocking rate was and
is maintained and compares well with those of areas with higher production capacities. In 2012 animal
numbers on the farm have increased to 800 Nguni-cattle and 4500 Damara-sheep, a stocking
rate which was never achieved before. Treated with low stress livestock handling techniques, these
animals provide for high efficiency of production. Since 1997 this led to continually improving
farming income with almost constant levels of farming expenses of only one third of the income
(Figures 1 and Figure 2; Isele and Külbs 1989-2011; Isele, Külbs with Volkmann, 2010).
Figure 1. Stocking rate, meat production and rainfall on farm Springbockvley 1994 – 2011
(Isele and Külbs 1989-2011)
Contrary to the trend in conventional and industrial agriculture these outcomes confirm the approach
that focuses on combined herd performance i.e. overall animal production per hectare. The
unsustainable attention and management toward high individual animal performance is not an alternative
because it often is accompanied by high-energy off-farm inputs and increased susceptibility
to diseases. (Idel, 2006)
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