FARMERS’ DIARIES

MUTTON SHEEP

Jack Mothiba, Tom Burke, Lephalale, Limpopo

The demand for my Meatmaster sheep spikes in December because of various festive-season ceremonies and parties. It’s also the time that grocery stokvels make their annual purchases. We’ve been preparing for this demand for a few months now. We have sheep in the feedlot being fed a home-made mixture of yellow maize, sorghum and Molatek’s Master 20 protein concentrates. We also ensure there’s always enough clean water.

I plant sorghum and yellow maize on 10ha, and we’re now preparing to plant in December. We use the yellow maize and sorghum as feed in the feedlot and to supplement those grazing on veld. We supplement with dry feed (yellow maize and sorghum) throughout the year, especially those animals with higher nutritional needs like pregnant ewes and those suckling lambs.