Johnson Mandlendoda – African Farming

GOATS
Johnson Mandlendoda, Middelburg, Eastern Cape

We farm Angora goats and the winter is a less busy time for us. However, because the goats were shorn in March, their hair is growing back now – and to maintain good growth and quality, we’ve started dipping them.

The moisture and a tick- or lice-free environment help the hair grow quicker. We work with more than 1 000 goats, so we dip them in groups for easy handling and to make sure the job is done properly.

We wait for a warm day so that the animals dry quickly and don’t get too cold. Keeping up to date with the weather conditions becomes one of the most important activities on the farm. We use Eraditick dip.

We collect dung samples from the goats and send them for analysis by a vet to pick up any disease threats. The first samples have come back clear, but we still have to submit the second round just to be on the safe side. The animals get supplementary winter licks and salt blocks.

For extra energy, we also feed a homemade supplementary feed of crushed yellow maize, corn candy, and lime to all the goats.