South African livestock farmers have been urged to tighten their winter animal management practices, especially around nutrition, vaccination, and breeding control, to avoid costly losses during the cold months.
This call to action came during a recent national webinar hosted by Red Meat Industry Services, where livestock technical advisor Khaya Xhantibe offered a comprehensive guide for small-scale and communal farmers facing the seasonal challenges of winter animal production.
He emphasised that achieving success in animal production is largely dependent on solid, consistent management, particularly in harsh conditions. “It all starts with proper management. Once you get the management right, everything is going to be fine. You’re going to yield good results.”
Key preventative measures
Among his key recommendations is a firm warning against lambing during winter, citing poor veld conditions and the risk of insufficient nutrition. Instead, he highlighted the importance of providing roughage and appropriate supplementary feeding to safeguard livestock health.
“You must make sure that roughage is available so your animals can flourish. And when it’s not palatable, at least it is there. Then the only thing left is supplementation.”
In addition to nutrition, farmers were urged to implement preventative measures such as preparing firebreaks and using low-lying, sheltered camps to protect animals from cold winds and extreme weather exposure.
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Vaccination and biosecurity
Vaccinating animals before winter and mating is non-negotiable, said Xhantibe, who urged farmers to take no chances when it comes to biosecurity.
He recommended using both live and inactivated vaccines appropriately, and cautioned against improper storage or rushed approaches. “Shortcuts are putting us in trouble because they catch up with us. Vaccination is the key. You can’t take shortcuts.”
A particular winter threat is red lice, specifically Povicular ovus, which cause severe irritation, damage wool, and can lead to complications like blue udder or blowfly strike.
“Your sheep [will] look like it has been shorn by a person,” Xhantibe said.
He explained that injections alone are ineffective against red lice, as these parasites feed not on blood but on skin debris, scabs, and wool. As a result, proper dipping of affected animals and isolating them from the rest of the flock is crucial to prevent further spread.
However, he also warned that winter dipping requires care. Cold water in the early morning can expose animals to illnesses such as pasteurellosis or pneumonia. For this reason, he advised farmers to delay dipping until late morning or midday, when the weather is warmer.
Only visibly infested animals should be dipped, and these should then be separated from the flock to limit disease transmission.
Abortions and metabolic disease
Winter abortions are another serious issue, often caused by a combination of factors such as exotic diseases, nutritional deficiencies, or toxic plants.
One particular concern is exotic abortion, caused by Chlamydia abortus. “You have to make sure that you vaccinate for it before you mate your animals. Maybe six weeks or eight weeks before you mate your animals,” Xhantibe said.
Although newer vaccines may be safer for use during pregnancy, he stressed that prevention through early vaccination is still the most effective option.
He also pointed to malnutrition as a key risk factor for abortion, particularly in goats. Undernourished pregnant ewes may abandon their lambs at birth due to nutritional stress.
Another major winter concern, according to Xhantibe, is ketosis, or twin lamb disease, a metabolic disorder that strikes ewes in late pregnancy, especially those carrying twins or triplets. One of the earliest symptoms is weakness and the inability to stand, caused by low carbohydrate intake and poor energy reserves.
To reduce the risk, he encouraged farmers to provide energy-rich feed and, where feasible, scan ewes after mating to tailor nutrition to the number of lambs being carried.
Contagious infection in lambs and kids
Xhantibe also addressed contagious ecthyma, or orf, a painful viral infection common in young lambs and kids. The disease presents as scabs around the mouth, nostrils, and udders. For treatment, he advised a hands-on approach:
“You take salve along with warm water, and then you scrape the mouth while there’s still a few of those sores. You scrape it in such a way that you make it bleed,” Xhantibe said.
Given the zoonotic nature of the disease, he urged farmers to wear gloves and masks during treatment and to isolate infected animals to prevent further outbreaks.
In closing, Xhantibe encouraged farmers to take greater control over their breeding schedules and prioritise long-term planning. With careful preparation, he said, livestock can be protected against the unique threats posed by winter.
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