Winter doesn’t have to mean lost body condition or lower profits. Taung farmer Thabang Phele shares how Voermol’s Protein Block (V10448) and Phase D Bull Cubes (V22521) help his cattle and sheep maintain weight, accelerate growth, and reach market-ready body condition faster, proving the value of targeted nutrition throughout the production cycle.
Winters in South Africa are tough, especially if you are a farmer looking to keep your livestock in tip-top shape.
Achieving peak market value for your livestock comes down to a single factor: highly palatable, reliable nutrition that animals love. As South Africa’s trusted leader in molasses-based feed systems, Voermol delivers the precise energy, protein, and trace minerals required to unlock maximum weight gains nationwide.
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No winter worries with Voermol Protein Blocks
For maintaining structural growth in your breeding herd through a demanding winter, Voermol ensures your livestock maintains top body condition when it matters most.
While environmental challenges differ across provinces, the rule of livestock economics remains the same for every South African producer: superior feed conversion directly builds a superior bottom line.
In the Taung area of the North West, livestock producer Thabang Phele manages a diverse multi-species operation of 21 cattle and 70 sheep. Balancing the specific nutritional needs of different classes of stock, Phele relies on predictable, high-performance feed inputs to keep his enterprise highly profitable.
For Phele, Voermol has been an essential pillar of his management strategy since 2018, when low seasonal weights forced him to re-evaluate his winter feeding programme.
“I was dealing with underweight livestock, especially in winter,” he recalls. “In 2019, I bought Voermol Protein Blocks to give to my cattle and sheep. It made a massive difference compared to the year before. Ever since that time, I’ve been using it.”
Unlocking peak market value
When it comes to finishing lambs for commercial market readiness, Phele also depends on Voermol.
“I use Voermol Phase D Bull Cubes for my weaner bulls before taking them to auction. The weight increases rapidly compared to when they graze on the veld alone. By using it, I can sell bulls at just seven months old, weighing about 220kg at auction,” he says.
Phele’s success isn’t an isolated regional case; it is a direct result of utilising a nationwide product range engineered to master specific production phases and seasonal declines.
His ultimate production toolkit for success includes:
- The winter grazing shield: To combat the rapid drop in winter grazing quality, the seasonal strategy shifts to high-performance licks. Utilising Voermol Protein Blocks and Voermol Energy Blocks (V11456) allows producers to maintain body condition scores and protein levels through the toughest dry seasons.
- Precision weaning and growth: To navigate the critical transition of weaning without a growth slump, Voermol Ram, Lamb, and Ewe Pellets (V26842) provide young stock with the precise nutrient density required to thrive.
- Strategic backgrounding: For accelerated muscle development and frame growth in young male animals, Voermol Phase D Bull Cubes serves as the ultimate engine, prepping weaner bulls to hit optimum weight targets well ahead of time.
By pulling from a versatile national catalogue, producers can tailor their feed structures, just like Phele, to any environment. With his winter and weaning phases secured, he is already looking to scale his operation further.
“I want to try Voermol SB100 (V4498) next for cattle fattening,” Phele says.
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