Small-scale livestock farmers in the peri-urban areas of Bloemfontein, South Africa

A questionnaire survey was conducted to characterise small-scale livestock farmers and to describe the most important husbandry management practices adopted by small-scale livestock farmers around Bloemfontein in South Africa. The questionnaire included questions on human capital, reasons for farming and basic animal husbandry practices. The study revealed that most peri-urban small-scale farmers in this region are married with a primary or secondary education. These farmers farm for commercial (generate income) related reasons. The mean herd size is 11.30±1.4, 17.34±3.6 and 9.00±2.0 for cattle, sheep and goat, respectively. The herd structures are composed mostly of young animals in the breeding categories. The calving interval for most farmers is 24-36 months for cattle and 12 months for small stock. Basic husbandry practices like identification, castration and dehorning are largely practiced. Keywords: Cattle, sheep, goats, small-scale, farmingSouth African Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol. 36 (1) 2007: pp. 217-22