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uses spot spray on smaller
areas prone to ticks in
between dipping.
A recent visit from the state
veterinarian confirmed that
the herd is healthy and that in
fact Tiganis could dip the
cattle less frequently than he
has been.
“The vets at Onderstepoort
have been very helpful with
advice over the years. They
have not seen this breed
before and we have all been
learning about them
together , ” says Tiganis.
Raoul and Christine were the
first cattle Tiganis had ever
owned. Like so many
smallholders, he has learned
everything he knows on the
job. From the start, he has
been a hands-on owner ~
assisting with births, injecting
sick animals himself and of
course providing plenty of
carrot treats and ear scratches
for his animals.
SMART SMALLHOLDER
Tiganis is desperate to keep
the breed alive in South Africa
but is also fully aware of the
dangers of too many genera-
tions of inbreeding.
As such, he is on the lookout
for interested buyers to
purchase animals from him to
breed with local Dexters
again.
He is hoping to keep a record
of all sales and new animals to
better help in the cross-
breeding. “It would be ideal if
we could set up some sort of
exchange or buy-and-sell
process, so that I can buy
back or swop new animals for
an older Kentshire to mix the
bloodlines a bit more,” says
Tiganis. He believes he has
stretched the bloodline of
Raoul and Christine as far as is
safe for the animals.
Tiganis is hoping that the
breed's good nature, hardiness
and size will appeal to owners
of smallholdings. He would
especially like to raise
awareness of the breed
among young emerging
farmers ~ emphasizing their
practical uses as well as
aesthetic traits.
For example, the milk
produced is sufficient for a
small family and meat is of an
excellent quality. Tiganis notes
that the marble of the meat is
up there with the highest
quality beef used by top-class
chefs. Additionally, they are
easy on the eye, gentle
enough to have around
children and require very little
in the way of costly food
supplements.
For landowners hoping to live
13
www.sasmallholder.co.za
sustainably, a small breed such
as the Kentshire is ideal , as
they require far less grazing
and roaming space than larger
breeds. Tiganis recommends
them over other small-scale
livestock as well.
He points out that goats can
be difficult to manage as they
are well-known to be
excellent escape artists, while
sheep require shearing at a
cost and do not typically
provide milk for families.
Tiganis has found that most of
his challenges have been
unrelated to the breed but
rather caused by external
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