The production potential of an acacia karroo community utilized by cattle and goats

Abstract

An investigation was undertaken to determine the relationship between bush density and animal production/ha as well as between bush density and profitability/ha. Boer goat farming was found to be more profitable in the short term than beef ranching. The best long term strategy is a combination of goats and cattle in an integrated animal production system. Such an integrated system is approximately three times as profitable as a pure beef production system. A prerequisite for implementing such a system is that stocking rates of cattle must be set according to the condition of the herbaceous vegetation and stocking rates of goats must be set according to the condition of the woody vegetation.