Game ranching and other forms of farming

Question 1

What is the criteria used to select species for game farming

Answer 1

-Easy to capture
-Adaptability to domestic conditions
-ability to produce marketable meat within reasonable diet
- ability to be bred in captivity
- pleasant disposition
- temperament

Question 2

Popular game farming animals

Answer 2

Ostriches
crocodiles
grass cutter
snails
deer
antelope
camels
elephant
rhino
lion
leopard
buffalo

Question 3

advantages of farming with game animals

Answer 3

• wild animals are resistant to diseases
• wild animals can survive in marginal lands
• killing out percentage of wild animals is generally very high
• Higher utilization and conversion of forages into lean meat
• Can survive with little to no water

Question 4

What is game cropping

Answer 4

the taking care of animals from a wild herd in numbers that will not endanger the viability of the wild population

Question 5

What is game cropping done for

Answer 5

• as a management technique to prevent the animals from overpopulating
• Harvesting to provide bush meat
• income generation

Question 6

What is game culling

Answer 6

management tool with the primary objective of reducing animals populations

Question 7

What are the reasons for game culling

Answer 7

• to prevent/reduce habitat degradation caused by high densities of herbivores
• a species protection strategy in cases where there is abundance of local species than a rare species part of abundance, so 1 is culled to reduce competition

Question 8

Where is ostrich production centered

Answer 8

Oudtshoorn

Question 9

what needs to be done before slaughtering an ostrich

Answer 9

• they need to be vaccinated against Newcastle disease 3 months before slaughter
• need to be treated against ticks
• quarantined 14 days prior to slaughter

Question 10

What are problems in the ostrich industry

Answer 10

1. A lot of capital is required
2. A lot of land is needed
3. High mortality due to ostrich chicks are born with immunity during the 1st month

Question 11

Common rabbit breeds in SA

Answer 11

South African Angora
Dutch
Mini Rex
Netherland dwarf

Question 12

Requirements for a good rabbit cage

Answer 12

• safe secure hatch that offers protection from weather
• A hutch should have a minimum of 0,6cm2 floor space and minimum of 0,5m in height
• protection from all predators
• must protect from heat
• when kept in wire cages, there needs to be a rest pad to sit on

Question 13

Advantages of rabbit farming

Answer 13

-mature early
- need little space
- do not compete for human food

Question 14

challenges with rabbit farming in SA

Answer 14

1. no or few off-takers for rabbit meat
2. Few suppliers of cages
3. No commercial suppliers of feed
4. Few abattoirs which are certified to slaughter rabbits

Question 15

4 basic requirements needed to start beekeeping

Answer 15

1. A basic understanding of how the:
   - honeybee colony is structured
   - honeybee works in the hive
   - forages in the field
2. a suitable place to keep beehive
3. colony of bees and a beehive
4. proper protective clothing and basic tools to start working on your bees