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A platform/system that can be used by dairy farmers and nutritionists all over the world to improve the efficiency of cow feeding.
Ideal Weight Feeding © 2025.
Website by RootsDz
Our history
One of my pasture-based clients was among the first farmers in South Africa to install the AfiFarm program in 2005. For the first time, we had access to daily milk production (MP) and daily body weight (BW) data for cows in milk. Our initial challenge was feeding each cow accurately despite the large variations in BW within the same herd (often the largest cow weighed nearly twice as much as the smallest) combined with differences in body condition score (BCS) and stage of lactation.
After experimenting with several feeding approaches, we developed a system where cows were fed based on MP as a percentage of BW, with the scale used to calculate BCS and adjust feed allocations accordingly. A few years later, this approach was incorporated into AfiFarm 3 and 4.
By the end of 2015, another client using the Alpro system approached me to build an Ideal Weight program they could use. At that moment, I had a divine breakthrough and literally saw how to build the framework of this program. We spent months building and refining it on the client’s farm until it was ready to be released as a fully cloud-based system. The new Ideal Weight program emphasizes adaptability to nearly any situation or client preference, while making feed menu adjustments simple and straightforward.
All our current clients use AfiFarm 5, DelPro, or DairyPlan (GEA), but the system can work with any management platform capable of exporting cow data and importing feed data.
My Background
I studied at the University of Stellenbosch, earning an Hons. BSc. Agric degree in 1987 with a focus on nutrition. I am a registered member of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP No. 114826).
After completing my national service in 1988–1989, I joined the Department of Agriculture in the Eastern Cape as an extension officer in Grahamstown. There, I gained experience in diverse farming systems, including chicory, vegetables, citrus, Angora goats, sheep, Boer goats, dairy, and soil conservation. The resources varied from pastures under irrigation to very extensive farming conditions. The latter exposed me to many aspects of agriculture which proved to be useful later in my career.
I wanted to specialize in Dairy and in 1991, I was promoted to Dairy Specialist for the western half of the Eastern Cape, advising dairy farmers on nutrition, pasture management, and heifer rearing.
In 1994, I left the Department of Agriculture to work part-time for a feed company while consulting for dairy farmers. During this time, I also became a shareholder in a feed company, gaining valuable insight into the operations and challenges of the feed industry.
Since 2001, I have been consulting full-time for dairy farmers across Natal, the Eastern and Western Cape of South Africa, and have had some exposure to New Zealand farming systems. The farming systems that I work with range from low-cost milk production from pastures to zero-grazing systems, and combinations thereof. Additionally, I conduct training sessions with Milk SA to support small-scale farmers.
A platform/system that can be used by dairy farmers and nutritionists all over the world to improve the efficiency of cow feeding.
Ideal Weight Feeding © 2025.
Website by RootsDz