Update on the nocturnal nibblers

I decided to put in a fence.

As the dry weather continues the antelope get more desperate, and overcome whatever counter-measures I put in place.

I phoned KZN Wildlife who suggested a cull. I am not that desperate yet.

I cut my own gum poles off the farm and am using shadecloth lacing instead of wire. The fence will be filled in using lots of scrap plastic bags to present a solid appearance. Fortunately there is no fire hazard here and these materials are vastly cheaper than conventional fencing. We'll see if it works.

I went out to the fields at midnight tonight to see four Nyala bulls and three Reedbuck on the beds. They did get diverted by the small section of completed fence so there is hope yet.

Enhancing biodiversity

Its 4-25AM and I am lying awake. Outside is a chorus of short shrill whistles. A torch through the window reveals a herd of about 8 Reedbuck moving through the kikuyu paddock at the front of the house. It is thrilling to know that this lovely animal, now on the endangered list is present on our farm with such abundance. However I listen to them with some ambivalence.

About a month ago I noticed that my lettuce crop was starting to look a bit small. On closer inspection I found them to have been neatly nibbled. This was no small irritation as the salad pack numbers we were producing were starting to drop. At this stage in the farm's life any change in turnover is critical. The standard response by others I spoke to was ''Can I come over and shoot!'' They all looked at me with pity when I refused. When Nora and I first moved to Broadleaze we had resolved to protect the incredible life force we sensed was present here. That was easy to pledge back then when our income was not dependent on the land

The first measure I thought of, was the obvious one, fencing. I realised I would need about 1000m of the stuff, and at least 1,8m tall to keep the buck out. After a phone call to a supplier I soon scrapped that plan. The price was prohibitive. Anyhow, Nyala, another culprit, can easily clear a fence of that height.

I thought of crop covers. I had thought them only for frost protection. Anyhow up to now they have been a bit of a miracle. Not only did the munching stop, but the lettuce grew quicker and my water usage dropped.
However, it's nearly August, and nearly a month since the last rain.The frosts have come and things are really dry. I do not blame the wildlife for finding juicy green lettuce and spinach tempting. They are now pushing aside the covers to get to the plants.

I am now trying an old Zulu traditional trick, spraying an antelope dung mixture around the fields. Some of the farm hands are confident it will work. I am also going to try irrigating one of my far paddocks and putting out salt licks to try and lure them away.

The main point here is that we have to find innovative ways to live with the wildlife, preserve the biodiversity and still run a profitable farm.