Cattle

Linden Hewson owns the 2017 Farmer’s Weekly/ARC National Best Elite Sussex cow. This achievement is significant, as the Grey Maclean Stud near East London has been kraaled every night since 2002 to keep the animals safe.

Breeding beef cattle for greater efficiency and sustained profit is both a science and an art, says Arlington farmer Llewellyn Angus.

Although Van Aardt Greyling from the farm Ricksuhill near Lady Grey in the Eastern Cape is better known for his SA Mutton Merinos, his Beefpower Braford Stud is nevertheless home to the 2017 ARC National Best Elite Braford Cow.

The size of an operation counts less than dedication, persistence, insight and quality genetics. Operating on a modestly-sized parcel of land minutes from suburban Pretoria, the performance of Hans Franck’s Macarara Simmentaler Stud is proof of this.

Johan and Danita de Swardt, who became farmers after retiring from corporate careers, ensure profitably by supplying value-added beef directly to their clients. Chris Nel visited them on their farm, Damplaas, near Paul Roux in the eastern Free State.

Multi-award-winning Limousin stud breeder John Devonport says that a simple and practical approach makes business sense when breeding top cattle.

Free State dairy farmer Mick Quin has managed to grow his business by more than 800% at a time when many inland producers are struggling to survive. His secret, as Sabrina Dean discovered, is active and precise pasture management.

John Schenk and Fiona Lees are focused on the timber industry near Hogsback, but started a part-time agricultural venture near Elliot in 2004. Despite committing to Nguni cattle, their willingness to experiment on their farm has ensured a broader scope of interest. Mike Burgess reports.

With Bonsmaras having been bred for decades in South Africa for local conditions, the standards for this beef breed are firmly established. One Free State farming family is building on this solid foundation to make their cattle even more adaptable and profitable.

Since the first Herefords arrived in Namibia in 1918, the breed has steadily adapted to the harsh realities of beef production in the country. A century later they have emerged as a fast-growing, highly fertile, medium-maturing beef breed, according to Heinz Gruhn, Namibian Hereford Breeders’ Society chairperson.

One of the questions modern farmers face is whether they can farm in an environmentally sustainable, yet profitable, way. Craig Galloway provided the answer in his PhD thesis on the sustainability of pasture-based dairy farms.

Selecting a bull that will significantly improve a herd can be a daunting task, especially for a new buyer. At the 2017 Aldam Stockmans School, cattle veterans Martin Seyfferdt, interbreed cattle judge, and Arthur de Villiers, Arcadia Bonsmara stud owner, offered advice on selection breeding and marketing, and explained the breeder’s role in selling high-performance bulls.

Despite being a stud breeder for only five years, the ARC’s 2017 National Young Beef Cattle Breeder of the Year, MJ Ernst, has already made his mark. Annelie Coleman visited him on the family farm between Klerksdorp and Wolmaransstad to find out more about his Red Angus stud.

The Single Step method makes it possible to include genomic information in BLUP breeding values. This has put SA Stud Book at the forefront of genomic methodology, says Dr Japie van der Westhuizen, SA Stud Book CEO.

The Sid Knott Red and Black Angus studs in the Eastern Cape were founded on top genetics sourced from the US and New Zealand. Over the years, their progeny have been bred to thrive in South Africa’s harsh conditions. Mike Burgess visited the family farm, Wolseley Estate, to speak to the stud’s founder, Sid Knott.

Sandy Speedy is regarded as one of the pioneers of holistic beef cattle production in South Africa. Annelie Coleman visited him and his daughter, Jennifer, on their cattle ranch between Vryburg and Kuruman to learn more about their ‘wagon wheel’ grazing system.

Brothers Barrie and Gielie van Zyl, South Devon stud breeders from Windsorton in the Northern Cape, are also commercial cattle producers. They spoke to Annelie Coleman about Johstep stud’s tough, veld-reared South Devons.

Inaccurate feeding practices and poorly formulated diets in dairy herds can lead to subacute rumen acidosis, and result in decreased milk yields, higher than normal cull rates and profit losses for producers. Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO) CEO and specialist vet, Dr Chris van Dijk, and dairy feed specialist, Kenneth Botha, spell out the causes and cures to Gerhard Uys.

Clara Bruwer, a Charolais stud breeder from Vryburg, is convinced that technology is the optimal way to provide the best possible gene base for her clients. She spoke to Annelie Coleman about her success with in vitro fertilisation, and why she chose to breed Charolais over other cattle breeds.

Breeding cows form the mainstay of the beef industry, according to animal scientist, Danie Bosman. Speaking at a Drakensberger information day in Potchefstroom, he said that the ideal breeding cow successfully raises a calf every year. In the first article of this two-part series, he addresses the selection criteria for a successful beef breeding cow.