Cattle

Mthobeli Dintsi was a 2022 provincial winner in the National Kaonafatso ya Dikgomo Farmer of the Year competition, a category of the Agricultural Research Council’s National Beef Performers Awards. Mike Burgess visited him recently on his farm in the Eastern Cape to better understand his journey to commercial beef production with Bonsmaras.

In the first part of this three-part series, Dr Jan du Preez, managing director of UCK Investments, discusses the contributing effect of global warming on the occurrence of heat stress in dairy cattle.

The success of a beef cattle operation rests largely on the performance of its cows, says Dr Hentie van Rensburg, who bred the 2022 Agricultural Research Council National Best Elite Cow in the Afrisim category. He and his farming partner, Lourie van Pletzen, spoke to Annelie Coleman about their approach.

The South African feedlot industry produces about 75% of all beef eaten in the country. Annelie Coleman spoke to Lynette van Rooyen, group director at Sparta Beef, and Charles Mathewson, Sparta’s head of cattle procurement, about their company’s weaner requirements and how farmers can satisfy these.

Melville Ferreira, senior researcher at the Agricultural Research Council’s Animal Production unit in Vryburg, and Yolanda Venter, breed manager of the Santa Gertrudis Cattle Breeders’ Society in Bloemfontein, reveal the findings of performance testing of Santa Gertrudis bulls over 20 years under intensive conditions.

Despite the fact that Namibia is an arid country, farmers there continue to run profitable beef operations. However, profitability margins are decreasing.

Theo Maqashalala runs approximately 100 commercial Nguni breeding female animals near the town of Seymour in the Eastern Cape. He spoke to Mike Burgess about his appreciation for the Nguni breed, and why he opted for a terminal crossbreeding programme that uses Brahman bulls.

The Beef Shorthorn has a long and successful history in South Africa. Stud owners Hendrik, Henco and Johann Strydom spoke to Annelie Coleman about this adaptable animal that shines at crossbreeding.

The Beefmaster, which was developed in the US, is a popular beef breed in South Africa due to its adaptability, short intercalving period, and other key traits. Gerrie Jansen van Rensburg, president of the Beefmaster Cattle Breeders’ Society of South Africa (Beefmaster SA), told Susan Marais more about this hardy all-rounder.

While genetic improvement can go a long way towards improving dairy profitability, cows and calves will not reach their full potential if they suffer from nutritional deficiencies.

Improved breeding technologies and practices have resulted in many dairies ending up with more replacement heifers than they need. To add value to surplus animals, farmers can use beef semen on some of their cows. Glenneis Kriel explains what this process entails, and how it should be approached and implemented.

In a move that is being called production by the masses rather than mass production, India has successfully mobilised 100 million subsistence and small-scale dairy farmers to make that country the world’s largest milk producer. Lindi Botha visited India to see how this remarkable feat has been achieved.

The dual-purpose Simmentaler is known for its adaptability and good temperament. Tjokkie Nel, who runs a stud near Barkly East, spoke to Gavin Isted about the success he has had on this seemingly harsh terrain.

Twenty years ago, Gauteng livestock producer Kobus van der Linde bought a handful of Dexter cattle as a hobby for his children. Today, Van der Linde’s 100-head Lundi Dexter stud is a profitable operation, and his sole business. Annelie Coleman visited him to find out why he concentrated on this remarkable breed.

Sechaba Majola, a researcher in the Animal Unit at the University of the Free State, gives advice to small-scale beef cattle farmers on how to buy a quality bull and improve herd genetics.

Drakensberger cattle pulled the Voortrekkers’ wagons on their epic journeys to South Africa’s inland regions in the 19th century. Susan Marais visited Petrus Taljaard of Talman Drakensbergers in Mpumalanga to find out more about his love for this breed, and how he deals with cattle diseases and the area’s harsh winters.

The Agricultural Research Council recently presented its 44th instalment of the annual National Beef Performers Awards, which recognises outstanding achievements across seven categories of beef cattle performance and production. Farmer’s Weekly is the proud sponsor of the National Best Elite Cow category, the winners of which are presented below.

Mastitis can be devastating to a dairy’s profitability. Dr Chantelle Erwee, technical manager of ruminants at Zoetis, describes strategies that a farmer can implement to prevent cows from developing the condition.

Father-and-son team Robert and Sanele Khumalo constantly strive to maximise carcass weight in their commercial beef production enterprise. But with heavy recent rains and ever more unpredictable weather patterns, this requires careful and ongoing management of grazing and herd health.

Cows of this tough, dual-purpose breed from Texas are renowned for their strong maternal traits, their fertility and their easy calving. What’s more, the Beefmaster’s famous ‘Six Essentials’ guide simplifies breeding.