Ryno van der Merwe, a Brahman breeder from Gobabis in eastern Namibia and a member of the Namibia Brahman Breeders Society (NBBS), says that since 1954, the breed has had a significant impact on the composition of the country’s national cattle herd.

He ascribes this to the Brahman’s ability to add hybrid vigour, adaptability and hardiness, among others.

“The Brahman is the ultimate breed for the extensive and sometimes harsh conditions we farm in. The breed is a true profit driver for cattlemen in Namibia because of its versatility and top performance under challenging conditions.

“The NBBS has played a pivotal role in shaping the Brahman over the past 70 years through rigorous selection and disciplined breeding practices, resulting in the Namibian Brahman as we know it today. The NBBS is currently the largest breeders’ society in Namibia, and the member count is growing year after year,” he says.

The NBBS comprises 140 members collectively owning 21 000 registered cattle.
Livestock in Namibia is produced under tough, semi-arid to arid conditions with extreme temperatures. The average annual rainfall is low and highly variable, from 75mm in the south-west to 550mm in the north-east, interspersed with regular droughts.

The beginning

The Brahman breed arrived in Namibia in 1954 when Jurgen Crantz from Windhoek imported eight bulls and 10 females from Texas in the US.

The animals were shipped to the Cape Town harbour, from where they were taken to Namibia. Five of the bulls came from the JD Hudgins Stud, as did all of the females, while the rest came from other well-known stud breeders like Albert W Fray, VW Frost and the Lazy 3X Ranch.

“The arrival of these animals truly transformed the production of red meat in Namibia. It brought about a marked improvement in the composition of the national herd because of the outstanding hybrid vigour they bring to crossbred cattle,” says Van der Merwe, who also serves on the NBBS council.

“The Brahman played an instrumental role in the development of a number of composite breeds, such as the Simbra and Brangus. The breed excels in crossbreeding with European breeds like the Simmentaler and British breeds like the Hereford.”

Crossbreeding

According to the NBBS website, excellent results are achieved by using purebred Brahman bulls on European or British breed (Bos taurus) cows. European or British breed bulls used on pure Brahman, Brahman F1 or F2 (B. indicus) cows fare just as well. This is attributed to the exceptional hybrid vigour of the Brahman, combined with the superior mothering abilities of B. indicus-type cows.

“The Brahman has played a phenomenal role in increasing meat production in the country. Over and above the breed’s inherent traits and hybrid vigour, the upsurge in meat production can also be ascribed to the fact the NBBS, in its quest for top-performing animals, has played a vital role in the genetic progress of the breed and local national herd.
“Our focus is on, among others things, education and training, selection, and the completeness of animal performance record-keeping,” explains Van der Merwe.

Growth, vitality and robustness of the F1 progeny in a Brahman crossbreeding concern are but a few of the gains for producers. The crossbred animals have smooth coats and adapt quickly to changes in their environment.

Veld-reared Brahman crossbred cattle constitute about 70% of Namibia’s beef exports to markets like Scandinavia, the EU and the US.

Functional mothers

Crossbred heifers and cows are highly functional mothers with excellent milk production. Van der Merwe says this is why they are so popular among commercial producers as breeding animals.

The highly fertile Brahman cow is known for exceptional mothering instincts and will fearlessly protect its calves against predators, including leopards, spotted hyenas and cheetahs.

According to the NBBS website, some breeders believe that to thrive in Namibia’s dry, expansive conditions, their cow herds require a higher proportion of B. indicus traits for greater resilience and endurance. To achieve this, they often use Brahman bulls on Brahman-cross F1 or F2 cows.

Milk teeth

Van der Merwe says that Brahmans lose their milk teeth as late as 32 months. Like many animals, cattle begin life with baby or milk teeth, which are gradually replaced by permanent teeth starting at around two years of age.

The fact that Brahmans shed their milk teeth significantly later than some B. taurus breeds, for example, allows purebred and crossbred Brahmans to remain on the veld longer before being marketed. This extended grazing period leads to increased weight gain, resulting in a premium for the producer.

Walking ability

As stated on the NBBS website, the breed can, due to its efficient mobility, cover great distances in search of grazing and watering points.

“The stamina and endurance of the breed comes to the fore particularly in the communal farming areas of our country where the cattle sometimes have to walk up to 10km between grazing areas and watering points. The communal red meat producers are well aware of this, and I can safely say that about 70% of the communal cattle carry Brahman genetics,” says Van der Merwe.

Well balanced

Since the arrival of its international forebears, the Namibian Brahman has evolved from a large-framed, long-legged animal with unacceptable sheaths into a medium-framed animal with adequate length, width and depth, and fitting sheaths.

According to the NBBS, the sheath must be situated above the line drawn from the hocks to the knee.

Special attention was also given to udder and teat development to ensure strong-sucking calves after birth.

A well-balanced Brahman is a successful Brahman. The first Brahman breeders in the country experienced challenges as far as temperament was concerned but, says Van der Merwe, this trait was soon eliminated through very strict selection.

The breed requires gentle handling and is also known for its remarkable intelligence. The modern Brahman is good natured yet very alert.

Van der Merwe says the Brahman has an excess of skin, which helps it endure the heat and keep its body cool. Additionally, its black-pigmented skin allows it to efficiently manage exposure to the sun’s rays, reducing the risk of skin diseases.

The coat is short, thick and glossy, deflecting the sun’s rays and enabling the Brahman to graze comfortably in extreme heat. It also has an increased number of sweat glands, letting it perspire freely.

Breedplan

In 2002, the NBBS implemented the international Breedplan recording system. This means that Brahman breeders in Namibia can register their own pedigreed animals and run their own performance test schemes.

The Namibian Breedplan system is compatible with the connected systems for Brahman
breeds in South Africa, Australia and the US, which gives Namibian producers access to a world-class database enquiry and cataloguing service.

Email Ryno van der Merwe at [email protected]. Visit brahman-namibia.com.