Cow #739 was bred by Mid- Illovo beef and cane farmer Hylton Hackland on his farm Valley View. Her sire was the Simmentaler bull Garrisford Falcon, her grand sire the Limousin bull Navor Rey and her great grand sire was Garrisford Eigar 14. For the past 33 years, Hylton has bought all his bulls from Geoff Taylor in Underberg. His first Sussex bulls were bought from Robin Greene and later from Mapstones in Richmond. “Geoff produces unbelievably hardy bulls that work from four to six seasons. Our choice of bulls was and still is based on our belief that this breed has the desirable traits of being well-muscled with a good frame size and good milk producers,” Hylton explains. “Cow #739 is one hell of a cow. She first calved at 25 months, has had nine calves and is pregnant with her tenth.
It’s hard not to get attached to a cow that gives so much, but her teeth are breaking now, so this will be her last calf.” Hylton’s total land holding encompasses 283ha of rolling hilly country with an average altitude of around 650m. The long-term average rainfall is 930mm a year. Soil consists of Hutton, Glenrosa and Westleigh with the natural vegetation type Acocks Veld Type 5 (Ngongoni Veld). A total of 174ha is planted to sugarcane, with 40ha under rain-fed kikuyu pasture. Natural veld grazing and bush patches in the drainage lines are preserved, ungrazed. In 1996, Hylton sold the farm’s 70-odd dairy cows and three years later reduced the beef herd to concentrate on sugarcane. “Beef provides only 4% of farm income and I maintain the herd more for love than for money,” he admits.
“To make real money in beef or dairy, you need a large herd. That’s why cut down from four enterprises to two and got rid of my dairy herd – it was too small to be viable.” The breeding herd consists of 62 cows and 14 replacement heifers. One Simmentaler bull and two bulls serve the females in three single-sire breeding groups of 25 females per bull. Hylton does AI early in the breeding season with bulls then covering those failing to conceive. “Cows cycle every 21 days, so work out from there if the calf was conceived by or by natural mating,” he explains. months long, starting in the second half of October, with heifers first mated from 12 to 14 months.
Calving season starts in early August. The calving rate in heifers is 77% and 89% in cows. The herd’s average intercalving period (ICP) for the last three seasons is an outstanding 365 days. Birth weights during the past three seasons averaged 33kg (heifers) 36kg (bull calves), while weaning weights averaged 220kg (heifers) and 232kg (bull calves). Cows are culled if they don’t calve each year, with very few exceptions to the rule. “The three-month breeding season gives heifers and cows ample time to conceive, either through AI or the field bull. The cows calve in August and then go into spring with plenty of grazing, which results in good milk production,” he says. Supplements at Valley View comprise 200g phosphate and in winter, 500g Econolick per cow per day. Weaned heifers receive Voermol Super 18 phosphate lick. In winter, cows are fed cane tops with a bit of Japanese radish after calving, supplemented with 500g Econolick each.
Redwater and tick-borne diseases are the main cattle diseases in the area, but regular inoculations help keep the cows in good condition. “Calves are dosed regularly and get vitamins A, D and E. They are dipped every three weeks in winter and every two weeks in summer. Inoculations are expensive, but worthwhile in the long term as the cows maintain condition and don’t miss a cycle. Hylton keeps meticulous records through a card system and uses ear tags to identify his cattle. He personally checks up on the cows at least once a day, while his farming philosophy is based on getting the basics right and sticking to them. This clearly works as his cows have won six Farmer’s Weekly-ARC Best Elite Cow awards. Contact Hylton Hackland on 082 787 8452 or e-mail [email protected].
