Keep It simple!

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

In 1988, chartered accountant John Devonport and his wife Tracey bought a farm on the shores of the Vaal Dam. Although this may sound idyllic, John says that at the time the farm was a “khakibush factory”. This led him to buy some grey Brahman cattle from the US, for the simple reason that they eat khaki bush and would help rid the farm of weeds.

The decision to buy the Brahman was the catalyst that led John to establish his highly successful Devlan Limousin stud, which he runs using practical, straightforward business principles.

THE FARM

The 1 330ha farm, Water’s Edge, is situated 125km south of Johannesburg and boasts 20km of waterfront on the upper reaches of the Vaal Dam. It was not purchased as one unit, but grew piecemeal through the addition of smaller parcels of land through the years, with the last section bought in 2015.

The farm is located in a sourveld region, with local indigenous Eragrostis-type grasses dominating. Red grass (Themeda triandra) and Smutsfinger (Digitaria eriantha) pasture, which is self-seeded, are also found here.

For extra feed, John recently established two centre-pivot lands of 40ha each, planting them to winter oats. This provides enough green pasture for 500 head of cattle, which are managed via moveable, solar-powered electric fences. The lands are planted to maize silage in summer, and a tenant farmer rents them for potato rotation. With the rental income from the potatoes and the tax breaks associated with farming, the pivots were repaid within two-and-a-half years.

EARLY DAYS OF CATTLE