Their aim is to produce Brahman meat that is healthy, tender, tasty and affordable. Breeders have made it their mission to achieve this and a number of projects have been launched to bolster these efforts. This includes the ongoing Beef Genomics Project, which aims to benefit the breed and the industry at large.
Growing in popularity
Sydney Hunt, president of the Brahman Cattle Breeders’ Society of South Africa and owner of the Hunt Brahman stud near Warrenton in the Northern Cape, farms 236 breeding cows. He says the Brahman breed is in a very good space worldwide and is even expanding to Europe and Canada.
In the Unites States (US) the breed has lost some popularity as the US market requires large carcasses. This is not the case in South Africa – in fact, the breeders’ society opened separate herd books for the different Bos indicus types, so that breeders can produce animals that meet different market requirements. Despite the gruelling drought in recent years, the number of Brahman breeders increased by 5,6% and the number of stud cattle increased by almost 4 000.
Over the past 90 years, since the Brahman was introduced to the US, the breed has revolutionised beef production and cattle farming in large areas of the tropics, sub-tropics and drier parts of the world.
Good maternal traits, fertility, longevity, hardiness and hybrid vigour make the Brahman the breed of choice in subSaharan Africa. Almost 70% of cattle in Namibia has Brahman blood or are Brahman types; in Zimbabwe it is 80% and in South Africa 55%.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 2020-Ausgabe von Stockfarm.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 2020-Ausgabe von Stockfarm.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Shongololo Boer Goat Stud: Only The Best Will Do
South African Boer goats have proven popular worldwide for their ability to improve indigenous goat breeds. In addition, Covid-19 restrictions necessitated the establishment of electronic auctions, making it easier for foreigners to acquire outstanding genetic material exported by agents via established channels.
Feed Additives: A Veterinary Perspective
In an already volatile environment, dairy profit margins vary as milk prices and feed costs shift annually. Feed costs represent the largest input cost (an estimated 35 to 70% of the variable cost) in the production of milk. As a group of feed ingredients, feed additives can cause a desired physiological response in a non-nutrient way, such as pH shift, growth or metabolic modifier, and will usually be cost-beneficial.
Guard Against Lumpy Skin Disease
Most parts of the country received good rains during the rain season and producers are generally very optimistic. Wet seasons unfortunately come with their own set of challenges and veterinarians have cautioned livestock producers to keep an eye out for elevated biting insect loads, which may lead to conditions such as lumpy skin disease (LSD).
Climate-Related Hazards: How Smallholders Can Mitigate Its Consequences
Rainfed crop production remains the main source of food security and livelihoods for rural communities in South Africa but presents the challenge of climate variability due to its high dependence on weather variables such as rainfall and temperature.
Tips for a successful AI programme
The success of an artificial insemination (AI) programme depends on several factors that are largely within the control of the producer. It is interesting that those producers who take a hands-on approach to their cattle and inspect them regularly are also the ones who achieve the greatest success. Before his passing, Stockfarm spoke to Koot Louw, a well-known reproduction technologist from Brandfort in the Free State, about his insights into and advice regarding the AI process.
Pay Attention To Orf In Your Flocks
Some of our readers may have treated or heard of sheep or goats that have been infected with orf (vuilbek).
Sanele Mbele: Where Passion And Skill Meet
Passion for farming runs strong in the Mbele family’s veins. Sanele Mbele, from the farm Rietspruit in the De Jagersdrift area near Dundee, has inherited this passion in huge dollops.
Land Reform: Case Studies In Kwazulu-Natal
Land reform in South Africa is complex. Land reform solutions are equally complex and within partnership and development models, this is no different – but there is hope. KwaZulu-Natal has several types of partnership models and the wide variation in farming systems, as well as their different needs, set each model up for different strengths and weaknesses.
Brahman Breeders In Limpopo Have A Winning Plan
Several breeders from the Bosveld Brahman Club in Limpopo are applying genetic excellence and genotypic correctness to stimulate the demand for their bulls. At several of the last auctions, the minimum standard of bulls was raised to achieve this goal.
A Brahman Dream Comes True
For as long as he can remember, JP Mlangeni wanted to be a farmer. It might have taken a few years, from being a teacher and later a businessman, but his dream finally took shape and today he runs a fully-fledged breeding and commercial Brahman farming enterprise in Mpumalanga.
