Despite being a stud breeder for only five years, the ARC’s 2017 National Young Beef Cattle Breeder of the Year, MJ Ernst, has already made his mark. Annelie Coleman visited him on the family farm between Klerksdorp and Wolmaransstad to find out more about his Red Angus stud.
MJ Ernst’s Bona Bona Angus stud is relatively small. Yet the outstanding fertility of his cow herd has resulted in the stud matching, and often surpassing, the local Angus breed’s estimated breeding values (EBV). The stud achieved a 100% calving rate and a 95% weaning rate during the 2016/2017 breeding season. The average age at first calving is 29 months, compared with the breed average of 31 months. Similarly, the average intercalving period (ICP) for the Bona Bona herd is 378 days, which is markedly lower than the average of 409 days for SA Angus cows.MJ decided on the Red Angus breed rather than the more traditional Black Angus due to commercial farmers’ preference for red cattle. His 35-strong Bona Bona stud consists of 21 breeding animals, including replacement heifers.
FEED EFFICIENCY AND BREEDING VALUES
The herd’s genetic improvement in terms of feed efficiency has increased substantially since its inception, with the feed conversion ratio improving from 110 in 2012 to 118 in 2014. In 2016, a Bona Bona bull, MJ 14 0020, competed in the ARC Special Performance Test Class, and received a Platinum Award in the same year.
MJ stresses that his selection criteria are based on what commercial breeders demand.
“They need top fertility and feed efficiency to produce heavy weaners with feed lotting in mind. Optimal meat production calls for a blocky beef conformation.
Fast Facts
MJ Ernst is the aRc 2017 National Young Beef cattle Breeder of the Year.
He uses the best genetics available in his Bona Bona angus stud.
The stud regularly exceeds the breed’s EBV averages. “These attributes are crucially important for my commercial clients and that’s what I aim for,” he explains.
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