Breeding a resistant and resilient Sussex stud herd

John Viedge of the Lehana’s Pass Sussex Stud has been breeding cattle that survive in some of the harshest redwater disease areas in South Africa. Wayne Southwood spoke to him about how he manages animal health, breeding and selection in his resilient Sussex stud.

- John Viedge

John Viedge of the Lehana’s Pass Sussex Stud run his animals on the farm Highfield, 10km south of Maclear in the Eastern Cape. The property consists of 2 200ha of very hilly terrain, at an altitude of 1 500m; average rainfall is 700mm with the occasional snowfall.

Viedge is the second generation of the family on the farm. His father, Robert, started farming here in 1931 and launched a Sussex enterprise when he bought four Sussex heifers from Bruce Evans of the Shackleton Stud in Viljoenskroon in 1962. Viedge joined the family business in 1964 after having studied at Cedara Agricultural College.

The family was initially predominantly sheep farmers, running a flock of about 2 000 ewes. However, stock theft on their farm, which borders the former Transkei, escalated to such an extent in the late 1990s that they were forced to sell all their sheep.

Viedge then bought Sussex cows from Robin Greene of The Start Stud in Karkloof and from the Huntersvlei Stud in Viljoenskroon.

“We’ve tried farming here with some other breeds, but I can’t see any benefit of crossbreeding,” says Viedge. “The Sussex breed works for us and that’s why we’ll stick with them.”

According to him, Sussex cows make excellent mothers. They are non-selective grazers that forage in all types of terrain, can handle the harsh Eastern Cape winters well, and are resistant to tick-borne diseases.

GRAZING

Viedge describes his veld as ‘super sour veld’. It can be tricky to manage and must be kept fairly short in summer. If it grows too tall, it becomes moribund and unpalatable. He burns half of the farm every year, which helps keep the grass palatable.