I run about 200 breeding females and use the remaining land to grow out heifers and bulls, explains Heinrich. I sell commercial calves as weaners and select bulls as weaners, either to grow out or to keep for my stud. Grandview Brahman s award-winning bull GBS 09 10 was sold to a buyer from Botswana for R250 000. The Brahman is suited to extensive cattle farming in arid and semi-arid regions and does well on poor grazing in extensive conditions. Managing the grazing is the core of my business. I manage for expansion, not just to have enough of a reserve to see the next season through. Heinrich rests one camp a year for each herd and uses the grazing during the tough winter months. I also rest camps for calving cows. This reduces calf losses and makes management of the different studs easier. The stocking rate is between 8ha to 10ha/ MLU and 50ha camps are rotated weekly in summer and every two weeks in winter. The camps have dedicated water points and cattle have access to a phosphate lick year round. Heinrich does his own pregnancy diagnoses and uses a vet mainly for surgical procedures. In summer, we dip for ticks every three weeks. I vary the active ingredient in the dip to avoid resistance. Once a year I dose for internal parasites, he says. DIVERSIFICATION A three-breed operation gives Heinrich access to a broader spectrum of buyers. An extended client base enhances income per hectare, he explains. Stud breeding costs almost the same as running commercial animals, but the return on investment is greater. Instead of a higher per hectare stocking rate, which would force me to supplement, I look at getting the best from individual cows. I expect a cow to give me half of her body weight in a calf weaned at between seven and eight months. If she doesn t succeed, I breed her to a different bull, but cows that give me less than 40% I cull immediately. Heinrich also selects for a short intercalvingperiod (ICP). Heinrich Bruwer started his RH Cattle Company Santa Gertrudis stud in 2001. At 15, he was the youngest member of the SA Santa Gertrudis Breeders Society. The breeding season is from January to March and one bull runs with a 20-cow group. Calving is timed to coincide with the first spring rain. Bulls that don t make the grade in Phase C testing are culled. I sell bulls off the veld as my clients are mainly commercial cattlemen that need tough bulls with good growth for profitable weaner production. Fortunately, I have a reputation for producing hardy, adaptable animals. Heinrich mates his heifers at two years old and considers later mating a good investment. The heifers have a maturity advantage, he maintains, and this allows them to maintain condition during pregnancy and after calving. Reconception rates in the first-calver group are about 90% and I ve bred some of my best bulls from heifers. In 2012 Heinrich s herd was selected by the Santa Gertrudis Society as the herd of between 25 and 50 animals with the lowest ICP (389 days). In 2013 I came second for a herd of between 50 and 100 animals with an average ICP of 388 days. I aim for an ICP of 380 days. One of my bulls won the trophy last year for the best feed conversion in Phase C testing and a bull from my stud represented the breed in the Vleissentraal-ARC Special Performance test class, he says. B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal Augustus 2013 61
Heinrich chose Brafords for his commercial herd because of their fertility, longevity and high weaner weights. The Grandview Simbra Stud was started in 2009. BRAHMAN STUD Heinrich started the Grandview Brahman stud in 2005. Brahmantype cattle are suited to extensive cattle ranching in arid and semi-arid regions. Brahman and Simbra are good choices for communal farmers because of their hardiness and ability to do well on poor grazing. He bought 10 heifers from the Hunt Brahman stud in Warrenton and mated them to Sugarland bulls, as he was impressed with the strong bone, fertility, milk production and maternal ability of the Sugarland animals. The current herd bull GBS 08 12 was bred from this line; he formed part of the Armoedsvlakte Agricultural Institute s 2012 performance testing programme and attained gold merit status and best of breed ADG of 2,2kg per day with a growth index of 156. Grandview cow GBS 07 07 was selected as the 2012 National Champion White Brahman Cow at the Vryburg show. Her first calf was the 2012 Intermediary Champion and was later sold for R250 000 to Rudi Lemcke from Botswana. Most of the Grandview Brahmans are naturally mated. I artifically inseminate the top 10% of the Brahman herd and the two other studs to introduce new genetics, Heinrich explains. I use the best genetics I can find, such as JD Hudgins from the US and Llewellyn Labuschagne from Letsitele s R10 stud. Most of the Grandview bulls achieved Phase C performance gold merit status in 2011 and the average Grandview Brahman ICP is 387 days. In 2009 Heinrich decided to breed Simbras, as the breed s prepotency and hybrid vigour make it an excellent choice for commercial beef producers. COMMERCIAL HERD Heinrich chose Brafords for his commercial herd because of the longevity, fertility and high weaner weights of this breed. I bought Droughtmaster genetics at the Considerata Droughtmaster Stud s recent sale. I believe they ll add value to my business. I don t mix my stud and commercial herds but cull any animals that don t meet my standards, he says. SHOW Show ring competition is important to Heinrich, a qualified interbreed judge. There s no better way of marketing animals, he stresses. The show ring allows stud breeders to compete with the rest of the breed s stud animals and establish a good name in the industry. My advice to other young breeders is to attend as many shows as possible to learn the breed standards for functional efficiency. Established breeders already have buyers; new entrants must work to find them. Questioned on his business philosophy, Heinrich says he tries to stay humble and quotes Abraham Lincoln: I ve been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day. Heinrich bought the farm Lovedale about 60km north of Vryburg in partnership with his parents Bokkie and Amanda Bruwer two years ago. 62 B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013
B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013 63
Improvement of the cowherd through female selection is not effective. It is 90% more effective by continuously using good bulls. (LRF) Choosing a bull from a stud breeder to improve a commercial cowherd is today much easier than before EBVs were discovered. Why EBVs? The largest portion of what you see in a bull is controlled by the environment (food, management, weather, etc.) and the smaller portion is due to genetics. Only the genetic component is transmitted to his progeny. However, we can t see this genetic component separately from the environment s influence and therefore breeders of all breeds all over the word use the BLUP technology to estimate the genetic component and express it as an EBV. As the name implies, Estimated Breeding Value is an estimate of an animal s value as a parent for a particular production trait such as growth rate in other words an estimate of how he will breed. The most important advantage of EBVs is that animals are comparable within a breed, between herds and over years. I mention above choosing a bull from a stud breeder. Why? Because pedigrees and performance testing are essential for EBVs and consequently stud or pedigree breeding. The bull is the herd A long term selection study in the USA has clearly proven the power of bull selection versus selection applied to females. Using yearling weight, bull selection accounted for almost 90% of the total genetic improvement. The result is presented in the figure. We suggest breeders enlighten their commercial clients about this. In central Europe they realised the importance of the bull years ago when they introduced the male-licensing-law (Germany, where I experienced it, introduced in 1930) which stipulates that only licensed males (bulls, boars, stallions, etc.) may be used on any type of female pure, commercial or crossbred. Licensing by an independent governmental appointed committee of experts is based on performance and structural correctness. For the last two decades the performance component stipulates positive EBV s with a minimum accuracy. Bulls without EBVs or with negative EBVs must be slaughtered and everybody is happy with this because this system continually improves their herds and the countries livestock industry. To ensure sound breeding all EU countries have compulsory licensing of bulls. The UK also recognized the value of the bull long ago by introducing the Improvement of Livestock (Licensing of Bulls) Act, 1931. 2013 Noord-Kaap Provinsiale Wenner van die LNR Nasionale Vleisbeesverbeteringskudde van die Jaar Toekenning Kroonvee: Jan en Gideon van Zyl 64 B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013
The African Farmers Expo - SIETZE SMIT Die jaarlikse gebeurtenis het plaasgevind in Johannesburg op 15-17 Augustus 2013. Nasrec Uitstalsentrum Verskeie rolspelers in die Landbou- en Nywerheidsektor het uitgestal. Die doel van die uitstalling was om die Opkomende boerdery mark te voorsien van praktiese bruikbare inligting. Heelwat klem word gelê op selfdoenaksies, praktiese demonstrasie soos die melk van n koei of melkbok het baie aandag getrek. Die Ekspo word bygewoon deur boere, studente, skoliere, sommige uit die hart van Johannesburg, vir party was dit die eerste kennismaking met n Brahmanbees. Dit het gelei tot n foto-neem aksie, wat natuurlik deur facebook oraloor gestuur word. Anton Loggenberg het sy beeste beskikbaar gestel vir die uitstalling. Die Brahmanras was deel van ses beesrasse wat aan die uitstalling deelgeneem het nl. Afrikaners, Tuli, Hereford, Nguni en Jersey as melkras. Verskeie kleinveerasse is ook uitgestal, dan was daar melkbokke, en n volledige Varkeenheid vanaf Kanhym. Volgens die Organiseerders was meer besoekers deur die hekke as in 2012. Ons het boere vanuit die Ooskaap, Limpopo, Mpumalanga en Vrystaat gehad wat ons besoek het. Baie vrae is beantwoord oor: 1. Hoekom Brahmane? 2. Wat onderskei die Ras? 3. Waar kan met hom geboer word? Van die eerste navrae is al in die kantoor oor opgradering hanteer. Geleenthede soos hierdie plaas die Brahman op die voorstoep van mense wat andersins nooit met die Ras kontak sou hê nie. Belangstellendes Melking v bok demonstrasie Belangstellende Expo gangers neem foto s Foto s word geneem saam met die Brahmane Inligtinglesing oor Brahman sterkpunte Ruskansie na die intense fotonemery B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013 65
Pretoria Skou Vroulik KAMPIOEN VERSKALF - WIT RIO 12 312 RIO BRAHMANE KAMPIOEN VERSKALF - LB 12 260 LOBRAM BRAHMANE RESERWE KAMPIOEN VERSKALF - WIT RAN 12 18 RANZA BRAHMANE KAMPIOEN VERSKALF - HCB 12 67 HCB BRAHMANE INTERMEDIÊRE & RESERWE RAS KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - WIT BEL 12 305 BELLEVUE BRAHMANE INTERMEDIÊRE KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - HCB 11 47 HCB BRAHMANE RESERWE INTERMEDIÊRE KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - WIT RIO 11 276 RIO BRAHMANE RESERWE INTERMEDIÊRE KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - LB 11 234 LOBRAM BRAHMANE JUNIOR KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - WIT AJS 11 275 TRUEBLOOD BRAHMANE JUNIOR KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER- HBW 11 16 HCB BRAHMANE RESERWE JUNIOR KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - WIT AJS 11 284 TRUEBLOOD BRAHMANE RESERWE JUNIOR KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - JFW 11 218 DOMAC BRAHMANE 66 B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013
B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013 67
SUPERKOEI - LB 02 53 LOBRAM BRAHMANE SENIOR & RAS KAMPIOEN KOEI - WIT RIO 09 107 RIO BRAHMANE SENIOR & RAS KAMPIOEN KOEI - HBW 10 22 HCB BRAHMANE RESERWE SENIOR KAMPIOEN KOEI - WIT HHM 08 22 RICHUGO BRAHMANE RESERWE SENIOR & RESERWE RAS KAMPIOEN KOEI - LB 10 198 LOBRAM BRAHMANE BLUP KAMPIOEN KOEI - WIT R10 12 294 RIO BRAHMANE BLUP KAMPIOEN KOEI - BELR 12 19 BELLEVUE FARMS Manlik KAMPIOEN BULKALF - WIT RIO 12 314 RIO BRAHMANE KAMPIOEN BULKALF - HBWC 12 25 HCB BRAHMANE RESERWE BULKALF KAMPIOEN - WIT RIO 12 300 RIO BRAHMANE 68 B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013
B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013 69
RESERWE KAMPIOEN BULKALF - HCB 12 81 HCB BRAHMANE INTERMEDIÊRE KAMPIOEN BUL - WWH 11 382 WELCARE BRAHMANE RESERWE INTERMEDIÊRE KAMPIOEN BUL - WIT B 11 6 BULLSEYE BRAHMANE RESERWE INTERMEDIÊRE KAMPIOEN BUL - DKN 11 105 DKN BRAHMANE INTERMEDIÊRE KAMPIOEN BUL - WIT BEL 11 284 BELLEVUE BRAHMANE JUNIOR KAMPIOEN BUL - WIT HHM 10 42 RICHUGO BRAHMANE JUNIOR, BLUP & RESERWE RAS KAMPIOEN BUL JFW 10 214 DOMAC BRAHMANE RESERWE JUNIOR KAMPIOEN BUL - WIT SKY 11 267 SKY-HI BRAHMANE RESERWE JUNIOR KAMPIOEN BUL - HBW 10 52 HCB BRAHMANE SENIOR, BLUP & RAS KAMPIOEN BUL - WIT HHM 10 24 RICHUGO BRAHMANE SENIOR & RAS KAMPIOEN BUL - GPCK 09 508 GPC BRAHMANE RESERWE SENIOR & RESERWE RAS KAMPIOEN BUL - WIT RIO 09 113 RIO BRAHMANE RESERWE SENIOR KAMPIOEN BUL - BELR 09 4 BELLEVUE BRAHMANE MEESTE PUNTE WIT 1. RIO 176 2. RICHUGO 118 3. TRUEBLOOD 43 MEESTE PUNTE- 1. HCB BRAHMANE 112 2. DOMAC 73 3. LOBRAM 67 70 B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013
Hannetjie Loots, Fritz Nel - Steenbokpan Ellisras, Llewellyn Labuschagne - Pretoria Skou 71
Sietze Smit, Don Emsley (eienaar Tamboti Toyota) Stephan Coetzee tydens die oorhandiging van Sietze se bakkie 72 B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013
Ons wil ons opregte dank uitspreek teenoor die borge wat die Pretoriaskou vir ons finansieël moontlik gemaak het. Die kostes vir telers soos, voeding om diere skougereed te maak, transport om diere by die skou te kry, inskrywingsfooi, touleierslone en rantsoene, akkommodasie tydens skou, alternatiewe reëlings op die plaas terwyl teler by die skou is, raak so hoog dat dit n groot oorweging vir telers is om te skou. Indien daar nie skoue is nie sal ons nie n geleentheid hê om ons diere te evalueer en aan mede telers en die publiek bekend te stel nie. Ons borge help om die finansiële verpligting ligter te maak en daarom wil ons graag ons borge die nodig erkenning en blootstelling gee. Dit is vir my aangenaam om die volgende borge te bedank vir hulle bydra. Hiermee groot dank aan al ons teler borge by Pretoria Skou RUSSEL JACKSON (ARJAC) ANDRIES MARX (MARXVILLE STOETERY) PIETER STEINMAN (STEINMAN PF) EUGENE MARAIS (MARATS BRAHMANE) WIMPIE GROBLER (LW MARSHALL) HENNIE JACOBS (HJW BRAHMANE) GAWIE COETZEE (COETZEE GP JNR) HENRY BRITS (HCB) WESSEL HATTINGH (WELCARE) RIAAN THERON (RAT) LIEWELLYN LABUSCHAGNE (R10) FRANCOIS VAN DER MERWE (IMPERIAL-CROWN) STEPHAN COETZEE (COETZRAND) B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013 73
Thabazimbi Skou VROULIK VERSKALF & RESERWE RAS KAMPIOEN - WIT RIO 12 300 R10 Brahmane KAMPIOEN VERSKALF - BIN 12 151 Bines Brahmane RESERWE KALFKAMPIOEN VERS - WIT BHH 12 80 Pascale Brahmane RESERWE KALF KAMPIOEN VERS - HCB 12 67 HCB Brahmane INTERMEDIÊRE KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - WIT RIO 11 266 R10 Brahmane INTERMEDIÊRE & RESERWE RAS KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - LB 11 234 Lobram Brahmane RESERWE INTERMEDIÊRE KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - WIT RAN 11 28 Ranza Brahmane RESERWE INTERMEDIÊRE KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - SJR 1 23 Letaba Brahmane JUNIOR KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - WIT AJS 11 275 True Blood Brahmane JUNIOR KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - PRI 10 65 PRI Brahmane RESERWE JUNIOR KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - WIT BEL 11 245 BEL Brahmane RESERWE JUNIOR KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - HBW 11 16 HCB Brahmane 74 B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013
B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013 75
SENIOR & RAS KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - WIT RAN 09 16 Ranza Brahmane SENIOR & RAS KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - HBW 10 22 HCB Brahmane MANLIK RESERWE SENIOR KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - WIT BEL 10 218 BEL Brahmane RESERWE SENIOR KAMPIOEN - VROULIKE DIER LB 10 198 Lobram Brahmane KALF & RESERWE RAS KAMPIOEN BUL - WIT RIO 12 314 R10 Brahmane KAFLKAMPIOEN BUL - PRI 12 273 PRI Brahmane RESERWE KALFKAMPIOEN BUL - WIT RIO 12 300 R10 Brahmane RESERWE KALFKAMPIOEN BUL - PRI 12 292 PRI Brahmane INTERMEDIÊRE KAMPIOEN BUL - WIT RIO 11 245 R10 Brahmane INTERMEDIÊRE & RAS KAMPIOEN BUL - PRI 11 127 PRI Brahmane RESERWE INTERMEDIÊRE KAMPIOEN BUL - WIT RAN 11 27 Ranza Brahmane RESERWE INTERMEDIÊRE KAMPIOEN BUL - PRI 11 149 PRI Brahmane 76 B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013
JUNIOR KAMPIOEN BUL - WIT RAN 11 23 Ranza Brahmane JUNIOR & RESERWE RAS KAMPIOEN BUL - JFW 10 214 Domac Brahmane RESERWE JUNIOR KAMPIOEN BUL - WIT RAN 11 23 Ranza Brahmane RESERWE JUNIOR KAMPIOEN BUL - HBW 10 52 HCB Brahmane SENIOR, RAS & OPPERSTE KAMPIOEN BUL - WIT RIO 09 66 R10 Brahmane SENIOR KAMPIOEN BUL - BELR 0 94 BEL Brahmane RESERWE SENIOR KAMPIOEN BUL - WIT RAN 10 31 Ranza Brahmane RESERWE SENIOR KAMPIOEN BUL - HBW 10 19 HCB Brahmane B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013 77
Ellisras Skou VROULIK VERSKALF & RESERWE RAS KAMPIOEN - WIT BAR 12 41 INTERMEDIÊRE & RESERWE RAS KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - WIT LT 11 1 SENIOR & RAS KAMPIOEN KOEI - WIT BAR 10 23 INTERMEDIÊRE KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - LB 11 234 SENIOR & RAS KAMPIOEN VROULIKE DIER - LB 10 198 RESERWE SENIOR KAMPIOEN KOEI- PRI 09 943 JUNIOR & RESERWE RAS KAMPIOEN - WIT LT 10 10 SENIOR & RAS KAMPIOEN BUL - WIT BAR 10 22 SENIOR & RAS KAMPIOEN BUL - JFW 09 161 RESERWE RAS KAMPIOEN - JFW 10 214 78 B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013
B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013 79
Veilings Sales BEST OF BOTH BRAHMAN SALE Sold Average Highest Grey Bulls 8/9 R 25 000 R 35 000 Buyer of most expensive grey bull - R35 000 Masizakhe Farming - Ugie BRANDWATER (HOT) Sold Average Highest Grey Bulls 12/14 R 28 818 R 40 000 Red Bulls 9/11 R 21 125 Commercial Cows 30/53 R 8 015 Buyer of most expensive grey bull - R40 000 Advantage Brahmane, Newcastle MDUNA BRAHMANE 15/15 verkoop Gemiddelde prys R31 567 Hoogste prys MD 10 261 R44 000 MD10225 verkoop vir R42000 OOS-TRANSVAAL BULVEILING Sold Average Highest Bulls (red & white) 42/44 R 30 200 R 44 000 Buyer of most expensive bull Herman Odendaal, Amsterdam: R44 000 - JMB 10-62 from Johmarie Trust 80 B R A H M A N Joernaal Journal OKTOBER/OCTOBER 2013