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The history of Afrikaner cattle in South
Africa is an interesting one and is closely
associated with the history of the country’s
people. These typical Bos Indicus animals,
the most important of our indigenous breeds,
were the first cattle encountered by Jan van
Riebeeck shortly after he had arrived at the
Cape. Little is known about the origins of
the breed. The most likely theory is that,
in its most primitive state, it originated
on the steppes of Asia from the wild cattle
of that time. Since then, it had descended
from the lateral-horned Zebu without any
infusion of foreign blood.
This hardy, no-nonsense breed has a
number of outstanding traits, its value in
cross-breeding programmes being particularly
appreciated.
About 2 000 years ago it crossed into Africa
from Aden and gradually migrated southwards
during successive centuries, with only the
animals best adapted to arid desert
conditions, extreme heat, tropical diseases
and both internal and external parasites
finally reaching the southern tip of the
continent. As long ago as the 15th century,
Portuguese sailors reported that the
Hottentots in the south-western region of
the country already owned herds of these
cattle.
However, South African cattle farmers began
to appreciate the Afrikaner’s outstanding
qualities only in about 1912. Then, largely
due to the efforts of Alex Holm, Director of
the Potchefstroom College of Agriculture and
a champion of the breed, a studbook was
formed so that planned breeding could take
place for controlling the breed’s
development into the Afrikaner we know
today. Not many people are aware that, some
years earlier, the breed was almost
exterminated when huge numbers died of
rinderpest or were destroyed during the
South African War. As a direct result,
various exotic breeds were imported, mainly
from Britain and Europe, to build up the
country’s depleted cattle numbers.
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Kept stock pure
Although considerable interbreeding occurred at the time,
some breeders, to their credit, succeeded in keeping their
Afrikaner stock pure, ensuring the continued existence of
this hardy breed.
Prominent among these breeders were Jozef du Plessis of
Rietfontein Farm, Kroonstad, who kept his herd intact. Others
who started to build up their purebred herds included the
well-known Malan, Pieterse, Ras, De Wet, Lubbe, Greyling, Van
Biljon and Jordaan families, all of whom played a significant
part in the development and distribution of the breed. |
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The Afrikaner is well named the no-nonsense breed
Livestock specialists say the Afrikaner does not have the
compact, block-like conformation of many of the British beef
breeds. It has longer legs, yet good depth, and a muscular
back, loins, rump and thigh, but a fairly shallow body.
It seems almost a pity the characteristic long, wide and
elegantly turned horns have had to be polled in so many
commercials and even purebred herds. A
mature Afrikaner bull weighs 820 - 1090 kg and a cow 450 - 600
kg. Steers reared on the veld with only a phosphorus lick
and salt and slaughtered at the age of 27-30 months on
average yield a carcass of 250 kg. |
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However, when given additives, such as in feedlots, the same
mass is produced within 18–22 months. The beef is tender and
juicy and carcass in demand by consumers. Its meat is of
high quality and tender, tasty and succulent, and in a crossbreeding programme the Afrikaner
improves
the quality of the meat of the breed with which it is
crossed, especially with regard to tenderness (De Bruyn,
ADSRI, Irene). Perhaps one of the most important
characteristics of the Afrikaner is its suitability for
cross-breeding with exotic beef breeds. The value of
purebred Afrikaner sires in commercial herds, when mated to
grade cows of mixed parentage has been repeatedly shown in
the good development and excellent prices realised by
progeny. Another outstanding characteristic is the
Afrikaner's resistance to most of the country's endemic,
such as redwater, hartwater and gallsickness. When bred in
an area in which these diseases prevail, young Afrikaner
cattle acquire immunity through their dam's milk. The cattle
are well adapted to veld conditions in the warm, arid and
extensive grazing areas of the country, and react well to
intensive feeding.
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As a purely beef-producing breed, the Afrikaner cow yield
excellent and adequate milk for its calves. Experiments have
shown that, during a suckling period of 210 days, the calf
on average consumes 900 litres of milk. The cow has
excellent
mothering abilities. It’s common on many farms to see a lone
cow surrounded by several calves, which are guarded by her,
while their own mothers are grazing or on their way to
distant watering points. Given good grazing and ample fresh
water, the cows calve regularly once a year. Due to the
cow’s slightly drooping rump and wide vaginal passage, there
are few if any calving problems. At birth calves weigh only
about 34 kg, which also ensures easy and uncomplicated
calving. The breed thrives in extreme heat.
This exceptional
characteristic is
attributed to the ample
area of its thick hide,
which has twice as many
sweat pores as those of
cattle bred in Europe.
The short, strong, shiny
hair also discourages
tick attacks. The
oval-shaped conformation
and slightly sickle
hocks of the Afrikaner
enable it to walk long
distances without
effort. Farmers have
reported it can cover up
to 40 km a day, even in
rough or sandy country.
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The Afrikaner is
one of the beef breeds that can be finished for marketing in the
shortest time. It is practically the only breed that can be
finished off the veld within the most desirable age and its
carcass mass ranges to produce the ideal carcass. Also in the
feedlot, the breed is marketable in the shortest time: 102 days
compared with an average of 111 days (Sandfontein feedlot).
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The animals use stock licks sparingly, with experimental
trails indicating an average lick cost of about R14 per cow
over 250 days. The Afrikaner is also remarkable for its
longevity and it’s not unusual that at least 10% of the cows
in a stud herd are 16 years
&
older. Breeders generally cull the moment the cow begins to
show indifference to rearing its calf. Calves are generally
weaned at 210 days to allow their pregnant dams time to
prepare, once again, to produce their next well developed
and healthy calves.
At 210 days, the female calves weigh about 205 kg and the
bull calves about 225 kg, and at the same time the dams
weigh from 350–450 kg each. |
Trials at the Glen College of Agriculture have shown that 100
Afrikaner cows and calves can be maintained comfortably on the
same area of veld that would normally carry 80 cows with calves
of exotic breeds. In tests at an experimental station, the net
lifetime income from the Afrikaner cow was much greater than
that of four other beef breeds monitored in the same tests. The
trails also revealed the calf survival rate of the Afrikaner in
two successive years was 92 and 100%, respectively. The
Afrikaner has also made its mark in several overseas countries.
It all began when in 1929 a bull and two cows were presented to
the King of England as a gift from the local breeder's society.
The animals were on view in the Whipsnade Park for many years.
Large numbers began to be exported from the early thirties, and
continued to the present day.
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A few months ago, for instance, more than 100 Afrikaners
were consigned to Mozambique, with more orders to follow.
On four occasions, an Afrikaner has won the coveted gold cup
awarded for the supreme champion beef animal at the Rand
Easter Show.
The breed also produced the supreme champions at the Windhoek
Show in Namibia in the past two years, as well at the Gobabis
Show last year. The Afrikaner Cattle Breeder’s Society was
established in 1912 and its inaugural meeting the standards of
excellence and scale of points for the breed were determined.
The society's president is
Mr Pierre Fouché of Leeudoringstad,
and its Vice-President is Mr David van der Linde of
Standerton. |
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The system of values of the Society and its members is as
follows:
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Total cooperation as a team, sharing in one another’s’ success
and joy.
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Integrity of our breeders.
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Accurate record keeping.
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Promogation of minimum fertility
requirements for maintenance of registration of female
animals.
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High professional standards; administrative services of the
highest quality.
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Presentation of courses, sales, farmers' days, shows and the
Nampo Exhibition. |
