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Hal Budler, who runs the Budler Beefmaster stud in the Eastern Cape, says that breeding with top quality bulls is the most effective way to improve weaning weights. He also strictly selects for maternal traits to produce adaptable and hardy Beefmasters.
Hal Budler, a beefmaster breeder in the Tarkastad and Sterkstroom districts in the Eastern Cape, runs his Beefmaster stud and commercial Beefmastertype cattle on semi-sweet to sourveld. Budler has been breeding commercial Beefmaster-type cattle for the past 40 years. He registered his stud in 2009. “We have had a closed female animal herd for 40 years and have used our own bulls and supplemented with bought-in bulls in a population genetics programme to improve the average of the herd continuously. “We use our own bulls for one year and then we sell them at our annual bull sale in July every year. It’s a form of line-breeding to promote consistent true to type breeding,” he says. “Forty-two years ago, I became frustrated with a crossbreeding programme that resulted in a 225kg average weaning weight and a conception rate of 80%, which happens to be the district average. I knew I could do better!” After reading Tom Lasater’s, the founder of the Beefmaster, philosophy on breeding cattle and attending lectures by Dr Jan Bonsma, Budler stopped the crossbreeding programme and began breeding Beefmaster-type cattle. “When choosing to breed a single breed, one condition is that you need to buy top-quality bulls. However, we started buying top-quality bulls long before we started the stud. If one does not buy top-quality animals to start with, it takes about 21 years to breed really top cattle,” Budler explains.
Budler selects for maternal traits based on Lasater’s ‘six essentials’ philosophy, with only one exception: he does not mate 14-month old heifers. “So for 40 years we have not kept a ‘skip’ cow,” he says. He also selects for adaptability and fertility. “The short story is that we have dramatically improved our productivity with the cattle. For 40 years now we have achieved an average weaning weight of 271kg, and a 94% conception rate.
We have also maintained a cowcalf mortality rate from conception to weaning of 4,5%. The cow-to calf ratio varies between 47% and 50%. “These facts can be verified by stock agents, vets and a feed lot manager, Kretz Kretzman from Taaiboschbult Feedlot. We sold calves for 20 consecutive years to Taaiboschbult Feedlot and the manager gave us feedback of the performance of the calves and they were well above the average of the feedlot.” When selecting animals, Budler says he likes to have a “visitor’s eye” to help. He has in the past used the services of consultants Erwin Church and Graham Hart. Budler adds that when breeding and selecting animals, emotion must be kept out of the equation. “Even if you have paid a lot of money for a bull and it does not breed well, it needs to be culled as soon as possible. That includes cows as well.
“We try to select replacement heifers that are born in the first 65 days because their mothers are normally the best cows in the herd and those heifers have the best chance of emulating their mothers. “We sell cows and their progeny that calve in the last two weeks of the mating season. We believe like Tom Lasater that using nature is the best selection tool. Weaner bulls are only given a maintenance protein lick to harden and toughen the bulls up instead of feeding them hay or concentrate rations. “The first winter is a good test to see which bulls have the best constitution. Bulls continue to stay on the veld only, and are finished off for sale four months before the sale with a cool ration on the veld.
‘WHEN BREEDING AND SELECTING ANIMALS FOR BREEDING, EMOTION MUST BE KEPT OUT OF THE EQUATION’
“We never feed more than 6kg/ day/bull and finally sell them just under three years of age. We keep referring to Lasater’s book as a reference and guide to breeding better cattle. We also realise there is always room for improvement.”
Budler says that he implements selective grazing in a rotational grazing programme. One third of the veld is grazed in summer, while the remaining two thirds are rested. In winter, two thirds of the veld is grazed, while one third is rested. “The cattle run on veld and only receive a good maintenance protein lick in winter. “After calving, cows get a production lick and a phosphate lick in summer. Cattle run mixed with sheep.” Budler’s herds usually consist of 30 cows and calves with sheep. Herds that are run without sheep can reach a size of around 100 cows and calves.
“The Beefmaster has progressively become very popular in the Eastern Cape without it becoming a fashion breed. “The Eastern Cape Beefmaster breeders used to sell 50 stud bulls at sales, and this has now grown to over 350 bulls at sales. At recent weaner sales in our district, the Beefmaster has become so popular that 55% of offered calves at weaner sales are Beefmaster calves,” he adds.
Phone the Beefmaster Cattle Breeders’ Society of South Africa on 051 410 0935.
