Tony Spolidoro, of Spolidoro Beefmasters in North West, says the Beefmaster is the ideal cattle breed for the stud breeder and emerging farmer.
It is critical that commercial emerging farmers use stud cattle in their herds in order to ensure that their commercial herds are given the extra advantages derived from stud cattle. The commonly used phrase, ‘Just use a good-looking bull out of your own herd’, is not good enough to produce functional and efficient cattle.
Stud breeders typically consider the following when breeding: a bull must be born from a good mother, with good milk production to grow a good calf; easy calving; small teats for the calf to suckle when they are born; semen-tested bulls to make sure they can produce; and good bull temperament so that the herd can be managed efficiently.
Breeding is all about achieving a small birthweight and high weaning weight so that commercial farmers can achieve a better price at auctions and feedlots. Feed conversion is also important; cows that have an effective conversion rate eat less and weigh less, but produce heavier weaners. Moreover, as farmers are moving towards fewer animals on a smaller area of land (big farms are becoming difficult to purchase and handle), early maturing animals are also important. While some breeders may consider age important when first mating their heifers, many Beefmaster breeders consider weight as an important factor. As such, early maturing animals are important.
While the Beefmaster is a synthetic breed, it has all the qualities you need in breeding productive animals. This means that you don’t need to experiment; all the right qualities are already there, and all the proof is already available from stud breeders’ records. There are no losers when using Beefmasters.
The Beefmaster was developed from crossing Brahman, Hereford and Shorthorn animals. This is a special combination of animals, which is perfect for various farming conditions across South Africa. Moreover, it is easy to follow up on animal references before you buy.
Here are some examples of references received in respect of Beefmaster cattle:
Andre Scholtz, Heilbron: “The easy calving [of the SUPPLEMENTBeefmaster] is a profit maker, as it saves on vet costs!”
Zamile Gura, Zeerust: “My Beefmaster bulls started working at about 16 months old. I was worried that it looked short for my cows and heifers. I have no regrets. Nine months down the line, all my cows calved within approximately one month of each other. I have used different stud bulls in the past, but never been able to align the age of my calves. Beefmaster is the ideal breed for emerging farmers. They are very fertile and produce quality calves, irrespective of the type of cows you have.”
Every stud breeder wants to sell his/her type of cattle to the commercial breeder, which makes it difficult for the emerging farmer to make the right choice and understand what ultimately sells to feedlots and will benefit him/her. They need to have a good understanding of what farm size and feed they need to start their own business. In Africa, we need hard, fertile, early maturing cattle that will thrive in our harsh veld conditions. The Beefmaster has catered for that; it has been developed over the decades into a world-class breed.
Tom Lasater, the founder of the Beefmaster, developed the breed 100 years ago in very difficult times to make his ranch work. Lasater’s father passed away and he was suddenly called to run the ranch in Texas. He noticed that the three-way cross cattle were better and more efficient on their veld conditions. The survival game was securing better prices.
Africa’s conditions are similar. We have hard veld and a younger generation of farmers. This younger generation is more knowledgeable than before.
However, Africa has too many choices when it comes to cattle. Years ago, land was cheap and European breeds were the fashion. The question, however, is, ‘were our veld conditions considered when feeding them?’ The Beefmaster is not a ‘show’ animal; it is bred for meat and is particularly ideal in South African conditions.
Beef cattle farmers in Europe are a perfect example of how to manage small lands. As such, Europe should be our template to advance small production and improve quality of life in Africa. Farmers here use the best type of cattle for those lands, depending on the country’s climate and where the land is situated. In Europe, lands are made productive; cattle are stabled and fed here. It is through the many years of feeding a growing population that governments in Europe have made it a priority to provide subsidies to incentivise farmers. Beefmaster breeders make time to help emerging farmers; they give advice on how to breed and why.
Before embarking on a breeding operation, however, it is important to know and research your area and the type of veld your land has (talk to your neighbours).
Phone Tony Spolidoro on 083 252 0662, or the Beefmaster Breeders’ Society of South Africa on Society on 083 417 7047.