Tom Lasater, founder of the Beefmaster breed in the US during the 1930s, had a no-nonsense approach to breeding based on a functional, efficient cow yielding a good calf each year.
Guy Rensburg, the owner of Rensgrow Beefmasters on the farm Koksley in the Komga district in the Eastern Cape, sees the value of Lasater’s approach daily in his own herd.
“The breed definitely lives up to this attribute,” says Rensburg.
ADAPTABLE
He adds that his animals are well adapted to his farm’s tough and varied environment.
“The topography ranges from open grass veld to rugged slopes of rough and extreme gradients and valley bushveld, with a wide selection of edible bush and shrubs, such as sweet thorn [Vachellia karroo] and wild olive [Olea europaea spp cuspidata].
“I move my replacement weaners to some of these rough areas, where they have to adapt to the tougher conditions and live on a varied diet of grass and bush.”
The farm is in a summer rainfall area and experiences relatively mild winters.
The cattle receive a phosphate lick year-round. Rensburg also provides them with cotton oilcake at the end of winter and in early spring, when they are under greater stress.
This story is from the June 5 & 12, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
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This story is from the June 5 & 12, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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