Exceptional bull's legacy lives on

Every so often a farmer breeds a bull with genetically superior traits and an exceptional appearance, all highly heritable traits that he passes on to his children and their progeny.

- Andries Gouws

The Simbra bull, Kamab Kookaburra, was such an exceptional bull, with his broad head, wide chest and width that have been visible in the progeny of his sons and daughters throughout generations. The word ‘kookaburra’ is the pet name Australians use for a cricket ball, and they probably would have praised him for hitting it out of the park.

However, Kamab Kookaburra died suddenly and inexplicably. He was still very much alive the last night they saw him but was found dead next to the feed trough the next morning. “Perhaps there was something wrong with the feed. It might not have been mixed properly, or perhaps he was just greedy,” says his owner, Diethelm Metzger of the farm Neu-Otjisauona in the Seeis area.

Outstanding progeny

He bred Kookaburra from an outstanding bull he bought from Bles de Klerk. Some of his ancestors included animals bred in Namibia. He used the bull on cows he bred from the well-known Donkerbruin BG9814, a Simbra bull that he bought from Brink Grobbelaar of the Molopo.

Diethelm says Kookaburra was used extensively in the herd. “Each of his sons turned out to be a good bull, and there are also excellent animals among his grandchildren. Kamab Kingfisher was bred from one of his sons. He was the junior champion Simbra bull at the Gobabis Show and the Windhoek Show. His father is Rumba Kookolie, one of Kookaburra’s sons.

“Kamab Monopoly comes from one of Kookaburra’s daughters. Kamab Major, which is not related to Kookaburra, is his father. I believe this young bull is going to have a huge impact on my own herd as well as the industry.”

Formidable father and son team