A passion for Meatmasters: a breed with a difference

Boemie Saaiman runs a Meatmaster stud in Murraysburg in the Western Cape, and says that the breed's exceptional flocking mentality, mothering instincts and adaptability makes it an ideal breed for all breeders across the country.

- By Janine Ryan

Ochre Meatmasters, a prominent Meatmaster stud, is nestled near Murraysburg in the Western Cape. Owned by the husband-and-wife team of Boemie and Jacolet Saaiman, the stud is a testament to Boemie's lifelong passion for farming and the Meatmaster breed. Boemie, who has been farming Meatmasters since 1999, established Ochre Meatmasters in 2017.

The name 'Ochre' was inspired by the colour of the clay used by the Himba people of Kaokoland, a nod to the region that is the ancestral home of the breed's foundational Damara genetics.

The stud currently consists of 500 ewes, and the Saaimans' farming philosophy is deeply rooted in extensive, natural management. They prioritise functional efficiency and select animals based on a combination of phenotypic and genotypic traits that ensure fertility, strong maternal instincts, and rapid lamb growth.

This approach has led to a flock renowned for its adaptability, a trait Boemie believes is the hallmark of the Meatmaster breed. Ochre Meatmasters receives consistently positive feedback from buyers across the country, a testament to the quality and performance of their animals.

In order to optimally utilise their veld, the Saaimans run a small herd of Dexter-Mashona-Angus cattle. They are also in the process of increasing their flock of Herero chickens.

THE BEGINNING

The Saaimans' journey with the Meatmaster breed began out of a desire to improve the carcass quality of their then Damara flock. "Our involvement with the Meatmaster began when we initially intensively farmed Damaras on lucerne lands. In order to improve carcass quality and produce lambs that were ready for slaughter at an early age, we began to use Dorper rams on our Damara ewes. These advantages clearly played out and are still the core characteristics of the Meatmaster breed," says Boemie.