THE BEEFMASTER When only the best will do

Tabbie du Plessis, who runs the Janmarck Beefmasters stud in the Free State, says the Beefmaster breed has lowered the birthweights and increased the weaning weights of calves in his herd. He adds that the future of the breed is bright, as breeders are constantly improving their herds through the use of exceptional animals in breeding programmes.

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“If you told me 10 years ago that I’d be a Beefmaster stud breeder, and selling and using my own Beefmaster bulls in my herd, I would definitely have said that’s impossible!” says Tabbie du Plessis, who runs Janmarck Beefmasters in the Free State with his brothers Bismarck and Jannie.

The Du Plessis brothers have always relied on weaner calves to generate income. Since farming Beefmasters, weaning weights in their herd have increased between 15kg and 20kg.

“It’s the small margins that make the biggest difference in farming, and the Beefmaster is capable of giving any farmer the edge,” says Du Plessis.

The brothers bought their first stud cows from the Bos Blanco Beefmaster herd in 2013.

Du Plessis says that their focus has always been quality over quantity, and they have thus focused on dam lines in the stud.

“Early on in our commercial herd, we saw that the bulls with the best dams produced the best calves and replacement heifers,” he says.

Looking back, Du Plessis says they certainly picked the right breed in the Beefmaster. They are also highly optimistic about the continuing excellence of the breed, as Beefmaster breeders are committed and disciplined in their approach to improvement.

PRODUCING THE BEST

Janmarck Beefmasters is run in Bethlehem in the eastern Free State. While summer grazing is usually sufficient, the winters can be exceptionally cold and dry.

Du Plessis says it is thus important to prepare enough fodder in summer for the winter months.