Borans: hardy cattle with a strong herd mentality

When Anton Müller and his son were looking for a breed of cattle that could withstand ticks, mountainous terrain, and predators, they settled on Borans and never looked back

- Henning Naudé.

When Anton Müller began commercial beef cattle farming, he ran a small herd of various cattle breeds at his family farm Melkhoutessenbosch, near Herbertsdale in the Western Cape.

He was rarely satisfied with the calving rates and their adaptability to this environment, however, and during his search for a breed that could better thrive in the harsh environment of his farm, Müller attended a Boran information seminar. The breed quickly grabbed his attention.

At the event, he spoke to a local stud farmer, Christo Meyer of Jannie Meyer & Sons outside Mossel Bay, about the impact that having a Boran bull could have on his herd. “I had bought a few bulls of different breeds before, but they generally performed poorly,” he explains.

Not long after, in 2014, Meyer offered him his first Boran bull. Müller recalls: “When I saw that Boran bull for the first time, I knew there and then that this was what we needed to be farming.” Jannie Meyer & Sons remains their only supplier of bulls.

Müller chose to start a crossbreeding programme because he wanted to work with what he initially had on the farm, and also chose to do so under Meyer's guidance.

Müller was impressed with the many benefits of the Boran’s crossbreeding capabilities, particularly because of how well their genetics blend with other breeds, as well as the aesthetic characteristics that they possess.

Borans typically have a smaller frame, which allows them to manoeuvre in the steep hills on the farm without getting injured.

The herd eventually grew to what it is today: around 250 head. It is made up of six bulls, 180 cows, of which 20 are mature heifers, 21 oxen, and 28 replacement heifers that have not matured enough to be sold or put into rotation. His bull-to-cow ratio is one to 30 during the breeding season.

TWO BREEDING SEASONS