Brafords breed abundance

What do you get when you cross a Brahman with a Hereford? You get the Braford: a fertile animal with amazing mothering abilities that has a long life expectancy and produces a carcass that can be compared with South Africa’s best. Susan Marais travelled to Bethal in Mpumalanga to learn more about this exceptional breed from Gert van der Merwe and Johan de Jager, owners of the Bonheur Brafords stud.

- Susan Marais

FAST FACTS

For the past four years, Bonheur Brafords’ animals obtained the highest prices at the National Braford Production Auction.

Brafords are medium-framed animals that reach maturity at a younger age and have an exceptional feed conversion rate both on veld and in the feedlot. This results in maximum earnings for the farmer or feeder.

In 2021, the most expensive Braford bull ever was sold for R200 000 at Bonheur Brafords’ production auction.

In the past, Brafords have been called the best-kept secret in the beef cattle world. However, it’s not a secret that these medium-framed animals are among the most fertile cattle on the planet.

“Its medium frame means that the animal is able to recover from a harsh winter much quicker than an animal with a large frame. That is why it’s the ideal animal for the Mpumalanga Highveld,” says Gert van der Merwe, founder of Bonheur Brafords. “A stressed animal cannot ovulate, and that makes conception impossible.”

We’re sitting in his farmhouse just outside Bethal in Mpumalanga. Since the early 1980s, Van der Merwe, a qualified veterinary technician, has been farming on this piece of land. Prior to this, he was an agricultural counsellor for the former OTK (now Afgri).