bORAN 2015 141 Simeon Hurwitz - 082 415 5448 / [email protected]Just as the world we live in constantly moves, evolves and progresses with every moment of existence, so too does the Boran world we live in. The Boran world that some of us may have become used to finds itself in a new environment in which innovation and change are required and I’m excited at the prospect of what our Boran future has in store. BORAN TODAY…. TOMORROW…. FOREVER!!! jOERNAAL / jOURNAL 140 I, together with your council, sit with arguably our collective greatest challenge as Boran breeders and that challenge rests in the simple word ‘marketing’. My strategy regarding ‘marketing’ is a simple one and it begins and ends with ‘education’. It’s my view that the Boran offers more to the table than most other breeds I know and that the Boran is the answer to farming with large livestock units in Africa. It is the solution to beef on this continent and it continues to prove itself as a very profitable breed with which to farm. The Boran successfully ticks all the boxes as far as I’m concerned and therefore, if we as a society of breeders share this view that this breed is the answer to all our prayers and begin a campaign of individually marketing our product and spreading the message of the benefits of farming with this breed, then, as the saying goes… the sky is the limit! At all times, we must be mindful of our breed, of the state of the economy, of the ever reducing margins in agriculture and with farming in general, and be aware of our surrounding environment. The Boran experienced many successful years, but as the number of cattle started to increase, the simple economic theory of supply and demand began to apply to our breed. Breeders have come to realise that these valuable assets are no longer to be viewed with a corporate finance model, but they are to be viewed as a means to a sustainable living that offer a rewarding profit. The compounding benefit of these cattle must be made affordable to all. Our marketing vision and simultaneous educational process for the coming year will be focused on greater exposure and awareness of our breed using strategic partners to assist us in the form of press and magazine publications, the use of interactive social media platforms and a variety of information days held across the country. Targeted meetings with government, various institutions and agricultural organisations are being held continuously throughout the year to educate as many stakeholders in the agricultural world of South Africa as possible about Boran cattle. The question of the performance of Borans in feedlots is a debatable topic which often raises a few eyebrows and we have begun working with leading feedlots, educating them about our breed and together arriving at the same conclusion that the Boran definitely has a place in the beef cycle of South Africa. The hybrid vigour explosion that the Boran brings to any other breed is hardly explainable, yet the results speak for themselves. Feedlots survive on performing animals and the results achieved across the various feedlots from Boran type animals are in line with acceptable averages and have also shown over performance in some cases. To date, the feedlots we have interacted with have shown a positive attitude towards our cattle, especially with the cross bred Boran. On regular occasions, we hear positive stories that Boran cross bred animals are fetching premium prices on local weekly auctions which we regard as fantastic feedback. The year 2014 was recorded as the hottest year our planet has ever known with large parts of our country continually suffering from drought conditions. Stock theft of animals is a common problem that we all have to endure, animal adaptability and performance are linked to survival and economically, everything revolves around financial sustainability. All of these unrelated realities are common challenges that we all face as livestock farmers. The Boran breed of cattle takes all of these challenges into consideration and goes a long way in assisting you as the farmer to overcome these obstacles. Life as we all know has enough challenges to throw at us, so my advice to you as farmers, is choose the breed that will make your lives easier to work with and that choice, as far as I’m concerned, begins and ends with Boran cattle. The overwhelming positive effects that the Boran provides to any livestock farmer, be it in a successful stud operation or perhaps with the integration of Boran blood in a commercial herd, are too many to contain in a brief article. To the farmers that are farming with Boran cattle already, you have made the right decision and you will be handsomely rewarded in time to come. To the farmers that are considering and debating introducing Boran genetics into your herd, my advice to you is pick up the phone, call a nearby breeder and start yesterday!! This breed is truly “God’s gift to cattlemen” - look after your animals, let their characters and intelligence touch you in a manner that you have never experienced and in the end, they will look after you in more ways than you’ll ever know. Boran greetings.
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Just as the world we live in constantly moves, evolves and progresses with every moment of existence, so too does the Boran world we live in. The Boran world that some of us may have become used to finds itself in a new environment in which innovation and change are required and I’m excited at the prospect of what our Boran future has in store.
B O R A NTODAY…. TOMORROW….FOREVER!!!
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I, together with your council, sit with arguably our collective greatest challenge as Boran breeders and that challenge rests in the simple word ‘marketing’. My strategy regarding ‘marketing’ is a simple one and it begins and ends with ‘education’. It’s my view that the Boran offers more to the table than most other breeds I know and that the Boran is the answer to farming with large livestock units in Africa. It is the solution to beef on this continent and it continues to prove itself as a very profitable breed with which to farm.
The Boran successfully ticks all the boxes as far as I’m concerned and therefore, if we as a society of breeders share this view that this breed is the answer to all our prayers and begin a campaign of individually marketing our product and spreading the message of the benefits of farming with this breed, then, as the saying goes… the sky is the limit!
At all times, we must be mindful of our breed, of the state of the economy, of the ever reducing margins in agriculture and with farming in general, and be aware of our surrounding environment. The Boran experienced many successful years, but as the number of cattle started to increase, the simple economic theory of supply and demand began to apply to our breed. Breeders have come to realise that these valuable assets are no longer to be viewed with a corporate finance model, but they are to be viewed as a means to a sustainable living that offer a rewarding profit. The compounding benefit of these cattle must be made affordable to all.
Our marketing vision and simultaneous educational process for the coming year will be focused on greater exposure and awareness of our breed using strategic partners to assist us in the form of press and magazine publications, the use of interactive social media platforms and a variety of information days held across the country. Targeted meetings with government, various institutions and agricultural organisations are being held continuously throughout the year to educate as many stakeholders in the agricultural world of South Africa as possible about Boran cattle.
The question of the performance of Borans in feedlots is a debatable topic which often raises a few eyebrows and we have begun working with leading feedlots, educating them about our breed and together arriving at the same conclusion that the Boran definitely has a place in the beef cycle of South Africa. The hybrid vigour explosion that the Boran brings to any other breed is hardly explainable, yet the results speak for themselves. Feedlots survive on performing animals and the results achieved across the various feedlots from Boran type animals are in line with acceptable averages and have also shown over performance in some cases. To date, the feedlots we have interacted with have shown a positive attitude towards our cattle, especially with the cross bred Boran. On regular occasions, we hear positive stories that Boran cross bred animals are fetching premium prices on local weekly auctions which we regard as fantastic feedback.
The year 2014 was recorded as the hottest year our planet has ever known with large parts of our country continually suffering from drought conditions. Stock theft of animals is a common problem that we all have to endure, animal adaptability and performance are linked to survival and economically, everything revolves around financial sustainability. All of these unrelated realities are common challenges that we all face as livestock farmers. The Boran breed of cattle takes all of these challenges into consideration and goes a long way in assisting you as the farmer to overcome these obstacles. Life as we all know has enough challenges to throw at us, so my advice to you as farmers, is choose the breed that will make your lives easier to work with and that choice, as far as I’m concerned, begins and ends with Boran cattle.
The overwhelming positive effects that the Boran provides to any livestock farmer, be it in a successful stud operation or perhaps with the integration of Boran blood in a commercial herd, are too many to contain in a brief article. To the farmers that are farming with Boran cattle already, you have made the right decision and you will be handsomely rewarded in time to come. To the farmers that are considering and debating introducing Boran genetics into your herd, my advice to you is pick up the phone, call a nearby breeder and start yesterday!!
This breed is truly “God’s gift to cattlemen” - look after your animals, let their characters and intelligence touch you in a manner that you have never experienced and in the end, they will look after you in more ways than you’ll ever know.
Boran greetings.
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I have recently read the book “First Catch your Eland” by Laurens Van Der Post and realised that the following will be applicable for inclusion in the Boran Journal. The book was published in 1977.
Excerpt taken from ‘First Catch Your Eland’ by Laurens Van Der Post.
“Yet the British had begun to learn to take the African more seriously and to shed other prejudices against native livestock, like humped-back cattle and fat-tailed sheep. I noticed at one of the last agricultural shows I attended in Nairobi the greatest cheer of all was reserved for the indigenous animals in the parade.
All the history of East Africa is summed up for me in the story of one man who helped to bring this transformation about. Brian Curry was one of my oldest friends. I tell his story in detail because it reflects that of many. He went to East Africa, as many did, immediately after the First World War. He had served in the trenches, had been badly wounded and gone back to a rich family home deeply disillusioned with Europe and profoundly depressed by so much killing. He had gone out to Kenya and started farming not on the privileged highlands but beyond Mount Kenya where the great Northern Frontier District
“FIRST CATCH YOUR ELAND” begins. There he tried to do what all the other British in Kenya were doing, to breed only what was best in English sheep and cattle. His efforts were disastrous. Year after year he imported the finest breeds from England and had to watch them go into decline and ultimately waste away in the African environment. He lost a fortune in the process. One day, out on his ranch, in a state of despair and near bankruptcy, looking at his diminishing cattle, he saw that while they were lying in the shade of the thorn trees, panting for breath, the indigenous humped-backed cattle of his Boran herdsmen were grazing, sleek, fat and happy under the noon day sun. He realised in a flash that he had been guilty of exercising the same prejudices against the indigenous domestic animals as against the primitive ways of Africa. There and then he got rid of all his European cattle and with such money as he had left, bought Boran cattle and set about selecting and breeding them in the same scientific way that had established the great breeds of Europe. The results were immediate and exciting. Some of his neighbours combined with him in the experiment and before long they had established in East Africa what it had previously lacked, a sort of tropical Aberdeen Angus. The experiment prospered to the point where, at the time of Independence, he was breeding Boran cattle with white coats and black skin-pigmentation which is the ideal protection against the equatorial sun. Moreover the experiment was such a success that governments like that of Brazil, faced with the problem of breeding beef and cattle in tropical conditions are more and more buying their bulls from breeders like him.
I tell this story too because it explains why Kenya became the first African country north of the Limpopo to produce barons of beef, undercuts and fillets that can compare with the best Europe, not excluding the United States of America, has to offer. The beef may be slightly darker and the marbling different but the taste and tender texture are as good if not better…..”
OQUARANTINE
Circle H Studs Where quality
& excellence meat!
Breeding Boran Since 1995
Inaugural Production Sale: 1 August 2015Hurwitz Farming Boran Beef Solution
BORA
NBE
EFDISCOUNT BUTCHERY
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At Hurwitz Farming we have proven that the Boran plays as much of a role in the beef cycle of SA as any other breed. Using SP bulls across our commercial herds, the progeny enter a backgrounding phase and are then rounded off in our feedlot. Carcasses are then distributed via Hurwitz Beef’s wholesale and retail beef operations situated in Gauteng. The Boran plays a vital role in our beef chain
and we gladly buy and feed cross - bred Boran calves!
One of South Africa’s top stud sires
The only registered quarantine station in Mpumalanga catering for all your livestock requirements:
After 20 years of breeding, our inaugural production sale will be held on 1 August 2015 at ‘The Bull Ring’
On offer:• A variety of top SP females from diverse and interesting genetics• A limited selection of proven and potential stud bulls for both the stud and commercial market• The first offering of our exclusive Mafundzalo genetics• An offering and concept of commercial Boran females never been seen before• Semen from one of South Africa’s living legends - B 05 98
We invite you to share the day with us and look forward to seeing you at ‘The Bull Ring’!
Look out
for me on
1 August...
Semen
available
for the first
time ever
in SA
Look out for some future herd sires to be presented at our newly built auction complex titled ‘The Bull Ring’,
located along the N17 national highway midway between Bethal and Ermelo in Mpumalanga.
• Semen tapping• Embryo flushing• Imports and exports
B 05 98 – Ninety eight (K6K 2997 x ADC 8334)
GUARANTEED PREMIUM!
Buy your Boran bull from us & we will
buy back your calves at a
We gladly buy & feed cross - bred Boran calves
Visitors are always welcome!
‘The Bull Ring’ is now open and available to all livestock farmers and auction companies.
Accommodating up to 350 guests with state of the art facilities and amenities, this has to be one of the
Why Boran: I thought that I would like to have a look at the reasons for farming with Boran in Africa and why I am farming with Boran.
After a year where the rain stayed away and many farmers were forced to make hard choices concerning their herds it became clear to me that we need the Boran in Africa and particularly here in South Africa. The Boran has survived the African Continent for the past 1300 years for no other reason than “Because They Can”. Much has been said about the Boran in South Africa from various quarters and the Boran breed is growing in strength and numbers as we speak. As a new farmer starting out in 2006 on a new venture, I had no idea how much passion the Boran would generate in me. It is almost 9 years since we bought our first Borans at Schalk van Oudtshoorn’s 2006 auction. I remember the sale very well. I met some interesting people at
WHY THE BORAN?that sale. They are still interesting as we share the same passion for the Boran. But more about them later.
I thought that I would use the main points that everyone has read and studied over the past few years. These Numbered Bullet Points have appeared in almost all the Boran Journals since 2005.
If we have to talk about the first point always on the list “The Borans Genetics”. That genetic composition is what makes it stand apart from all other breeds.
1. The genetic composition of the Boran is unique, making it your best choice for cross breeding
• European Bos Taurus 24%
• Bos Indicus 64%
• African Bos Taurus 12%
The above mixture of the Boran is the key to its Hybrid Vigour. I have seen what the Boran cross cattle can do. I was fortunate enough to have a number of Boran/Friesland crosses as surrogate mothers and they did very well here on the Highveld. During the harsh cold winter months they kept their condition as well as raising an excellent embryo calf. I looked at some of my other surrogates who did not have any Boran blood and the difference was very obvious. They needed help to get them through the winter months. I have bred several excellent F1 animals that are exactly what you want as good productive animals on any farm. I was fortunate enough to see a whole range of crossbred Borans during my time as an inspector for the breed. Everywhere I went the farmer would tell you how he experienced the differences, including ease of calving, better weaning weights and early calving heifers which took bull with no problems. In 2013 I was impressed with one of Manuel’s cows as she broke the farm record with her second calf 309 days after her first calf. She gave a heifer calf in February 2013 and another heifer calf in December 2013.
2. The Boran is the mothering cow of Africa
The Boran cow has a very good udder with well-formed teats and she produces enough milk to wean calves which weigh more than 50% of dam’s weight at weaning. Their good mothering instinct provides a deterrent against predators. This trait
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also generates an excellent survival rate of the calves. She produces small calves at birth, male calves average 28 kg and female calves average 25 kg. Calving problems hardly exist.
Here I have seen that the Boran cow will look after her own calf with the tenacity of a terrier. I have also experienced how my normally over friendly cows can turn temporarily into nasty mothers who do not tolerate anyone on their turf. Some of my cows are nasty for a bit longer than others. I have a specific cow who gets nasty with me a day before she calves and stays nasty to me until the day I wean her calf. She however only displays this nasty side to me and she is OK with Manuel. This is maybe because when she was a first calf heifer and she was nasty I shot her with a catapult and a marble every time she rushed me. I think that she has not forgiven me for that.
Last year I gave one of my young heifers an extra calf to raise as that calf’s mother died after getting stuck in the mud and injured herself. This young cow took the extra calf as a surrogate with her own calf. She cared for both of them as if her life depended on them. When we weaned the 2 calves her own calf weighed in at 155 kg and the adopted calf weighed in at 144 kg a combined weight of 299 kg, when we weighed the mother she weighed 285 kg. She weaned 14kg more than what she weighed herself.
3. Longevity
It is quite normal for a 15-year-old cow to be sound mouthed and it is also on record that a 16-year-old Boran bull is still producing high quality semen for artificial insemination.
Well here I can say that I have 2 older cows on the farm, the one is now 14 years old and she has an ICP of 350 days over 6 of her own calves. She is an F1 and was a surrogate mother prior to her own calves. She is as fat as the day is long. I have seen some of the older bulls in the country and they are still going strong. I have the greatest respect for any bull as it is not an easy life. I lost the first adult cow that I bought this year at the age of 12.5 years old it was a tragic accident and when I looked at her teeth she still had a full set of teeth and no broken or lost teeth. I am sure she would have continued to produce excellent calves should she still be with us.
4. Fertility
It is acknowledged that the greatest attribute of the Boran is its fertility. Even under harsh conditions the Boran cow will continue to breed and rear calves and do this without punishing herself. One explanation for this high fertility is that the cow has relatively low body weight loss over the suckling period, thereby maintaining a good condition, thus able to conceive again.
Fertility is a very important trait to all cattle farmers as that is what produces your income. You can have the prettiest cows but if they do not produce a calf you have nothing to sell. Here I have seen what fertility means. All my 2009 cows
had their fourth calf this year at an average age of 5 year 5 months and they are all pregnant with their 5th calf ready for the next calf. I had a heifer calf down at 21 months and she is raising an excellent heifer and in calf again almost 3 months later.
The Boran cow due to lower adult weight, does not wean a calf of 230kg but she will wean a calf at least 50% of her own weight. Most of the cows on the farm wean at more than 50% of their own weight.
5. Disease Resistance
A loose but very motile skin with a very short covering of hair and a high secretion of an oily substance makes the Boran a less desirable host for ticks and flies. This together with thick eye banks with very long eyelashes and a long tail with a big well-formed twitch all protect this indigenous breed against insects.
Well on this trait of the Boran there is much to be said about saving money. I have not lost any of my Borans or Boran cross bred cows to any disease since 2006. When we moved to the Highveld in 2009 on the second day after the cows arrived on the farm they were covered with Bont Legged ticks and blue ticks. I rushed to town and bought some Deadline pour on to dip my cows. That was in 2009 and I still have that can of Deadline somewhere in the barn. My adult herd has not been dipped for the last 6 years here on the Highveld. I inject the calves at weaning with an Ivermectin and that will do them until I sell them. I inject animals that I sell with an Ivermectin prior to them leaving the farm. I have not vaccinated for any of the following diseases Lumpy Skin, 3 Day Stiffness except in 2013, I vaccinated the whole herd with Clone 13 just in case my neighbours got an outbreak so that they could not blame me.
I sent some bull calves up to Mara testing station in 2013. They did not get any special treatment except the Ivermectin injection prior to leaving. They stayed at the Mara testing station for close to a year exposed to Bont Ticks in Heartwater area. They were not blocked with a Terramycin nor were they given any blood as a starter pack for Heartwater areas. They all survived the ordeal and came back home with no side effects. They also achieved this with minimum supervision at the testing station.
I have taken the viewpoint that “what does not kill them makes them stronger”
6. Temperament
Boran cattle are recognized as being generally quiet, docile and easy to handle. This trait has developed over many generations of cattle living close to man.
What can be said about Temperament? I am a cattle farmer and I enjoy spending time with my cattle. I have been accused of having “Circus Cattle” as they all try to get some attention when I am amongst them. We have had
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Middle-veld, Arid, Semi-Arid, the list continues and you can be sure they will adapt.
We have seen how our Boran cattle have moved across South Africa, East to West, North to South and the reverse of the wind directions. (A practice that farmers in South Africa did not believe in at all.) Bulls owned in partnerships have travelled backwards and forwards with no side effects and got on with the job at hand. Cows have moved from farm to Embryo Flushing stations and taken it all in their stride whether they were at home or at the embryo flushing stations.
Thus having said all the above we must strive to maintain the breed as it was meant to be. We must not succumb to pressure to breed the Boran away from what it is at the moment. We have an absolutely amazing breed that will go from strength to strength. I am convinced that as we are heading into different climatic conditions the Boran will become stronger in South Africa.
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700+ Boran calves born since we started and out of those numbers I have disqualified 2 young bulls for temperament. The Boran is an animal that grows on you and each and everyone has a distinct personality. I would dare to say that the Boran has an above average intelligence and is also an attractive looking animal.
7. Carcass Quality
Trials in Nebraska, U.S.A, Shows that the Boran and its crosses score consistently better than other Zebu Breeds for meat tenderness, carcass marbling and rib eye area.
Here again I can say that I have seen first-hand the quality of beef that the Boran produces. I had a cow slaughtered 2 years ago and she produced a B4 Carcass straight off the veldt with a 59% CDW. She tasted as good as she looked. I slaughtered a young bull earlier this year and he dressed out as a B3 with a 58 % CDW. The Boran is made to be raised and finished on the veld. The carcass quality is excellent and if they have to be finished in a feedlot you can do it in 60 days or you could do double the amount of animals you finish with the same amount of food you would use on one animal, or you could do 2 cycles in 120 days. Feed conversion rates in the Boran are very good. In a phase C test I had young bulls which did an average of 1.287Kg for 5Kg of feed. In the RTU test they were compatible to the Angus bulls on the test with regards to Rib Eye Area and Marbling.
8. Herd instinct
The herd instinct of the Boran makes it easy to manage in bush country. The strong herd instinct makes it almost impossible to steal a single animal out of a herd, thus making an attempt to steal them a very difficult task
Herd instinct is a very special trait to me. It is just lovely to have my cows always in a group grazing. It is a good sight to see your cows grazing in a tight group and most of the calves left in the crèche with 2 or 3 mothers looking after them. When I started out with the Boran I visited with Dave Green and he used to farm in the Escourt area which is a very Bushveld type area with dense thorn trees and we were looking for his cows and he spotted a single cow and said “Here they are” we got out of the bakkie and there they were, the whole herd.
The advantages of the herd instinct are numerous and it makes management easy. You will find that they strip graze naturally. They are always together and that makes them less of a target for livestock predators. Their natural instinct to get back to the herd is a bit of a nuisance when you want to work with just one animal that might have a problem, but once you realised that and you move the whole herd to the work area it is easy to get the job done. I have said on numerous occasions to potential buyers that if they can move the animal that they want to buy all the way back to the loading area by themselves they could have it for free.
No one has taken a free animal off the farm to date.
9. Good converter of roughage into good quality beef
The Boran is a breed that is successfully fattened off the veld with no energy supplement. The Boran is also a good browser and under difficult circumstances it has the ability to stay in a good condition.
Good converter of grass to beef is not really saying the full story. When we moved to Bethal the farm was covered with Tamboekie Grass (Hyperthelia Dissoluta ). The cows grazed it down and now 5 years later the Redgrass (Themeda Triandra) has returned. They improve your grazing by their natural strip grazing. A friend remarked when he came for a visit that if I did not farm with Borans all my cows would have died. At the moment we are running 362 LSU on about 248 ha. I cut 14 ha of Eragrostis providing me with about 600 1,2 m round bales. I feed the bales in winter, plus a lick. When possible I plant about 5 ha of Japanese radish and they feed on this daily for about an hour during July & August which they thrive on. The Boran will continue to eat the dry unpalatable grasses during the winter. The Boran will continue to look for grass to eat while your average cow would stand at the gate complaining that there is nothing to eat. I can honestly say that I would rather have my Borans any day before I have any other breed.
10. Early Maturing
Boran heifers reach puberty at an average age of 385 days.
There is a lot to be said about the early maturing cow. It provides you with more income and over a lifetime (11 to 12 years) for the average normal cow the Boran cow would provide you with at least 2 more calves. Given that the Boran also lives to an average productive age of 16 years plus, she will provide you with many more calves. I had heifers’ calf down at 21 months and they raised a perfect calf to weaning. Due to the way we farm a heifer might sometimes take a little longer to reconceive but they soon catch up with their ICP’s again.
At the start we had heifers getting pregnant while they are still in the weaning group with the young bulls. We are now keeping the young bulls and heifers in separate camps after weaning.
11. Adaptability (The trait that has not been discussed before.)
The best trait in Boran cattle in my opinion is Adaptability. The Boran adapts to any environment you put it in. This means that you can keep cattle where traditionally you would not have kept them. This means to us as breeders that there are more possibilities to sell your cattle. You can be assured that when you place your Borans in a hostile environment they will adapt and graze what is available to them. They thrive in all areas whether it is Grasslands, Mountainous, Sweet-veld, Sour-veld, Bush-veld, Highveld,
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Look up to the sky.You’ll never find rainbows
If you’re Looking down.-Charlie Chaplin
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Zippo Lamprecht van Bloodline Borane het in 2014 die hoogste eerbewys by SA Stamboek ontvang, naamlik die Elite-Platinum-koei toekenning.
Dit was die eerste keer dat hierdie toekenning aan die Boranras toegeken is. Dit is ‘n aanduiding van die Boran se potensiaal vir die kommersiële teler. Om alles nog meer indrukwekkend te maak, het hy ook die LNR se Elite-koei toekenning ontvang. Hierdie dier is ook uitgewys as die koei met die beste TKP en RI van al 25 rasse wat genomineer was.
B a i e g e l u k !
Boran CorporateClothing Range
W e
h a v e
a N e w
L o o k ! !
Please view the Boran website forfurther details and prices
(www.boran.org.za)
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The Free State Boran Club hosted the Boran Expo on 13 March 2015 at Kroonboma. The Expo was held jointly with the Meatmaster Sheep Breeders’ Society. These are two very compatible breeds because both are indigenous African breeds with low input costs and good production off the veld. Judging by the resounding success of the day, the Expo will become an annual event supported by the South African Boran Society.
The aim of the Expo is to provide an opportunity for breeders to showcase their top animals and for new breeders and commercial farmers alike to learn about the attributes that define a top quality stud animal. In contrast to an auction breeders can bring their herd sires, matriarchs and future stars that are not necessarily for sale. For potential new Boran breeders, the Expo is a great place to meet existing breeders in a relaxed environment and to see some of the best that the breed has to offer in one place.
The inaugural Expo was a huge success with 22 breeders from around the country showcasing almost 60 top animals in four different categories: heifers; cows; young bulls; and bulls older than three years.
The Expo was opened by the President of the South African Boran Society, Ed Koller, who lauded the initiative and gave his commitment to the Expo becoming an annual event and one of the highlights of the Boran calendar. Francois Smit (Fonteine Borans) was the main speaker who presented some insightful economic data about the beef industry in South Africa and the pressures on farmers to be more productive. In this context, he highlighted some of the unique characteristics of the Boran that differentiate them from other breeds and make them commercially attractive. For example, the Boran lies third of all breeds in terms of percentage of mother weight weaned (48% vs. national stud
average of 43%). The Boran is also extremely adaptable to its environment allowing the farmer to maximize stock numbers, whilst at the same time controlling input costs. Finally, the Boran provides an alternative Bos Indicus breed with its associated hybrid vigour. After the growth cycle of the past decade, there is now a much wider pool of good quality animals available at affordable prices, which presents a real opportunity for the commercial market.
The rest of the afternoon involved a very informative evaluation of each animal, led by Burnie Staal (Bos Blanco). The cows were assessed on four attributes: femininity, reproductive ability, meat attributes and structural soundness. The bulls were assessed on masculinity (including reproductive organs), muscling (“vleiseienskappe”) and structural soundness. This was a great opportunity to view cattle through the eyes of an experienced and knowleagable stockman and there certainly was a lot to learn!
Before the formal evaluation of the cattle kicked off, all the breeders were given an opportunity to write down their top three picks in each category, which were collated and announced at the end of the day. Burnie
Boran Expo
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then announced his best animals in each category and the “Champion of the Yard”.
Thank you to everyone involved for making such a success of the day. We look forward to hosting an even better day next year!
Category Burnie’s Choice Breeders’ Choice
Young Bull
Jaguar VST 12-18
(Vastrap Boran)
1. Jaguar VST 12-18 (Vastrap Boran)
2. HOT 13-01 (Hotspot & Faurzyl)
2. BU 12-04 (Bosiu Borane)
Bull over 3 years oldGoliat MHB 06-47
(Groenland Borane)
1. N 09-31 (Pratos Borane)
2. Goliat MHB 06-47 (Groenland Borane)
3. FN 09-63 (Fonteine Borans)
HeiferGinger TZ 13-05
(Faurzyl)
1. TZ 13-05 (Faurzyl)
2. BUL 13-01 (Bullseye Borane)
3. W 12-67 (Model)
CowJackie MHB 07-31
(Groenland)
1. B 09-544 (Model)
2. Joy FN 07-161 (Bar Circle)
2. Savanna MHB 07-16 (Groenland)
Champion of the YardJackie MHB 07-31
(Groenland)
2 0 1 5
B O R A N
E x p O
j O E R N A A L / j O U R N A L166
169
171170
j O E R N A A L / j O U R N A L b O R A N 2 0 1 5 173172
THE WHITE KNIGHTS OF CIRCLE H BORANThese three stud sires carry the flag of our white herd for generations to come.
They are distinctively different, complementing one another & their females perfectly.
One of the poster bulls of Circle H Boran, ‘Spier’, has it all and in all the right places - perfectly balanced with tremendous muscling and manliness. He is exceptionally wide across the chest and very broad over the back. ‘Spier’ is our top ‘white’ sire and he is responsible for some of our best progeny to date. Genetically, he is directly out of Solio 460T, one of the greatest ‘white’ Borans to come out of Kenya.
The youngest of the knights, ‘Spartan’, has enormous potential for the future. This polled bull with exceptional pigment comes out of the rare Kenyan sire K6K 3534.
‘Shadow’ is the underrated, dark horse in the trio. Going back to Segera 494 and KPO 1719, this manly, compact and stocky bull is perfectly balanced for all types of females. ‘Shadow’ has also been used very successfully in our ‘Borman’ breeding project covering our pure Manso Brahman females.
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NAME ADDRESS TELEPHONE MOBILE E-MAIL PREFIX
Z A M B I A
CHULU BORANS SAC/O DR. SALLY SHIEL, POSTNET BOX 4, PRIVATE BAG E891, LUSAKA, ZAMBIA
j O E R N A A L / j O U R N A L b O R A N 2 0 1 5 205204
Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer’s beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain.
He said he would forgo the farmer’s debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal. The cunning money-lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter.
He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.
• If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father’s debt would be forgiven.
• If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father’s debt would still be forgiven.
• But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.
They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer’s field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?
Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:
• The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
• The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.
• The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.
What would you recommend to the girl to do?
Well, here is what she did……
The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.
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Pebbles
“Oh, how clumsy of me,” she said. “But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.”
Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one.
And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one!
Moral of the Story
Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don’t attempt to think.
When the mind is alert, sharp and calm while facing any problem, there definitely would be a good solution to it, whereas if the mind is too agitated, depressed and fidgety, the brain loses its ability of positive “thinking” and everything seems blank and bleak with no solution that the mind forces a person to take drastic and negative measures like commit suicide or a crime as an immediate solution.
If we can understand the problem, the answer will come out of it because the answer is not separate for the problem!
Also, the important thing about a problem is not its solution, but the strength we gain in finding the solution!
Next time you face a problem, consciously make an attempt to think more clearly, cleverly and calmly…… and you will surely find the best solution for it.
j O E R N A A L / j O U R N A L b O R A N 2 0 1 5 207206
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A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me, what do you see?” “Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” the daughter replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, mother?”
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity – boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside become hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
“Which are you?” She asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”
Think of this : Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the paid. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything – they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can’t go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
A CARROT, AN EGG, AND A CUP OF COFFEE
An old Cherokee was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said, “A battle is raging inside me … it is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”
The old man looked at the children with a firm stare: “This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.”
They thought about it for a minute, and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”