Meeting commercial demand through breeding excellence

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

• Peter and Lucille Abrahamse are the driving force behind the Rivervalley Simmentaler stud in Heidelberg, Gauteng. The couple has been breeding top-class animals since 2003.
• Peter started farming in the early nineties when he invested in light calves, specifically for the purpose of backgrounding.
• Peter bought his first stud cattle in 2003, after which the stud was registered with the Simmentaler Cattle Breeder’s Society of South Africa.
• Peter believes the Simmentaler, being a dual-purpose breed, provides the best results due to its excellent growth rate and higher milk production.
• Breeding the right type of cow is Peter’s main objective and the most important aspect of his breeding programme is the cow herd and cow line.

Peter and Lucille Abrahamse are the driving force behind the Rivervalley Simmentaler stud in Heidelberg, Gauteng. The couple has been breeding top-class animals since 2003, and based on what they have already achieved, it is clear that they play an indispensable role in the industry. 

Besides their Simmentaler stud, they manage a commercial cattle herd and a feedlot, as well as produce crops such as maize, wheat, and occasionally sugar beans and soya beans on dryland and under irrigation.

Peter has been backgrounding light calves on the veld for 29 years. After rearing, they enter the feedlot for finishing. The Rivervalley Simmentaler stud comprises of 130 breeding cows, as well as heifers and some bulls in different stages of production.

Read more about genetic improvements in herds.

First impressions last

Peter started farming in the early nineties when he invested in light calves, specifically for the purpose of backgrounding. “I found it was one of the best business plans given the resources I had available at the time.”

At that stage his family focussed on breeding an indigenous beef breed and the animals occasionally participated in shows. His interest in the Simmentaler started at the former Rand Show in 1995. While watching cattle coming into the ring, he noticed a Simmentaler cow that made a huge impression on him. The same cow later went on to win the Gold Cup at the show. He was hooked on the breed after buying some light Simmentaler calves in 2000.

Peter retained three heifers from this batch. They were not added to the backgrounding programme, but were grown out for artificial insemination (AI) purposes using semen collected from Simmentaler AI bulls. That was the start of the Rivervalley Simmentaler stud. Peter bought his first stud cattle in 2003, after which the stud was registered with the Simmentaler Cattle Breeder’s Society of South Africa.

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Outstanding breed traits

Peter believes the Simmentaler, being a dual-purpose breed, provides the best results due to its excellent growth rate and higher milk production. The breed also boasts other outstanding traits such as a good frame, length, width, depth, balance and symmetry.

Cows are generally fertile; a quality Peter harnesses in the Rivervalley herd. The average calving interval is 380 days. The cows possess exceptional mothering abilities, and raise and wean calves efficiently. They also produce enough good quality milk to ensure an excellent weaning weight.

In addition to the Simmentaler’s good temperament and ease of handling, cows and bulls are suited to a range of climatic conditions across the country and adapt well both on the veld and in the feedlot. “Not every breed does well in a feedlot, but the Simmentaler has no problem adapting to feedlot rations and the stressful environment,” says Peter.

Another significant trait is the breed’s excellent feed conversion rate. “Animals don’t put on fat too quickly. This allows calves to be fed for a longer period, compared to calves from other breeds.”

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Economic advantages

A large portion of the income he derives as stud breeder comes from selling bulls from the stud herd, Peter explains. “We breed one or two stud bulls a year that can fetch a good price, but the bulk of our bulls are sold to the commercial market.”

Peter focusses on meeting the market demand as well as the requirements of commercial breeders who mostly seek Simmentaler bulls because of their crossbreeding potential and hybrid vigour. He therefore produces what customers want, and in the process maintains a high standard of excellence.

He is keen on producing strong bulls with longevity and without any structural problems that can go into a herd and work for eight to ten years. A high conception rate is also vital in the herd management system, as the right bull will have the genetic ability to produce superior calves.

Medium-framed bulls are selected from fertile dams that are adaptable and possess the correct growth figures. The bulls show good general muscle development, are deep and long, as well as broad.

Stacking generations of sires also assured a steady improvement in quality each year. Peter started inseminating artificially some 22 years ago and does not regret continuing with this breeding method. This supported the production of a “nice stack of sires” over the years. The goal is also to source the best possible new sires to strengthen the herd.

Read more about grazing and veld management systems here.

Objectives and genetic progress

Breeding the right type of cow is Peter’s main objective and the most important aspect of his breeding programme is the cow herd and cow line. Fertility, productivity and structural soundness form the cornerstone of the cow herd. Selection is based on structurally sound, fertile cows with longevity, and which are ultra-feminine and highly adaptable. “If most of these traits are in place, a lot of other things will fall into place as well. A fertile and feminine cow will almost always breed a good bull.”

As a breeder, Peter stresses the importance of continuously pursuing improvement. “There are a lot of ways to achieve this. Also, to measure is to know, so numbers are essential.” One of the traits necessary to progress genetically is to always select a bull that will correct weaknesses in the herd. “If I find a weakness, I try to look for a bull that will correct it.”

Hats off to the society

Peter believes Simmentaler SA has made huge progress with the breed since the first animals were imported into Namibia in 1983. There has been a massive change in the type of animals that are bred locally. Animals were originally large framed and characterised by calving problems. These days, however, locally bred animals are smooth coated, medium framed, red in colour with a touch of white, and calving problems are no worse than in other breeds.

The core of success

Peter and Lucille are thankful for the blessings they have received from above. They also believe their passion for their cattle, and especially the Simmentaler breed, is an important contributing factor to the success of the Rivervalley Simmentaler stud. They started breedingthe Simmentaler as a result of their observations in their commercial feedlot and feel blessed to be able to continue on this path.

Read more about this successful Namibian Simmentaler stud here.

Another contributing factor to their success is the fact that Lucille and the other family members are passionate about the stud. “It is very nice to be in a partnership where everybody has the same mindset.” Peter also salutes his workforce for their valuable contribution and dedication – two members have been closely involved with the stud for more than 15 years and this is certainly something to be thankful for. – Christal-Lize Muller, Stockfarm

For more information, send an email to Peter Abrahamse at peterabr@xsinet.co.za.