Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Dawid Labuschagne and his father, Jan, farm in the Wasbank district of KwaZulu-Natal under the banner of Blinkwater Boerdery. The Labuschagne family has been farming in the region since 1917. Blinkwater Boerdery comprises a crop division, a commercial cattle operation, and a Brahman stud known as Duikershoek Brahmans. What makes this cattle enterprise particularly noteworthy is its innovative crossbreeding programme.
“We crossbreed for hybrid vigour, but we farm in an area with severe redwater and heartwater challenges,” explains Dawid. “Buying in bulls often fails because they don’t survive here. Tick loads are extremely high in summer, forcing us to dip cattle every ten days, which is why we decided to breed our own Brahman bulls. Brahmans perform exceptionally well in our environment. My grandfather started out by buying a group of quality Brahman cows to breed bulls. This developed into the Duikershoek Brahman stud, which this year hosted its 14th production auction on 17 June.”
The two-year-old bulls are used in the commercial herd before being sold at auction as three-year-olds.
Crossbreeding strategy
The commercial herd originally consisted primarily of Brahman cattle. Today, the Labuschagnes use Simmentaler, Hereford, and Brown Swiss bulls on the heifers and cows. “These three are all European breeds, and we use them for their frame size and carcass traits,” says Dawid. “They also contribute excellent fat distribution. We sell weaners and operate a small feedlot, so these traits are important. By crossing purebred animals, we maximise the benefits of hybrid vigour.”
The system is very structured.
Cows with stronger Brahman traits are grouped according to colour into black, white, yellow, and red herds. Bulls are then rotated among these groups. “For example, this year the red herd is mated to Simmentaler bulls, the yellow herd to Hereford bulls, and the white herd to Brown Swiss bulls. Every year, we rotate the breeds according to what we believe will deliver the best results. Cows that tend towards European types are mated to Brahman bulls.”
Each calf crop is first classified according to phenotype as either Brahman-type or European-type. The Brahman-type animals are then allocated to colour groups, while the European-type females are placed in the herd that gets Brahman bulls. This approach allows the operation to capture the maximum benefit from hybrid vigour.
“It is fascinating to compare results from year to year,” says Dawid. “One season, Simmental-type cows mated to Brahman bulls may produce the best average weaning weights. In another year, Brahman-type cows crossed with Brown Swiss bulls might outperform the others. Because we always use purebred bulls from all four breeds and source the best genetics available, the differences between the groups are surprisingly small.”
When it comes to weaning weights, the Labuschagnes adapt their management to market demand. “If the market prefers lighter calves, we wean earlier. If heavier calves are in demand, we delay weaning. However, we try not to wean calves below 220kg.”
Weaning indices and genetics
Dawid and Jan believe that weaning weight alone is not a complete measure of a cow’s productivity. Instead, they prefer to use weaning indices. “We place a very high premium on functional cows,” Dawid explains. “Our goal is for every cow to wean a calf weighing at least 50% of her own bodyweight.”
To achieve this, they select medium-framed cows weighing from 450 to 520kg. These animals must be capable of meeting the 50% target even during dry years while maintaining body condition to reconceive quickly.
A considerable amount of time and money is invested in acquiring the best possible genetics for the Brahman stud. “We want to ensure that the quality of the two-year-old bulls entering the herd is exceptional and that they introduce something new every year. That has been the objective of the stud from the beginning. We aim to improve our commercial herd annually by introducing superior traits for growth, milk production, fertility, conformation, and carcass quality.”
In addition to Duikershoek Brahmans, the farm also breeds its own Brown Swiss bulls, although it does not have a registered Brown Swiss stud. “Animals born on the farm are generally better adapted to our heavy tick loads than cattle brought in from elsewhere. Every second or third year, we purchase an outstanding Brown Swiss stud bull to introduce new genetics. The best bull calves are then selected for use in the commercial herd.”
Within the Brahman stud, around 150 cows are inseminated annually using a range of herd sires. Each mating is planned so as to strengthen specific traits, with the aim of producing offspring that outperform their parents. “We use the best of our own bulls in the artificial insemination (AI) programme, but we also go to great lengths to identify the best bulls from elsewhere that possess the traits we require.”
In addition to the AI programme, a group of follow-up bulls is required. These bulls must complement, rather than compete with, the AI sires, making careful selection essential. The AI programme is focused on corrective breeding and genetic diversity.
Dawid notes significant differences between the genetic pools of the Brahman and Brown Swiss breeds in South Africa, as well as within their own operation. The Brahman is one of the largest cattle breeds in the world in terms of numbers, and their Brahman stud is considerably larger than their Brown Swiss herd. It takes discipline to maintain the same selection standards when working with a small group of bull calves compared with a large group. However, that challenge is also what keeps the work interesting, he says.
A passion for cattle
“I believe it is important to farm a breed you genuinely like and that performs well in your environment. We love the Brahman, but we like all cattle breeds. Our crossbreeding programme may sound complicated, but we enjoy it. We like the Simmentaler, Hereford, and the Brown Swiss crosses. Each breed adds value to our farming business in its own way.
“Considering how many breeds have been developed from the Brahman, it clearly occupies a special place in the cattle industry. The breed has an exceptional ability to combine its strengths with those of other breeds and produce something better. To be honest, it doesn’t really matter what breed of cow you use a Brahman bull on; the resulting calf is always an improvement. Whether the goal is finishing or reproduction, the outcome is a superior animal.” – Izak Hofmeyr, Stockfarm
Contact Dawid Labuschagne at 076 015 3305 for more information.
