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- Exsteen Ngunis near Piketberg was named the Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) 2024 National Beef Cattle Improvement Herd of the Year.
- The income they derive from the Ngunis compares favourably to that of the wheat they grow as cash crop.
- The farm is a mixed grain and livestock enterprise comprising of cash crops, Nguni cattle and Meatmaster sheep.
- The Eksteens established a feedlot a few years ago.
- The Eksteens decided on the Nguni because the breed provides a good return per hectare.
Exsteen Ngunis near Piketberg was named the Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) 2024 National Beef Cattle Improvement Herd of the Year. For father and son duo, Hannes and Lochner Eksteen, the Nguni forms an integral part of their mixed farming enterprise and contributes to the farm’s sustainability.
According to Hannes, the income they derive from the Ngunis compares favourably to that of the wheat they grow as cash crop. The wheat yield must average 2,8t/ha to beat the Nguni. A harvest of less than 2,8t/ha means the Ngunis are performing better.
The long-term average wheat yield is around 3t/ha, but in the past ten years this figure has been as low as 1,4t/ha. In such a year, the Nguni pays for the following year’s wheat input costs. Furthermore, the cattle pose less of a risk than the rain-dependent wheat.
Hannes says it was a great honour for him and Lochner to receive the award and to be recognised for years of perseverance. “It shows that if you understand and correctly interpret the information derived from your production records, you can achieve phenomenal success with your breeding practices.”
Role of recording
Four traits are measured in the Exsteen Nguni herd: fertility, growth, milk, and longevity. “If you can strike a balance between these traits, you’ll end up with the ideal animal,” says Lochner. However, the animals must be weighed and measured in the extensive conditions under which they have to produce.
There are a lot of advantages to utilising the herd’s production records, says Hannes. For example, in the past nine years the Eksteens have been able to shorten the intercalving period (ICP) between the first and second calf with an average of 50 days, and increased the weaning weight of heifer calves by an average of 23kg. Bulls now weigh 91kg more at 18 months of age, and first-calf heifers calve a month earlier than before.
By using the correct figures and interpreting them correctly, they have succeeded in breeding feed-efficient animals that are adapted to their environment. This improvement has been achieved without changing frame size or losing the benefit of early maturity. They have also improved the weaning weights of bull and heifer calves, although the stocking rate has increased.
The bulls selected for use in the stud or for sale must be the offspring of the stud’s top 10% cows.
Divisions complement each other
The farm is a mixed grain and livestock enterprise comprising of cash crops, Nguni cattle and Meatmaster sheep. They farm on 1 115ha of arable land. The farm has received 320mm of rain on average the past ten years, ranging between 160 to 450mm/year. The average summer temperature is 33°C and the average winter temperature 19°C. However, 52°C in summer is not unheard of.
Wheat is cultivated annually as a cash crop on 450ha. For grazing, 300ha of medic pasture and 50 to 100ha of cover crops are established. The rest of the fallow fields are planted to eragrostis that serve as grazing. The Nguni herd consists of approximately 1 000 animals and the Meatmaster flock has 150 ewes.
Breeding is a passion
Breeding, says Lochner, is the one recipe that never produces the same results twice. “If you decide to follow the breeding route, you need to ascertain why you are doing it – is your goal to multiply your animals or do you want to move strategically closer to your breeding objective? Do not let trends and fads influence your breeding strategy.”
There are several tools that must be used accurately to achieve one’s breeding goals. “Staying on track means you have to constantly reconsider and modify your strategy. Also accept that the animal that meets all your breeding goals will not necessarily look the way you imagined.
“Know your cattle. If you know what type of animals your herd’s cow families (breeding lines) breed, your breeding predictions will be fairly accurate. While not guaranteed, it does serve as a good guideline. We use seven bull lines and 48 cow lines for breeding.”
A breeder must strike a balance between hardiness and production; this can be achieved by breeding animals that are adapted to your specific farming conditions. “Drought is our main challenge. No rain means no feed for our livestock. The other challenges, such as slaughter and feed prices, can be managed.”
A breed that fits
The Eksteens decided on the Nguni because the breed fits perfectly into their crop rotation system and provides a good return per hectare. In addition, the animals require little maintenance, are not prone to heat stress, have a lower drinking water requirement (around a third less than other breeds), good herd instinct, calve easily, possess good maternal qualities, are adaptable, and have high resistance to parasites and diseases. The animals are very resilient and handle drought well.
“Our Nguni herd maintained an average calving percentage of 92% over the past five years and a weaning percentage of 99,5%. The average weaning weight of bull and heifer calves at six to seven months has been 215 and 210kg, respectively,” says Lochner.
Cows should ideally weigh 440kg when calves are weaned. “We do not discriminate against lighter or heavier cows, as long as they wean at 50% of their bodyweight and comply with our fertility rules. This means first-calf heifers must calve at 24 months and then every 12 months. Calves must weigh at least 45% of cows’ bodyweight at weaning. The herd average is currently 51,3%.”
Bulls selected for own use or sale must be bred by the top 10% of cows, and be phenotypically and structurally sound. After weaning, the bulls enter a Phase D test on the veld – here they are tested under extensive conditions up to the age of 18 months. A cow is not culled based on age; if her production decreases or she produces inferior calves, she is culled.
Feedlot adds value
The Eksteens established a feedlot a few years ago in which cull bull calves are finished for 110 to 120 days and sold at 12 months. The total cost of getting the animals slaughter ready is R3 200 to R3 800/animal, depending on feed prices.
Calves are fed until they weigh 440kg on average. The market the Eksteens cater to pays a premium for carcasses weighing 200 to 285kg, a conformation of three and an A2/A3 grading. This is exactly what their feedlot delivers. Bull calves’ dressing percentage ranges from 58 and 63%.
The feedlot adds value to the farm as it allows them to earn a premium on their meat, says Lochner. It offers accelerated selection as it is possible to see how their animals’ genetics perform in the feedlot at 12 months of age compared to animals aged 24 to 36 months that run on veld. The manure from the feedlot is spread across the grain fields to boost yields.
Available grazing
The cultivated medic pasture and cover crops are utilised from July to October. Cows in production do not get a lick or supplement during this time. The rest of the time the animals graze on residues and eragrostis fields and receive an extra protein lick (40%). From March to June grazing is scarce and therefore wheat straw is provided.
Pregnant replacement heifers which are set to calve at two years of age, receive the same nutrition as the cows until shortly before they calve (March and April). They are given a production lick with 25% protein at 450g/day from two months prior to calving. This lick allows heifers to maintain a condition score of 3,5. Bulls are put with the heifers in May and the lick also helps the heifers to reconceive without effort. Lick costs amount to approximately R400/cow/year. – Hugo Lochner, Plaas Media
Contact Lochner Eksteen at 071 987 8257 or exteen@telkomsa.net for more information.
