This was the message from Brangus SA Breed Director John Rafferty during a beef cattle information day. Rafferty told farmers that a good bull should be viewed as an investment to ensure the future success of a commercial herd:

“We are telling the guys – make the effort to look at the bull’s statistics, make the effort to look at the bull’s structure and phenotype characteristics and then make a balanced decision. If you pay the price of seven weaner calves when investing in a bull then you can get a decent bull.

“You need to accept that in a few years’ time, many of the cows in your herd will be daughters of that bull, so whatever bull you do get, ensure it is going to provide you with good female replacement animals.” 

*John Rafferty

He highlighted several factors to look at when selecting a bull, including the condition of its feet, whether the animal has upright hocks, sheath size, testicular circumference, skin and hair quality, temperament and, of course, whether or not it has a masculine appearance.

SA Studbook’s Bobbie van der Westhuizen also addressed farmers on the use of BLUP data, or Best Linear Unbiased Prediction, when selecting animals:

“As you know, any characteristic that is of economic interest is inherited… where the environment also plays a big role in the presentation of that charachteristic. 

"What we try to do is to remove the environmental factor from the genetic component so that when a breeder buys a bull on a genetic value, he will know what he is getting, what he is taking home and what his investment in his cow herd is going to be.”

*Bobbie van der Westhuizen

The information day was hosted at Northern Cape Red Meat Producer’s Organisation Chairperson James Faber’s farm, At Last.

Sabrina Dean/OFM News