VN November 2022

Vetnuus | November 2022 36 People are inspired by some great cattleman that has, and still, significantly impacted how beef producers worldwide think. Let’s look at four of these sterling individuals and some of their famous quotes: Professor Jan Bonsma was a South African animal scientist, cattle breeder and visionary that displayed a keen sense of stockmanship and academic rigour that made him a world-renowned expert in the field of animal science. Even though he is commonly associated with developing the Bonsmara breed, his main contribution to the global livestock industry is his philosophy of producing functionally efficient animals adapted to their natural environment. His research and concepts arguably laid the foundation for modern livestock production. He was indeed a legend in his own time. Some of his most famous quotes are: • The mightiest tool in the hands of the livestock breeder is selection • The probability of survival and functional efficiency of livestock increases with the degree to which they adjust themselves harmoniously to their total environment • The keeping of livestock that is in harmony with the environment in which they are maintained brings about maximum utilization of the natural resources • Subjective evaluation had to be replaced by objective judgement • Man is the most important factor in efficient livestock production Tom Lasater is known as the founder of the Beefmaster breed. He was a radical beef breeder that held a strong belief in breeding and selecting purely for economic traits. As a producer, he swam against the current and challenged long-held beef industry beliefs. He implemented a stringent culling policy where any cow that did not wean a healthy calf was culled. This strategy resulted in a very productive and functionally efficient herd. • When a bull or a cow needs a foot trim, we let the packer trim them • In culling every female animal that fails to wean a calf every year, regardless of reason, we lose some good ones, but we get all the lemons • Nature is smarter than all of us • A good cow is a cow that weans a good calf every year. Period • Cattle breeding is a relatively simple endeavor. The only difficult part is to keep it simple Kit Pharo owns Pharo Cattle Company and is based in Colorado, USA. Kit reckons that the status quo of the cattle industry should be challenged and that the conventional model of cattle farming (high inputs with large framed cattle) can no longer be profitable for the average rancher. He became well-known with his phrase to be a“Herd Quitter”– those that do not just blindly follow the beef-raising herd of ranchers but explore alternatives and calculate what is profitable. Kit advocates selecting low-input cattle that can be profitable on range grass (or veld in our context). He is also a proponent of the selection of cattle for increased production per acre instead of increasing production per animal (which are merely bragging rights, according to Kit). • Buy your bulls from someone who raises cattle the way you ought to • Agriculture that is not profitable and enjoyable, will never be sustainable • Dead calves have distressingly low weaning weights • It ‘doesn’t matter how big your cattle are if ‘ ‘they’re not profitable Regulars I Zoetis Livestock Column Zoetis Animal HealthPages FOR ANIMALS. FOR HEALTH. FOR YOU. Anecdotes of Great Cattlemen Hannes Steyn & Schabort Froneman