Know Your Livestock -Bonsmara cattle breed

THE Bonsmara has been scientifically bred and strictly selected for economical production in the extensive cattle grazing regions of southern Africa.

The Bonsmara has become so popular that it has grown to be numerically the strongest beef breed in South Africa and Namibia in less than 25 years.

No other individual has contributed so much to cattle breeding as Jan Bonsma, the father of the Bonsmara breed. The outcome of this scientific experiment is a cattle breed that incorporates the hardy Afrikaner, crossed with a European breed (Hereford x Shorthorn), called Bonsmara (from Bonsma and the research station Mara).

Any breed can survive and produce under ideal conditions. It is only when drought strikes and fertility and growth are influenced that an animal is put under pressure. With our typical African climate, parasite-related illnesses and diseases are another risk for cattle farmers. The Bonsmara was bred to excel even under these harsh conditions and rough climates.

When the first Bonsmaras were brought to Namibia about 30 years ago, the breeders remained members of the South African Breeders Association.

After Namibia’s independence, an independent Namibian Bonsmara Association was founded. Members elected their own board, and the breed took its own course to breed animals for Namibia’s environment.During the years prior to World War II a need was felt for a beef breed which could produce economically in the subtropical regions of the Transvaal and Natal.

Notwithstanding their adaptability to the climate, the indigenous Afrikaner-type cattle did not have the desired growth potential. They were relatively late in reaching sexual maturity and many of the cows did not calve regularly.

The exotic British beef breeds available at the time performed well in the more temperate regions but could not keep up the same production in the hotter environment. They were also more susceptible to the tick-borne diseases which were prevalent in the subtropics.

The South African department of agriculture consequently decided to test the performance of various cross-breeds between the indigenous and exotic breeds on its experimental farms, Mara and Messina.

The first results were already encouraging. Under the management circumstances prevailing at Mara in those days, the weaning weights of the cross-bred cows were on average 195kg at 240 days (about 20% higher than those of the three parent breeds).

Likewise the calving percentages of the cross-bred cows were appreciably higher. The calf mortality was much lower than in the British beef breeds and close to that of the more resistant Afrikaners.

Through strict selection of breeding animals rapid progress was made. Within 20 years after the initial cross-breeding trials a superior cattle breed, performing better than other breeds in the bushveld of the Northern Transvaal, had been established.

More and more cattle breeders became impressed by the productivity of this adaptable, functionally efficient breed. The number of active breeders rapidly increased from only 37 in 1970 to 459 at present. Likewise the number of registered Bonsmaras increased to considerably more than 87 400 performance tested and approved cows at present.

Bonsmara calves now represent roughly 45% of all birth notifications of Beef and Dual Purpose breeds. The sustained use of Bonsmaras has led to constant improvements in weaning weights (at 205 days of age) of cross-bred herds. There have also been studies showing good results for calving percentage, weights of heifers as well as veld and feedlot adaptability.

The Bonsmara is mainly bred in Africa. Sixty thousand registered females are currently being performance recorded with the commercial and seedstock herds, adding to around 4 million head. It has been recently exported to North America and Australia.

In summary, use the Bonsmara because it has been strictly selected for growth, fertility and functional efficiency, being the economically important traits emphasised by the master breeders of the cattle industry.

The Bonsmara is functionally efficient and well adapted to the extensive southern African climate.Bonsmaras are very fertile and breed small to medium calves for easy calving, every year.

Bonsmara calves have a steep growth potential and reach a very efficient wean weight. They are subject to minimum growth standards and produce high quality meat.Bonsmaras have a calm temperament and are handled with ease.The breed is equally suitable in cross-breeding as well as pure cattle farming.They are strictly selected according to the needs of commercial farmers.All Bonsmaras are performance tested, inspected and approved by inspectors according to minimum breed standards.All pure and approved Bonsmaras bulls are branded with a B on the right shoulder.