smous
Cowtalk Staff
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Registered: 11-2003
Location: South Africa
Posts: 1552
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State Of Play
I live on South Africa’s eastern seaboard, we are a summer rainfall area. 99% of local milk production is from large commercial herds, 200 to 1400 cows grazed on pasture 365 days of the year. Kikuyu and perennial ryegrass in summer, perennial and annual ryegrass in winter (irrigated) some farms incorporate clovers, roughly half the herds seasonally calve, breeding one third in autumn, two thirds in spring.. Most herds feed supplementary maize silage in winter or when grass is short, surplus grass turned into wrapped bale silage is also utilised in this role. Concentrate supplementation varies from 1 ton to 2.4 tons per 300 day lactation, average herd production ranges from 4500 litres to 8500 litres per lactation. Holstein herds out number Jersey herds about 8 to 2. Some herds crossbreed. Farmers can be bothered by umpteen semen reps, the US, Canadian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, German, French, Italian, Australian, New Zealand and local product are all represented.
Five years ago positive percentage bulls were the order of the day, now the management traits have precedence, but at least one positive component bull is usually required in the mix. Positive PL and DPR with low SCS are important selection criteria. Calving ease bulls are critical, it is virtually impossible to move any significant amounts of semen of bulls >8% difficult births. Seasonal calving herds are trying to match feed requirements to grass production, it is critical for cows to get back in calf ASAP, more than anybody they require cows that have no trauma at calving, recover rapidly and hold or regain condition quickly and thus enhance conception.
In a perfect world all the bulls we sell would have two points for udders and two points for feet and legs, like everybody else we want the very best udders and feet and legs we can get. We require slightly different body traits though. The perfect linear for most of the coastal grazing areas would be zero or slightly negative for stature, Dairy Form at this point needs to be around zero, slightly negative is okay, slightly positive is also fine up to about one standard deviation. We basically want shorter, big body capacity cows, i.e. medium size and stature cows, not too dairy, with width from end to end. In our line up, Keystone Potter and before him Boss and Spock have about as close to the ideal linear for our system.
Within these parameters we require ‘constructor’ and ‘refiner bulls’. Ito has been our long-term refiner (and still would be if he were alive), we are looking at the Durham sons to replace him. Potter is our constructor bull of choice.
The drier centre of the country, which produces milk from TMR, wants a slightly different type of bull and lots more milk than we require.
Bulls I like in a pedigree: Fond Matt, Bootmaker, Astronaut, Elevation, Milu-Betty, Wayne, Mars Tony, Sexation, Tradition, Bova, Chairman, Mark, Secret, Winken, Eagle, Vic Kai, Belltone, Marvel, Levi, Blackstar, Leadman, F16, Tops, Mountain, Converse, Mathie, Roebuck, Merrill, Cutter, Lance, Juror, Patron, Duster, Leader, Lava, Manfred, Mtoto, Nobel, Rudolph, Durham, Outside.
Bulls I don't mind in a pedigree: PFAC, Glendell, Apollo Rocket, Neil, Triple Threat, Valiant, Bell, Rotate, Enhancer, Starbuck, Cleitus, Tesk, Thor, Cubby, Nick, Elton, Aerostar, Ernlo, Target, Prelude, Emory, Marconi, Lord Lily, Jolt, Formation, Wade, Airliner, Extasy, Z Royal, Addison, BW Marshall.
Bulls that I am ambivalent about: Mascot, Southwind, Celsius, Cash, Cinder, Mandel, Bellwood, Convincer, Storm, Aaron.
Bulls that don’t work for us: Nedboy, Jed and all his sons, Lindy and all his issue, Luke, the Holim Heidi family, Winchester, Demand, Emerson, James, Lantz.
Sixth lactation Emory daughter
Second lactation Ito daughter
First calf Morningview Durham Jinx daughter
Last edited by smous, 15/4/2006, 9:00
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WWS-SA
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15/4/2006, 8:58
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chincy
GP83
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Registered: 09-2005
Posts: 38
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would a bull like Rietben Cartel work in your type of system? He is as good as it gets for management traits here. Udders and legs are quite good too.
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16/4/2006, 15:25
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errolston
Ex97
Addict!
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Registered: 07-2003
Posts: 1014
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Smous, I read that your Government was starting a land "redistribution" programme. What effect is that likely to have on agriculture in SA? Will the redistribution be on a Zimbabwe scale?
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25/2/2007, 9:09
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foxleigh
Ex97
True blue dinky-di maverick
Global user
Registered: 06-2003
Location: southern,oz
Posts: 1956
Karma: 20 (+20/-0)
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State Of Play
Whilest Im sure magabe has good intentions the fact is that peoples that were hunter/gathers/herders do not necessarily make good farmers with out plenty of guidence and good training.
As zimbabwee has found to its cost!
and whilest land may have been "taken" 100 years ago it really is not the "same" land now as it has been developed in to something productive with infrastructure.
So I think those people on the land now should be compensated for their improvements before relinquishing their land to others who may have prior claim.
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27/2/2007, 2:34
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foxleigh
Ex97
True blue dinky-di maverick
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Registered: 06-2003
Location: southern,oz
Posts: 1956
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State Of Play
I think it was tragic what has happened in zimbabwae in the last 20 years and hope that other countries do not make the same mistakes
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28/2/2007, 3:42
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FiringOnAllFour
Ex97
Cyborg
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Registered: 01-2004
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 1600
Karma: 39 (+39/-0)
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Re: State Of Play
Heard this morning that Zimbabwe inflation is at 1600% expected to rise to 4000% by the end of the year.
South Africa is apparently gaining a lot of people (which they probably don't need).
The whole thing is horrendous.
Hitler wasn't the first madman, and he certainly won't be the last.
This guy is as bad as Hitler, he just isn't as bright or organised.
Only outside influence will change this dire situation. But the west aren't very good at intervening tactfully.
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5/3/2007, 15:56
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foxleigh
Ex97
True blue dinky-di maverick
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Registered: 06-2003
Location: southern,oz
Posts: 1956
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State Of Play
problem with all these countries (african/asian/middleeastern)seems to be that they are run by dictators who have the local populatons so terrorized that they can do as they like and as soon as you get rid of one another pops u out of the woodwork each one worse than the last
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7/3/2007, 20:18
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Big Bird
Cowtalk Staff
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Registered: 06-2003
Posts: 2820
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Re: State Of Play
quote:
FiringOnAllFour wrote:
Only outside influence will change this dire situation. But the west aren't very good at intervening tactfully.
Don't think the west are very interested in getting very involved in the southern half of Africa again.
Most of those countries fought to get the European colonists out, any move would probably see sub-saharan Africa call racism and unite with Mugabe.
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7/3/2007, 21:26
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PEOVEREYE
EX95
Global user
Registered: 02-2005
Posts: 604
Karma: 6 (+6/-0)
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State Of Play
Smous a friend just been to south africa and brought me back a farmers weekly . A massive contrast to whats going on here we talk of NVZs milk price SFp etc and yet the editors foreword talked of some builder who had been named as a farmer throwing a workman to the lions which i read as literally and generally of the (i think) ag minister blaming white farmers for everything seems also to be big issues with land ownership and whether the land is used proerly . I know its what you grow up with but i think given the Mugabe scenario i would be packing up i were there . IS this a true reflection? are people packing up and getting out ?
There was also an auction advertised of "wild animals" giraffes rhino etc given all we here about protection and conservancy here can anyone go and buy a rhino? what do they make?
Sorry for the questions i often get foreign farming press and this forum lets me ask the unanswered questions.
PS i might sound thick but on your posts it says market stud codes ........... whose actual bulls are these.
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11/3/2007, 14:05
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smous
Cowtalk Staff
Global user
Registered: 11-2003
Location: South Africa
Posts: 1552
Karma: 40 (+40/-0)
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Re: State Of Play
The builder throwing a labourer to the lions is true I am afraid. He is currently serving a life sentence for murder. Media first stated he was a farmer (sells papers and unfortunately increases the villification of farmers as conservative, brutal, racists - some are, most aren't.)when in fact his only connection with agriculture was renting a house on a farm.
Land issues will be one of our biggest political problems in the near future, up there with the social problems of HIV-AIDS and crime, both of which have reached epic proportions, but the government of the day seems curiously in denial about.
Conversations around the braai fire can get pretty depressing at times, but I for one have absolutely no intentions of leaving what is a great country.
Far as I know if you have a permit you can go and buy any wild animal that is on offer at a game auction.
Stud codes are NAAB (National Association of Animal Breeders) codes. 7 is Select Sires, 9 is Sire Power that was (now absorbed into the Select system) 14 is Accelerated Genetics, 11 is canuk's favourite Alta Genetics, 122 is the old Network Genetics (mostly Jerseys) now owned by Alta, all marketed locally under the umbrella of World Wide Sires-South Africa.
Last edited by smous, 11/3/2007, 16:16
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11/3/2007, 16:00
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Mayjay
EX93
Global user
Registered: 03-2007
Posts: 402
Karma: 6 (+6/-0)
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Re: State Of Play
I like your cows and grassy hills in the background. All we see here (Canada) on TV is desert, lions and zebras. I just take for granted that I can streak through the fields chasing butterflies. I can`t imagine out fixing the fence one day and being chopped up by a swarm of pygmies. I`d be outta there dude. 
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31/3/2007, 16:03
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