Hanzyl Bonsmaras 3.06

To breed fertile, well adapted, economically efficient Bonsmara cattle:

This means female animals that fall pregnant at 12-14 months of age (earlier puberty) during a short mating season (63 days) and managed to deliver a calf every year with acceptable growth (doing well in feedlot and as a backgrounder) under natural veld conditions with a strategic lick suppliment program.

Futhermore we strive to breed low input genetic’s in sync with nature. All our females must be profitable which we measure with the self develope GPI Index (Global profit index)

My belief is that any studbreeder must first be an effective, profitable commercial breeder. Our cattle must first be outstanding commercial animals before they can breed genetic’s for someone else.

The level of management were decided upon 15 years ago and I stick to it. That was natural veld with a phosphate suppliment in summer and a maintenance lick in winter with the changes of the seasons. I also believe we must increase the stress levels under which the animals must perform to a level that create a 10% fall out. I believe this is the only way by which you can keep the level of your genetic's improving.

I never up my management level to help poor performers survive. Rather find reason to cull than excuses to keep an animal in the herd. Under this management level the HANZYL BONSMARA breeding objectives are simple. A Dividend from every cow (from the age of 2 years) each year either a calve or herself. She must have a retention rate of > 50% after her 4th calf and must have a average GPI > 90. Firstly we cull ALL open cows. We try to identify the cream ASAP and follow a zero tolerance philosphy around infertility.

Considering indivudale traits I mainly concentrate on the economically important once

Birth DIR EBV = Breed AVE + (to low birth mass leads to to low WM)
W Dir EBV = Above breed ave and W Mat on breed average or slightly below
365 day EBV on breed average
Restiction on Shoulder height (size)
FCR EBV below breed ave
If we are brutal on reproduction and as long as we don’t increase the input level nature will show us the ideal size. At the moment the cows that are the best performers regarding reproduction weigh's around 500-530 kg at weaning. They manage to produce a calf that weigths 48% of their own body in > 370 days.

Manangement of resources

We managed our veld according to Riaan Dames Controlled fodder flow management system. Stocking rate and fertility in a cow/calf operation are the 2 most important aspects of profitability. We only suppliment what we took away by putting up fences. Our stocking rate are currently 30% higher than the old carrying capacity norms for the region with no negative effect on reproduction and our veldt have definetely improved.