Johann's Philosophy behind Cattle Breeding
- Cattle have a dual role to play in any ranching operation: to efficiently convert grass into beef and to improve the land on which they run.
- The alpha and the omega of cattle breeding and management is relative intake/body condition.
- However, the most important factor determining the profitability of a cattle operation is stocking rate.
- The most important profitability elements for the cattle themselves are fertility, adaptation and condition.
- It is important for the rancher to understand that production/ha is far more important than production/animal and that profit/ha is achieved by fast maturing cattle and not fast growing cattle.
- Smaller-framed, yet heavy, cattle, have an unfair advantage in terms of sustainable profit/ha.
- Show and breed inspectors are an obstacle to sustainable production
- High impact, non-selective grazing leads to land improvement and maximum profit/ha.
- Profit/ha and return on capital invested can be at least doubled relative to the best conventionally managed ranches.
- By breeding and managing directly opposite to conventional recommendations, we will be right 90% of the time.
- Fertility is highly heritable if a genetically discerning selection criteria is used.
- Inbreeding is only a problem if inappropriate selection criteria are used.
- BLUP, used in conjunction with inappropriate selection criteria, accelerates an undesirable end-point.
- The best we as breeders can do is accelerate natural selection.
- "Cattle breeding is a relatively simple endeavor. The difficult part is to keep it simple." Tom Lasater.
An example of adapted genotype cattle. A Veldmaster cow (370kg) and her calf (215kg) at the end of the dry season in Zimbabwe. These cattle were carried at treble the recommended stocking rate. The calf also calved at 2 years of age.