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“Die Bonsmara-stelsel, sy mense en die ras se goeie eienskappe maak dit net ’n plesier om mee te boer,” sê Cronjé, wat die bekroonde Leeuwbult Bonsmara-stoetery bedryf.
Beesboerdery is in Cronjé se bloed en hy is die vierde geslag wat met vleisbeeste in die distrik Theunissen boer. “Almal voor my het finansieel oorleef en volhoubaar geboer oor ’n tydperk van meer as 140 jaar.”
Cronjé het dié tradisie voortgesit toe hy in 1994 begin boer nadat hy die graad BScAgric met veekunde aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat behaal het. Sy boerdery bestaan uit die Bonsmara-stoetery, koring, mielies en sojabone, asook sonneblom en grondboontjies wat onder besproeiing en op droëland verbou word. Saam met hom boer sy vrou, Eloïse, en drie kinders, Lenè, George en Marguerite.
Leeuwbult Bonsmara is in 2009 by SA Stamboek geregistreer en bestaan uit 500 teelkoeie. Vanaf 2015 het dié kudde elke jaar ’n goue of silwer medalje met die Logix Elite-vleistoekennings ontvang, onder meer goud met die afgelope drie jaar se toekennings.
Seleksie en teling
Sedert 2018 word Leeuwbult se fase C-groeitoetsstasie op Whitfield bedryf. Al die manlike en vroulike diere wat in die kudde opgeneem word, word getoets.
“Dit maak seleksiebesluite en teeluitkomste meer voorspelbaar en akkuraat danksy goeie data. Omdat ons onder meer vir ekonomiese eienskappe soos voeromsetting selekteer, is die kudde baie produktief,” sê Cronjé.
Gehardheid, aanpasbaarheid en volhoubaarheid is belangrike eienskappe in die Leeuwbult-stoetery. Een van die redes hiervoor is omdat die kudde vanaf Oktober tot Julie op natuurlike weiding (drakrag van 7 ha/GVE) loop en ook op smutsvingergras wat op marginale grond aangeplant is.
Sy plaas is in ’n somerreëngebied en kry gemiddeld 470 mm reën per jaar. In die winter word mieliereste gebruik indien nodig weens laat reën of droogte en na gelang van bewerkingspraktyke en grondvog.
“Dit kan regtig taai raak selfs op mieliereste wanneer die natuur jou dwing om daarop te bly tot middel Desember. Die beeste moet in sulke tye in dik sand ver loop na kos en water. Loopvermoë, gehardheid en aanpasbaarheid begin dan ’n wesenlike rol speel ten opsigte van die ras waarmee jy boer.”
Die ander eienskappe wat die Bonsmara-beesras Cronjé se voorkeurkeuse maak, is sy hoë vrugbaarheid, goeie vleiseienskappe en wye genepoel. Vir hom word al die eienskappe van die ras in ag geneem ten einde ’n gebalanseerde bees te teel.
Cronjé gebruik die Genepro-paringsprogram om die beste kombinasie diere met mekaar te paar en sodoende vinnig genetiese vordering te maak. Hy gebruik ook Stamboek se SABeefbulls.com om manlike en vroulike diere se waarde te bepaal en om bulle te identifiseer ten opsigte van die belangrikste ekonomiese eienskappe.
Beter resultate
Hierdie gesteldheid op goeie seleksie en wetenskaplike benadering help om die Leeuwbult-kudde bokant die rasgemiddelde te plaas volgens eienskappe wat swaar weeg in enige beesvleisproduksiestelsel. Leeuwbult se groeiwaarde is 107 teenoor die rasgemiddelde van 100; so ook is sy koeiwaarde 106, produksiewaarde 106 en karkaswaarde 109 vergeleke die rasgemiddelde van 100.
“Ons kry goeie terugvoer van bulkopers oor ons beeste se aanpasbaarheid, vrugbaarheid, geboortegemak, speenkalfproduksie en karkaswaarde,” sê Cronjé.
Die vyfde produksieveiling van die Leeuwbult Bonsmara-stoetery word op 22 Junie om 11:00 op die plaas Whitfield gehou. Cronjé nooi belangstellendes om die geleentheid by te woon.
“The Bonsmara system, its people, and the breed's good qualities make farming a pleasure,” says Cronjé, who runs the award-winning Leeuwbult Bonsmara stud.
Cattle farming is in Cronjé's blood, and he is the fourth generation to farm beef cattle in the Theunissen district. “Everyone before me has financially survived and farmed sustainably for a period of more than 140 years.”
Cronjé continued this tradition when he began farming in 1994 after obtaining a BScAgric degree in animal science from the University of the Free State. His farming operation includes the Bonsmara stud, wheat, maize, and soybeans, as well as sunflowers and groundnuts grown under irrigation and on dryland. His wife, Eloïse, and three children, Lenè, George, and Marguerite, farm with him.
Leeuwbult Bonsmara was registered with SA Stud Book in 2009 and consists of 500 breeding cows. Since 2015, the herd has received a gold or silver medal every year at the Logix Elite Meat Awards, including gold in the past three years.
Selection and breeding
Since 2018, Leeuwbult's phase C growth test station has been operated at Whitfield. All male and female animals included in the herd are tested.
“This makes selection decisions and breeding outcomes more predictable and accurate thanks to good data. Because we select for economic traits such as feed conversion, the herd is very productive,” says Cronjé.
Hardiness, adaptability, and sustainability are important traits in the Leeuwbult stud. One reason for this is that the herd grazes on natural pastures (carrying capacity of 7 ha/LSU) from October to July and on Smutsfinger grass planted on marginal land.
Cronjé's farm is in a summer rainfall area and receives an average of 470 mm of rain per year. In winter, maize residues are used if necessary due to late rain or drought, depending on farming practices and soil moisture.
“It can get really tough even on maize residues when nature forces you to stay on it until mid-December. The cattle have to walk in thick sand to get to food and water in such times. Running ability, hardiness, and adaptability then begin to play a significant role in terms of the breed you farm with.”
The other traits that make the Bonsmara cattle breed Cronjé's preferred choice are its high fertility, good meat qualities, and wide gene pool. He considers all the breed's traits to breed a balanced cow.
Cronjé uses the Genepro pairing program to pair the best combination of animals with each other and thus make rapid genetic progress. He also uses the SA Beef Bulls website to determine the value of male and female animals and to identify bulls in terms of the most important economic traits.
Better results
This condition of good selection and scientific approach helps to place the Leeuwbult herd above the breed average in terms of traits that are important in any beef production system. Leeuwbult's growth value is 107 compared to the breed average of 100; its cow value, production value, and carcass value are also 106, 106, and 109, respectively, compared to the breed average of 100.
“We receive good feedback from bulk buyers about our cattle's adaptability, fertility, ease of calving, weaning calf production, and carcass value,” says Cronjé.
The fifth production auction of the Leeuwbult Bonsmara stud will be held on June 22 at 11:00 at the Whitfield
The Breed That Drives Success