Afrisim... or Simkaner?

[@tebogobareng3200]

I just wish your bull was also on the intro, that bull is a beauty

[@shanecotty3275]

I think I must make a plan to get him there!

[@lenel6199]

@tebogobaren3200, I agree!!! Fred is celebrity. 😂🎉

[@BeyonInc]

Informative

[@mandikiduniya3062]

Good luck sir beautiful cattle

[@shanecotty3275]

Thanks!

[@lenel6199]

Goeie boer, met mooi beeste. 😉

[@goitseonemotswagosele4886]

Your videos made me fall in love with cattle farming again ….i hated the fact that they get thinner in winter if they are not supplemented, but, well..!!!nature has to take it course 👌👌

[@shanecotty3275]

Glad you like them!

[@sandilekubeka8375]

What are the difficulties you find on stud breathing and what difficulties you find on commercial farming

[@shanecotty3275]

I don't really know enough about stud breeding to comment. The biggest difficulty/challenges in commercial farming (in my opinion) are costs,margins and profits!

[@TheBozza1]

Would you say these cows are medium framed or large framed?

[@shanecotty3275]

They are larger framed where the simmental comes through more.

[@TheBozza1]

@shanecotty3275 I was going to ask how this combo would work with non-selective grazing. The feedlot market element is appealing.

[@shanecotty3275]

Hi, sorry for the late response. Larger framed animals are generally not suited to non-selective grazing, unless you are willing to supplement quite a lot...which defeats the purpose of the excercise. If you are able to find smaller framed animals within the breed you might be more successful.

[@ntsikandamase]

Also in some of the black community now in spring it is believed to burn grass on some velds so that when rain starts the grass becomes green a fresh, saying this. Is keeping brown grass long good up until summer rainfall?

[@shanecotty3275]

It's generally not good to burn your grass - you lose a lot of carbom that way. Better to use the cattle to trample down old grass and you're left with a good mulch covering.

[@ntsikandamase]

Its been a month following your channel now. I was wondering about your take on crossing with Braham " best or master of crossing" so they say.

[@shanecotty3275]

I personally like the brahman. It has good heat and parasite adaptability.

[@ntsikandamase]

​@@shanecotty3275 would you advise to cross with or boran?

[@shanecotty3275]

Not sure what you mean? Are you asking whether brahman is better to cross with than boran?

[@ntsikandamase]

​@@shanecotty3275. Yes cross with. Especially with our indigenous breed. Wouldn't that cross too be like at feedlots?

[@shanecotty3275]

It depends on how mich the calves look like the indigenous breeds.... If they look like nguni - you will probably still struggle.

[@smygskytt1712]

just spit balling here , but what would grass genetics dairy cow like pasture based Jersey (or a Jersey x Holstein along the lines of the New Zealand "Kiwi Cross") AI-d to something Veldt tough? Would that Jersey x Afrikaner make an acceptable mother animal to put to a meaty terminal bull? Because a lot of grass based dairy farms do use AI for breeding, and using native and hardy breeds for heifer calves do bring a lot value to the dairyman as they are all easy calving by default. Half dairy crossbred animals used to be the backbone for the beef sector all over the world for those regions where dairy was of importance. Today, grass based dairy farmers are figuring out that there is a difference between grass genetics and grain genetics, and I do think that as they stop relying on grain genetics through sheer inertia, those genetics might even produce something suitable for Veldt production when combined with an adapted native breed. That would solve the replacement problem when using terminal bulls for grain finishing.

[@shanecotty3275]

Hi, thanks for the comment! Just off the top of my head I think that there are 3 things one would need to consider: 1. Climate/type of pasture - dairy breeds that are "grass genetics" are probably developed on fairly good, high quality, natural pasture. Having been to NZ before I know that they generally have very good wild pastures that are way better than ours as they have higher rainfall. Thus AI from imported semen would result in animals not adapted to your specific grazing conditions. 2. Everything comes at a cost. While the dairy cross would produce more milk, which in turn would produce heavier weaners, it would come at the cost of body condition. Especially on our winter grazing that tends to be very hard and lignified. I know of some beef farmers who actively select against cows that produce too much milk for this very reason. 3. Marketability of the offspring/weaners. In our country the feedlots do not want any dairy type calves. So unless you finish/slaughter and market your own animals yourself - you would sit without a market for them. The dairy breeds do not carry a lot of muscle and while they grow fairly well - take longer to fatten sufficiently for slaughter. I have seen some of these dairy crosses, even had a few myself. They tend to do well in the summer but not so much in the winter. I think conditions are just not suitable over here for these types of crosses. But don't think I haven't thought about this before 😉. I too considered jersey crosses at one time.

[@rotoalma7823]

Please show us an Afrikaner bull next time.

[@shanecotty3275]

I'm struggling to find a herd nearby where I can film.

[@finbarrdinneen3430]

Does your brother in law keep calving records, If yes do both of the cow types have a similar calving interval. The Simmental bull is in excellent condition for a bull eating only grass.

[@shanecotty3275]

Hi, been a while! He does keep records but only on cows calving. He hasn't really compared the two. I don't think he goes as far as splitting the types. Just the bare minimum.

[@finbarrdinneen3430]

I wonder what a third breed in the mix, like maybe a Bonsmara bull would bring to this herd

[@shanecotty3275]

I actually mentioned this to him over the weekend. A three way cross would give him the benefit of more heterosis. He didn't seem too keen though. Too set in his ways 🤣🤣🤣