Cattle : AFRIKANER

 

Country of origin:  South Africa. Lost in Australia? see below.

International status: Abour 20,000 in South Africa.

Arrived in Australia: late 1700's and early 1800's.

Australian Population: Unknown - possibly lost. 
CSIRO sold their straws 2014 AK.

Distribution: maybe NT 

History: Afrikander is an alternative spelling. Afrikanerbees in the Afrikaans language. A Sanga breed of South Africa, being there some 2,000 years before colonisation and used domestically. It took colonials some time to realise these hardy native cattle were superior for the country's conditions than imported breeds.

African cattle arrived in Australia with the first fleet in 1788, being 2 bulls, 3 cows and a bull calf, bought at Cape colony. The second fleet brought more, and other ships brought more - African cattle really set colonials on their feet, cattle wise - despite the first fleet's cattle wandering off and not being found until 1795 - by which time the herd was significant. They were found by the Nepean on Dharawal country, and the area named Cow Pastures for the rich country and the cattle  (now Camden).

These early African cattle in Australia were extremely precious to colonial women for their milk, and carefully tended. Red ones also came here in colonial days, no doubt Afrikaners. The cattle on the Nepean - descended from the First Fleet - were described in 1803 as being black, so those were not Afrikaners but more likely what are now called Drakensbergers. In 1823 both red and black were there, also brindle and red with white spots (roan). Macarthurs were granted land at Cow Pastures and Elizabeth wrote in glowing terms of her cattle. Later engravings of these cattle, 1870's (Arthur Willsmore engraving) depicts them as red and red roan.

By 1824, numbering thousands, they were shot and removed for Macarthur's sheep; his land grants now gigantic. In the 1930's some were found wild in the Kanangra-Boyd National Park, Blue Mountains. They were definitely Afrikaners. Can't discover if there are any left there - information greatly appreciated. 

The next known import of these cattle was in the early 1950s when 5 bulls and 2 cows were brought in to Belmont Research Station near Rockhampton. In 1960 purebred bulls were sold by public auction from the research station. The breed was still common in the 1970's, a stockman from Warwick Bacon Factory in Queensland recalls them arriving on rail to the facility there. The Schmidt family bred them on their Talpa property 40 miles west of Wyandra, Queensland in the 1960's, their stock bought from the Belmont Research Station       .

Unable to find any trace of current breeders to date but still investigating and researching their status.  Any information welcomed.

Breed traits : Once triple purpose - draught, milk, meat. Naturally tender eating and full of juicy flavour - by far superior to virtually all Bos indicus breeds, which are notorious for toughness, even better than many Bos taurus; these qualities being genetically proved. Hardy hot climate beef cattle, used for a pack animal, milk and beef by indigenous people, and by colonists as bullocks to haul wagons at first and later for beef. Docile, tractable nature. The draught days give them a robust muscle and frame structure. 

Horned, but sadly a polled strain has taken over in South Africa as commercial needs of the ubiquitous feedlots dictate.  The horns are naturally long and sweeping, gently curved, and go out sideways or downwards. Horns are important for temperature regulation - keeping them cool - thus they do not need excessive loose skin like polled zebu breeds, which is injury prone in rough undergrowth and provides hiding places for parasites. Horns being armoury, it's proven cows with horns range further to the best feed to feed their calves and themselves better; and their digestion from eating roughage is better for having horns too for the gases go via their sinueses into the horn core. Being able defend themselves both from unwanted attention from bulls, and from predators, horned cattle, knowing they have armoury, are less aggressive than dehorned and polled cattle to keep as livestock. Needless to say, for draught bullocks, horns are also needed, for the yoke to rest behind.

Important traits of Afrikaners are their good temperament and tractability, fertility and tender meat. This makes them ideal for crossbreeding, to improve degenerate breeds. In the pure form however, they cannot be beaten. 

A long legged elegant breed, with great resistance to both arid land and tropical diseases and parasites - calves gaining immunity while suckling. Famous for their tick resistance. A breed often used for crossbreeding to obtain disease and parasite resistance, height, docility, excellent milk yield for which makes good calves and their legendary hardiness. They forage well and thrive on low quality natural herbage, having no supplementary feeding on the South African veldt, only a mineral lick.

They have good herd behaviour with one mother minding a nursery of calves while the other mothers graze their way to water. An easy calving breed due to good cow structure and low birth weight of about 34 kilos. Live bulls weigh 800-1090 kilos, cows 400-600 kilos, a dressed beast of two years to two and a half years old, range reared with no extra feeding, dresses to 270 kilos.

All are red coloured. Their ability to stand heat is seen in the thick skin which is ample - being loose - with double the sweat pores of European breeds. Short, polished hair which ticks avoid, and which gives them a glossy, handsome appearance. They also secrete a sebaceous oil in the coat, which repels biting parasites in Africa such as warble flies.

The hump is not as exaggerated as Bos indicus breeds. An ample dewlap under neck and chest to help dissipate heat. Deep-set, almond-shaped eyes protect against sun and insects.

Their long, strong legs with powerful muscles, tendons and joints mean they can cover big distances for feed and water and get through sand and soft soils without leg problems. For this reason and their hardiness they are stocked at 20% higher rates than other breeds. A very long lived and productive breed, the cows have 92 to 100% success in raising their calves in an African study. Many calve up to and beyond 16 years old.The manure is extremely dry, showing they have an excellent digestion system and no moisture goes to waste, thus need to drink less than other cattle.

A fast maturing breed, for an African breed (although marginally slower than most Bos taurus). In Africa it's found to be the breed that finishes the fastest in feedlots, or can be turned off the range at a younger age and dress out well. They may not be as heavy as some breeds but the meat is high quality - having the stack-gene for tenderness - being scientifically tested as more tender than Bos indicus breeds, and naturally marbled. They far outclass Brahman for tenderness. Genetic testing for tenderness genes has been widely conducted. Many listed chromosomes carry the tender gene. Marbling enhances the juiciness and flavour, and this too is genetically proven and the chromosomes identified.

Hence for its purpose, beef, the Afrikaner is a win-win - rightly in the gourmet category. Their tenderness and marbling genes are the primary reason they are used for cross breeding. High fertility is also a coveted trait.

Organisation: None in Australia. In its country of origin the Afrikaner Cattle Breeders Society of South Africa http://www.afrikanerbees.com/

Additional Notes: As one of the very first cattle breeds here, it's a national shame we've allowed this gentle and hardy old hot climate breed to become lost here. If any are found int hat National Park, their genes would be unique and presious, two centuries without genetic pollutiona nd all the good attributes of wild lviing, which means benefical ways of grazing rahter than harmful, good for country and botanic diversity.

As we still have some old straws in Australia, a careful upgrade could restore the breed here. When it is possible (safe thus legal) to import ambryos that would help too.

Photo : Afrikaner kuh (Afrikaner cow) photographed in Transkei by Amada44, WikiMedia Commons

Page by Janet Lane

 

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