Index	Overview Newsletter Animals General All Auctions
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Dit is altyd met ‘n lekker hart dat ons die uitnodiging na Hartebeestloop Boeredag (30 Mei) en Veiling (31 Mei) aan die boere gemeenskap en vriende voorberei. Nog meer so noudat die droogte uiteindelik gebreek is met wonderlike neerslae wat ervaar is regoor die hele land! Jare lange teling, baie voorbereiding en klomp nuwe gedagtes kom alles saam by die 2-dag byeenkoms.
Uiters streng seleksie en prestasietoetsing is deurgaans toegepas sodat slegs ons beste 45 bulle Vrydag 31 Mei op die veiling kom. Ons vertrou dat julle die veilingsdiere indrukwekkend sal vind. Daar is baie moeite, beplanning en ‘n groot klomp nuwe telingsfilosofieë agter hierdie diere. Sekerlik behoort daar dalk ‘n bul of twee hulle “hande” (bene) op te steek vir jou!
Hierdie bulle, soos ons logo, is elkeen ’n diamant in eie reg. Daar is heelwat bulle wat as potensiële stoetvaars geklassifiseer is. Ons bied weer 2 ouer stoetvaars aan wat alreeds hulle merk in die Hartebeestloop kudde gemaak het. Daar is ook jonger stoetbulle op die veiling wat alreeds met sukses in die kudde gebruik is. Ons is altyd trots op die standaard van die gasverkopers se diere. Dit is hulle top diere wat elke jaar na die veiling kom.
Ons het 48 van die 59 veilingsbulle bespreek in hierdie katalogus. Meer inligting is beskikbaar oor die 59 res van die veilingsdiere asook vir enige ander inligting rakende die veiling.
Maak moeite om die Boeredag by te woon! Ons het nie gespaar aan kundigheid en kostes omdat dit blyk ‘n droër jaar te wees nie. Inteendeel, ons het in samewerking met Agra van die bekendste kundiges gekry om te kom gesels oor Suider-Afrika, vrugbare en hoogs produserende koeie onder moeilike toestande, bulle wat met minimale voer op die veld uitgegroei is en hul waarde asook die rumens van lae insetkoste diere. Dit wat nou baie belangrik is, is vir julle op die tafel by die Boeredag - sien die program vir details. Organisasies soos Agra, Voermeester, Standard Bank en Sanlam staan saam om hierdie dag vir almal moontlik te maak. Hoede af vir die mense wat nie terugstaan in die moeiliker jare nie!
Ja, ons kan verseker nie die huidige droër toestande in die land mis kyk nie. Dit het ‘n wesenlike invloed op almal en dring deur tot in die verste uithoeke van ons land - almal is in ‘n mindere of meerdere mate afhanklik van genoeg reën en die welvaart van die boere gemeenskap. Die laat en wydverspreide reën aan die end van Maart het ‘n groot uitkoms vir meeste van ons gebring. Neerslae van tussen 30 en 130 mm is aangeteken regoor die land. Ons vertrou dat die laat reën nog nie verby is nie bid saam met julle vir nog ekstra laat en goeie reën vir die hele Namibië en Suidelike Afrika!
Ek is egter positief oor die Bonsmara en nog meer so wanneer toestande moeilik raak.
Die Bonsmara is spesifiek en wetenskaplik ontwikkel vir die moeilike, warm en droë ekstensiewe omgewings soos Namibië. Dit word bemark as die ras om mee te boer onder die droër toestande wat tans heers in die westelike dele van Suid-Afrika en Namibië. Deur dekades heen selekteer Bonsmara telers alreeds vir lae insetkoste diere wat onder hierdie toestande goed doen. Hierdie eienskappe is in die Bonsmara vasgeteel. Op Hartebeestloop het ons dit nog ‘n paar stappe verder geneem. Ons selekteer streng vir lae insetkoste diere wat goed presteer in die eienskappe wat van ekonomiese waarde is. Die ideaal is om min in te sit en optimum uit jou Bonsmaras te haal. Nou is die tyd om die Hartebeestloop Bonsmaras ‘n kans te gee! Ons toestande is sekerlik moeiliker of net so moeilik soos waar julle boer.
Nou in die droër tyd moet Bonsmaras hulle self bewys en presteer - die koeie moet herbeset raak en ten minste ‘n kalf kan grootmaak. Goeie raad is: speen vroeër; soos die ouer boere wat alreeds deur droogtes is, uitwys. Dit is geen teleurstelling om “katkoppe” van 160 kg en selfs ligter, vroeg te speen nie - dit is slim boer! Moenie onoordeelkundig lek gee nie. Kry kundige advies en stel lek strategies beskikbaar vir die produserende diere. Ons het herhaaldelik in die verlede gesien dat die boere wat die droër tydperke deurgesien het, rekordpryse behaal het vir diere tydens die daaropvolgende natter jare. Beplan so dat jy een van daardie boere is.
Hierdie mag heel waarskynlik die jaar van die Bonsmara wees! Die afgelope 8 jaar van bogemiddelde reën het toegelaat dat diere van mindere genetiese potensiaal ook goed presteer. Selfs diere met minder goeie aanpasbaarheid het aanvaarbaar gedoen. Weiding was mos volop! Julle sal nou oplet dat diere met hoogspresterende genetiese potensiaal beter presteer as die toestande moeiliker raak. Dis ook makliker om sulke diere nou uit te ken. Gebruik dus 2013 om kwaliteit diere aan te skaf wat onder moeiliker toestande optimaal presteer. Genetiese potensiaal is permanent terwyl droogtes periodiek is! Wees ook gerus - daar is geen reserwe pryse op die Hartebeestloop veiling nie.
Julle sal ‘n paar nuwe terme opmerk in die bulbeskrywings. “All Rounder All Purpose” beteken dat die bul op verse en koeie gebruik kan word en ook vir alle produksiestelsels geskik is. Daar is spesialisbulle ook beskikbaar maar die klem is om bulle te teel wat goeie bemarkbare diere teel ongeag die produksiestelsels wat julle gebruik.
Daar word gereeld verwys na vroeë vetneerlegging. Dit is belangrik om diere te teel wat vroeg geslagsryp is en vroeg puberteit bereik. Net so is dit belangrik om diere te teel wat vroeg vet aansit en gou die regte kondisie bereik vir bemarking. Dit is vroeg slagryp diere. Vroulike diere wat nie in kondisie kom nie, sal nie herbeset raak nie. Die 2 terme is in ‘n mate eweredig aan mekaar.
Ek sluit af op nog ‘n positiewe noot – ons almal behoort erkenning te gee aan die Regering, die Namibiese Landbou Unie en die LPO vir hulle vinnige optrede om bemarkingskanale oop te maak met die huidige droër toestande wat heers. Die manier waarop krisisse in die landbou bestuur word, maak my elke keer meer dankbaar vir die mense aan die stuur van sake. Weet julle dalk van enige ander lande in die Suider-Afrika konteks waar aksies so vinnig en doeltreffend gedoen word?
Ons het in samewerking met Standard Bank ’n finansieringsskema saamgestel wat enige boer in staat stel om bulle en vroulike diere by Hartebeestloop veiling te bekom.
Onthou, ons wyk nie af van ons belofte van "Algehele tevredenheid met jou Bul" nie. Goeie genetika weet nie dit is droog nie!
Hoop om jou te sien en te verwelkom op ons Veiling (31 Mei) en Boeredag (30 Mei) op Hartebeestloop!
VERDUIDELIKING VAN DIE KENTEKENS WAT ONS GEBRUIK DEURGAANS:
Die KLIP en SAND/GRAS teken toon aan in watter tipe wêreld die bulle groot geword het.
It is a pleasure to extend a warm and sincere invitation to the farming community and our friends, to attend the annual Hartebeestloop Farmers Day (30 May) and Auction (31 May). Even more so after the welcoming rains relieved the dry spell across the entire country and installed a new vigour in all of us to farm again!
Years of breeding, lots of preparation and loads of new ideas all come together at this important 2-day event. Exceptionally strict selection processes and performance testing have been applied all along so that only the top 45 Hartebeestloop bulls will be on auction on Friday, 31 May. We trust that the auction bulls will impress you! A lot of planning, effort and a great deal of new breeding philosophies were put into these animals. Don’t be surprised if one or two bulls raise their “hands” (legs) for you!
These bulls, like our logo – are diamonds in their own right. There are a number of bulls that have been classified as potential stud sires. This year we again offer two stud sires that have already left their mark on the Hartebeestloop herd. There are also younger stud bulls on auction that we have already used with great success in our herd. We are always proud of the standard of our guest sellers’ animals, as they only bring their very best to the Hartebeestloop auction every year.
We have English bull descriptions for most of the 59 auction bulls. We also have a lot of other information pertaining to the auction under “General” as well as “ Animals”.
Make an effort to attend the Farmers Day so that you do not miss out on this Hartebeestloop highlight! Even though it appears to be a drier year, we have not overseen on any costs to bring in top experts with fresh knowledge. In partnership with Agra, we managed to recruit some of the most well-known experts to talk about Southern Africa, fertility and highly productive cows under sub-optimal conditions. They will also talk about bulls that grow out on the veld with minimal feeding costs and the economic value thereof as well as the rumens of low input-cost animals. Information that is relevant and important for this day and age to be able to farm successfully, is on offer at the Farmers Day – see the program for details. Companies like Agra, Feedmaster, Standard Bank and Sanlam, all came together to make this event possible. We take our hats off to these people and companies, as they do not shy away during difficult and drier times.
As said before, we cannot ignore the current drier conditions in our country. It has affected all Namibians and has penetrated to all corners of the country. Everyone depends on the welfare that rain brings to the farming community. Fortunately we experienced late and widespread rains at the end of March. That was certainly a big relieve to us all! Rainfall figures of between 30 and 130 mm were recorded over the entire country. We really hope that the rainy season is not over yet and pray for extra rain over Namibia as well as Southern Africa.
I am very positive regarding the Bonsmara breed and even more so when conditions are not ideal! The Bonsmara breed is specifically and scientifically developed to thrive in difficult, hot and dry environments. Bonsmaras are marketed as the breed of choice for such areas. Namibia and the western parts of South Africa should be mentioned, as rainfall is typically low and they have recently experienced very persisting dry spells.
Over many decades, Bonsmara breeders have selected for low input-cost animals (read the Afrikaans article) that perform well under sub-optimal conditions. These traits have thoroughly been bred into the Bonsmara breed. At Hartebeestloop we went even further with this. We select strictly where it concerns low input-cost animals that will perform well in the traits that are of economic value. The ideal is to have minimal expenditure but still gain optimum benefit from your Bonsmara herd. Now is the time to give our Bonsmaras a chance to prove their worth! Our farming conditions are just as tough – or even tougher – as where you may be farming, making our Bonsmaras a very fit choice.
The drier current conditions is a real test for the Bonsmara breed to perform and proof itself. The cows should reconceive and should be able to raise a calf. Good advice for now: wean at an earlier age, like the experienced farmers had done through droughts and dry seasons. It is certainly no shame to wean at an earlier stage - weaning “katkoppe” of 160 kg or even lighter - this may prove to be a very clever approach (and a big help to compromised cows). And do not injudiciously give lick. It is better to get expert advice and provide lick strategically for the producing animals. It is a fact that those farmers that survived the dry periods, achieved record prices for their animals during subsequent wetter years. Plan so that you are one of those farmers!
This may very well be the year of the Bonsmara! The past 8 years of above average rainfall, allowed even animals with less than ideal genetic potential, to perform well. We saw animals with less than ideal adaptability traits, perform satisfactorily. Grazing was easily accessible and readily available! You will however notice that animals with high performance genetic potential will do much better than their peers during more difficult times. It is also very easy to identify those animals now. Use 2013 to wisely acquire top quality animals that will excel under challenging conditions. Genetic potential is permanent while droughts and dry seasons are periodic. Also be assured – there are no reserve prices at the Hartebeestloop auction!
You will notice a couple of new terms used in the bull descriptions. “All-Rounder All-Purpose” refers to bulls that can be used on heifers and cows and that are suitable for all production systems. There are also specialist bulls available but the emphasis is rather on breeding bulls that will produce off-spring with a good marketing value, no matter the production system used.
Early fat deposition is mentioned often. It is important to breed animals that matures early and would therefore reach puberty earlier. It is as important to breed animals that would start deposition of fat from a younger age to quickly reach the right condition for marketing. These are early market maturers. Female animals that do not reach the right condition would not take. These 2 concepts are important to understand and cannot really be separated from each other.
I would like to end on another positive note – we all should give recognition to the Government, the Namibian Agricultural Union and the LPO, for the swift action taken to open up marketing channels with the current dry conditions. The way in which this crisis in the agricultural sector is managed, makes us grateful for the people that are in charge of these matters. Do you possibly know of any other country in Southern Africa where action is taken so swiftly and effectively?
We have again partnered with Standard Bank to offer farmers a financing scheme that would make it possible for anybody to acquire bulls and female animals at the Hartebeestloop auction to introduce into their herds.
Remember we do not shy away from our promise of “Complete satisfaction with your Bull!" Good genetics do not know that this is a dry season!
We hope that you will be able to attend the Hartebeestloop Auction (31 May) and Farmers Day (30 May)!
Joggie Briedenhann and Nico Visser
EXPLANATION OF THE SIGNS USED THROUGHOUT:
The grass/sand & stone sigh indicate the area where the bull was raised.