MASHONA CATTLE SOUTH AFRICA

The most important determinants of profitable cattle production are stocking rate, fertility, and low input costs per cow. Mashona cattle have a significant advantage in all three, due to their frame size and how they were bred over many generations. 

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Low Input Genetics

Mashona cattle are unparalleled in their ability to maintain body condition on low quality veld and minimal rumen supplementation. They’ve had to survive and continue to produce under nutritional stress in communal herds, where they were kraaled at night to protect them from predators, often limiting their grazing hours to less than 8 hours a day. ​During long term trials conducted in Zimbabwe, the Mashona and seven other breeds were subjected to chronic under nutrition. The results showed that Mashona cows were able to lose up to 32.5% of their initial body mass before sexual activity ceased, compared to 19% of the second closest breed in the trials.

 

To nurture and retain these genetic qualities, we continue to raise our herds on natural grazing, with no grain supplementation or chemical parasite control. These factors drastically reduce the annual input cost per animal and directly contribute to the profitability of  a commercial cattle operation.

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Inherent Fertility 

Due to the smaller frame size of Mashona cows, they satisfy their nutritional requirements in a shorter grazing period than larger frame cows, leaving more grazing time to build reserves and increase body condition. When a cow is genetically predisposed to maintain good body condition, it translates into practical fertility. ​

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​Higher Stocking Rate

Mashona cows have a small-to-medium frame size which makes it possible to increase the stocking rate on your farm without changing your grazing method. Simply put, you can keep more Mashona cows than large frame cows (450kg and heavier) on the same piece of land by cross-breeding your current female herd with Mashona bulls.

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​Long term research done over several years (Matopos trials 1974-1990) has shown that Mashona cattle produce more meat per hectare than any of the other cattle breeds used during the trials. With ever increasing pressure on production costs, cattlemen all over the world are searching for a genetic solution to help them become and stay profitable.