pulsewww.simmentaler.org info@simmentaler.org / +27 51 446 0580 / 2

May 2020 Rewind

Index

JJC Holliday | ClarkZaan Simmentalers

From the President’s Pen

Cover Photo:Toverberg Adel AK176 from the Toverberg

Simmentaler stud, Colesberg NC

Dear Farmers,

As we enter the end of another stage of this Global Pandemic the Simmentaler breeders are up and running with the speed of light.

We were fortunate to attend a well organised auction in Lichtenburg. The arrival of the online auction has made a l as t i ng impress ion , congratulations to the organisers. The auction did extremely well to enable people from all o v e r t o p a r t i c i p a t e success fu l l y i n t he auction. Irrespective of t h e s t a t u s o f t h e Pandemic and thereafter the era of multimedia is here to stay.

It is clear that winter has

also arrived and after a g r e a t s u m m e r r a i n season we can expect fi r e w o r k s f r o m t h e upcoming auctions.

I t i s o f p a r a m o u n t importance that we keep the spirit of positivity a l i v e a m o n g s t o u r respected breeders.

“Choice, not chance, determines destiny.”- Anonymous

I want to thank you for y o u r v a l u a b l e contr ibutions to this edition of the Pulse and e n c o u r a g e y o u t o con t i nue doing so!

Be Blessed!Jan

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From the President’s Pen

From the Office

Hoogland Study Group’s Digital Young Bull Day 2020

Show results - Digital Young Bull Day 2020

Pointers for Purchasing Stud Cattle

Pamphlet - Gulland Simmentaler Production Auction

Frequently Asked Simmentaler Questions

Pamphlet - Northern Select Bull & Female Sale

Sale results - Namibia Genetics Auction

Sale results - SA's Texas Beef Bull Sale

South African alert level 3

Sale results - Nelberg Boerdery Production Auction

Calving Ease as Selection Priority

Pamphlet - Hochfeld Joint Production Auction

Pamphlet - Ashtonvale Simmentalers

UP-Agric Feedlot Challenge

Finding value in cattle shows in an era of modern

breeding

Steps to becoming a registered Simmentaler breeder

Lasses of the South

The Defining Decade: The Modern Simmental Success

Story

Photos from #Simmentaler on Instagram

Missed an issue?

Contact details

From the Office

Simmentaler Office | 6 CP Hoogenhout Street, Langenhovenpark

Erna de SwardtFinancial Manageraccounts@simmentaler.org082 688 6484

Antoinette JacobsSenior Administrative Officerinfo@simmentaler.org082 853 5943

Kinnear GeldenhuysTechnical Advisorkinnear@simmentaler.org076 191 4318

Chantel ViljoenData Analyst (M-U)chantel@simmentaler.org083 790 5332

Marguerite FouchéData Analyst (A-C & V-Z)marguerite@simmentaler.org079 503 8100

Amanda LessingData Analyst (D-L)amanda@simmentaler.org082 447 3750

May 2020

Christel HerbstFinancial Assistantchristel@simmentaler.org072 848 8745

Simmentaler Officeinfo@simmentaler.org

Dear Simmentaler breeders,

We’re heading into phase 3 of the South African lockdown, and

as reported in April our office is still successfully running safely

from each individual staff members’ home. Please continue to

communicate with us via email, and don’t hesitate to contact us

on our cell phones to make communication easier. Contact

numbers of each staff member included below for your

convenience.

Thank you to all breeders who have been using this strange time

to get their calving records and weighing data up to date. Keep

on sending your birth notifications, weights, days to calving and

cancellations to us. Remember that you can submit your data to

the office by using the Excel forms from our website’s “Forms &

Documents” page, online submissions via ABRI or a herd

management program like HerdMaster or BenguFarm.

General Inquiries

Antoinette Jacobs

info@simmentaler.org / 082 853 5943

Data Inquiries

Marguerite Fouché

marguerite@simmentaler.org / 079 503 8100

Amanda Lessing

amanda@simmentaler.org / 082 447 3750

Chantel Viljoen

chantel@simmentaler.org / 083 790 5332

Finance Inquiries

Erna de Swardt

accounts@simmentaler.org / 082 688 6484

Christel: Herbst

christel@simmentaler.org / 072 848 8745

Technical Advisor

Kinnear Geldenhuys

076 191 4318 / kinnear@simmentaler.org

Office hours remain from 08:00 - 16:30 (Mo-Th) and 07:30 -

16:00 (Fr). Please feel free to contact us for assistance with any

Simmentaler queries

Thank you again to all of the farmers out there delivering an

essential service to Southern Africa.

We look forward to talking to you from our office and meeting

with you at events as soon as it’s allowed. Until then, please

keep safe!

Best wishes

SIM Office

"We have neglected the truth that a good farmer is a craftsman of the highest order, a kind of artist."- Wendell Berry

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Hoogland Study Group’s Digital Young Bull Day 2020Niel & Ellara van Heerden, Ashtonvale Simmentaler Stud, Bethlehem

The ban on the gathering of cattle due to the Foot-and-mouth disease earlier this year put our original plans for the Young Bull Day scheduled for January, on hold. Just when the ban on the gathering of animals was lifted, a ban on the gathering of people was introduced because of Covid-19.

Rick and Riëtte Dell, members of the Hoogland Study Group, suggested that the show be presented digitally by using photos and videos. The group began arranging and contacting breeders for entries. The Young Bull Day's respected judges, Messrs Martin Seyfferdt, Fred Dell and Marius Barkhuizen, immediately agreed and prescribed tips on the best angles and ways to take the photos and videos of the young bulls for their judging.

Recording a perfect video of a bull without a halter while running at a normal pace, from the front, from the side and from the back is not as easy as it sounds! We appreciate every breeder who made the effort.

There were 36 Simmentaler bull entries from 18 different breeders. One of the big plus points of a digital show was that transport, distance and international boundaries did not restrict participation. Thus, entries came from the Western Cape, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

One of the highlights as an exhibitor was to look at photos and videos of the other bulls entered. It created almost the same feeling as being at a normal show and watching the bulls as they walked in the ring for the first time and comparing them to your own bull. All that was missing was the comments of your fellow breeders next to you on how he would have placed the

animals, but a few WhatsApp messages later and this was resolved too. The quality of the bulls was excellent and it would have been a sight to see them compete with each other in person.

Only bulls born in 2018 were allowed to be entered. The young bulls were then divided into two age groups. Class 1, bulls born January 1 - June 30, and Class 2, bulls born July 1 - December 31. Class 2 had more than 14 entries, and was then divided into two classes according to standard show rules. Class 2A, bulls born July 1 to August 31 and Class 2B, September 1 to December 31. From Class 1, the Prince Champion is selected, and from Class 2A and 2B the Younger Bull Champion.

The announcement of the first and second places in each class and the judges' description of why one bull was preferred over the other was very good. We are very proud of our young bull who won his class and was named Reserve Younger Bull Champion. Congratulations to all of the Champions, but also to every breeder's entry. The bulls were of a very high quality.

Many thanks to the sponsors: Telwiedre Voere, Antrovet, Landbou Radio, Veeplaas, Stud Stock Sales, OVK and Maluti Productions. Without them, the big prizes for the Champions would not have been possible, nor the quality of the production; which is much more expensive than imagined.

It has been a great privilege for us to be part of the Digital Show, as a member of the Hoogland Study Group and as an exhibitor.

The Hoogland Study Group presented the annual Young Bull Show digitally this year. With all of the obstacles in recent months, our options were to either go digital or cancel.

Simjab Russel, BIL1822Sire - Simjab Malan, BIL1221Dam - Simjab Christa, BIL1323Owner - JJS Erasmus, Lephalale MP

Greysim Frederik, LA1812Sire - Greysim Navos, LA1410Dam - Taaibosspruit Chrizaan, PJO1376Breeder & owner - LA Grey, Boons NW

Ashtonvale Gemile, AH1864Sire - Ashtonvale Sampie, AH1033Dam - Ashtonvale Thea, AH1195Breeder & owner - Abraham en Niel van Heerden, Bethlehem FS

Woodsgift PJE181Sire - Woodsgift PJE1415Dam - Woodsgift PJE158Breeder & owner - PJ Erasmus & Sons, Selous ZW

Prince Champion - Class 1 Reserve Prince Champion - Class 1

Younger Bull Champion - Class 2A Second Place - Class 2A

Reserve Younger Bull Champion - Class 2B Second Place - Class 2B

Digital Young Bull Day 2020

Locheim Anneke, WDW1818Sire - Locheim Henro, WDW1476Dam - Locheim Erbeth, WDW0929Breeder & owner - HW de Waal, Moorreesburg WC

Werk Met Lust Amok, WML1825Sire - Leeupoort Nonu, PN13146Dam - Bar 5 S.A. Gena, CO073Breeder & owner - Werk Met Lust Trust, Gerdau NW

The Digital Young Bull Day was hosted by the Hoogland Simmentaler and Simbra Study Group on 6 May 2020. The official judges were Martin Seyfferdt, Fred Dell and Marius Barkhuizen. There were 36 entries from 18 exhibitors across Southern Africa.

Show Results

Pointers for Purchasing Stud CattleHelpful information to keep in mind when purchasing Simmentaler stud cattle.

Technical advisors will render valuable

assistance to potential buyers who seek advice at

National bull sales and sales held under the

rules of the breeders’ society. Don’t hesitate to

seek their advice.

It is much easier to buy than to sell at a later

stage. Before buying you must be sure of what, to

whom and where you wish to sell later on.

Always insist on the certificate:

Simmentaler stud cattle with a registration

certificate have already passed inspection and

meet the requirements of the breeders’

society;

Simmentaler cattle with or without a birth

certificate have not yet been inspected and

could possibly be rejected in which case you

have purchased a grade animal and

a Simmentaler without a certificate has been

rejected due to some or other defect, its

parent/s has/have failed inspection or it is a

grade animal.

The tattoo marks in the animal’s ear must

correspond with the identification marks reflected

on the certificate.

Ensure that the seller will forward the

certificate(s) to the Society for transfer to your

name ‐ you cannot register progeny if the animal

is not on your name.

When purchasing a cow the reproduction record is

of importance. Avoid purchasing cows without an

official calving record.

When purchasing pregnant cows, the seller must

furnish you with full details of the AI or service

bull.

Should you prefer to start with established

mother lines you should purchase from established

breeders. If you own grade cows they can be

registered by means of inspection by a Technical

Advisor.

Attendance of a Simmentaler training course is

recommended, all members are notified of upcoming

courses. The visually perceptible superior and

inferior characteristics of stud animals are

dealt with in detail.

The advice of breeders in your area is generally

very valuable.

Visit www.simmentaler.org for more information

Photo - Gareth Angus, Wisp-Will Simmentaler stud, Arlington FS

Frequently Asked

Simmentaler QuestionsThe Simmentaler Society is creating a list of frequently asked questions for our website, and would appreciate need your help in growing our list of questions.

What is the difference between Simmentaler and Fleckvieh?

How does the Simmentaler perform in low rainfall areas?

Where can I find a breeder in my area? Are there any mentorship programs?

Please submit any questions you have regarding the Simmentaler breed in Southern Africa. Questions can range from the breed itself to our Breeder's Society. We'll send the questions to our experts and publish them online for your convenience.

Scan the QR code for a direct link to the submission page or visit our website www.simmentaler.org

Submit as many questions as you like.

Please submit questions in English or Afrikaans.

SA's Texas Beef Bull Sale7 May 2020, Vryburg

Bulls:Offered / Sold - 12 / 12Average Price - R51 583Highest Price - R62 000

Lot 13, Vera Cartep CCE1776, is a bull with very good figures, is strong in the back loin, and has good width. Sold to AS Niemann from Vryburg for R62 000.

Lot 18, Vera Roepet CCE1791, is from Vera Simmentalers' best mother lines. Sold to JJO Boerdery from Vryburg for R62 000.

Sale Results

Sale Results

Namibia Genetics Auction6 May 2020, Windhoek

Bulls:Offered / Sold - 5 / 4Average Price - N$ 33 250Highest Price - N$ 41 000

Photo right - The highest priced Simmentaler bull at the auction was Ibenstein Willem MK1649, from René Krafft’s Ibenstein Simmentaler stud in the Dordabis district. He sold for N$ 41 000.

Heifers:Offered / Sold - 5 / 5Average Price - N$ 13 700Highest Price - N$ 15 000

The first Nelberg Boerdery Production Auction was held on the sunny Thursday morning of 21 May 2020 at the Lichtenburg Show Grounds. The sale was held by auction marketing firm Stud Stock Sales, led by auctioneer Steven Mathews. Top-quality Simmentalers were on offer that attracted the attention of many commercial and stud breeders alike; in person, telephonically and online.

Buyers traveled from across South Africa to attend the auction. The animals presented at the sale now have new homes in, among others, the Cape, Natal and the Bosveld.

The auction was broadcast live and made available for online bidding via SwiftVee, for interested buyers who could

not physically attend the auction due to the distance or lockdown restrictions. There were 23 registered online buyers from the Cape, Natal, Mpumalanga and Botswana.

The owners of Nelberg Boerdery, Jamie Berger and Marius Nel, would like to thank everyone for supporting and participating in the success of their first production auction.

To view the auction, you can visit SwiftVee’s Facebook page at https://web.facebook.com/SwiftVeeApp/videos/263805488100960/

Nelberg Boerdery Production AuctionLichtenburg, 21 May 2020

Sale Results

SALE RESULTSNelberg Boerdery Production Auction21 May 2020, Lichtenburg

BullsOffered / Sold - 17 / 17Highest Price - R95 000Average Price - R43 600

3-in-1 CowOffered / Sold - 6 / 5Highest Price - R62 000Average Price - R34 600

Cow & CalfOffered / Sold - 17 / 16Highest Price - R32 000Average Price - R22 125

Cow in CalfOffered / Sold - 5 / 5Highest Price - R23 000Average Price - R19 200

Heifer in CalfOffered / Sold - 10 /10Highest Price - R28 000Average Price - R18 700

Open HeiferOffered / Sold - 3 / 3Highest Price - R14 000Average Price - R12 700

Lot 12, Simberg JS1745, sold to Erich Schulenburg from the Erico Simmentaler stud at R77 000. Js1745 is an excellent breeding bull, a Benjan son from very good breeding cow.

Lot 11, Wellaway Bosman WA1636, was the highest priced bull at the auction. Sold for R95 000 to dr Obakeng Mfikwe from the Lekatu Simmentaler stud. Bosman is a stud bull, the Junior and Grand Champion Bull Royal Show 2018. A Leeupoort Boshoff son out of the Taaibosspruit E-line. He has tremendous width and capacity, his calves are of very high quality.

The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do."- Kobe Bryant

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I suppose that this might have been the reason why Prof.

Jan Bonsma, in the breeding of the Bonsmara, (a ⅜ Bos

Taurus x ⅝ Bos Indicus), did not include the Simmental in his

breeding program. Instead, he preferred the Dairy Shorthorn and the Hereford in combination with the indigenous Africander.

Realizing that as a Simmental stud breeder I had to sell my bulls to farmers with this perception, I knew I had to make sure that calving ease was a selection priority in my heard. By mostly making use of progeny tested bulls, it was not difficult to introduce this criterium into the herd.

In combination with the selection of the right bulls, I also decided to measure the pelvic sizes of all my female animals. For this, I had a measuring instrument made at the University of Potchefstroom and started measuring the pelvic sizes of all my heifers and cows. That gave me a useful figure which I then compared to the outward rump and leg structures of the animals. This was no scientific study but only an observation giving me an indication which animals I had to select for, as I believed that their pelvic size also played a part in the ease of calving.

My observations indicated that those animals with stooping

rumps, hocks with a good angle (even inclined to be sickle and cow-hocked) and with flexible and supple pasterns, were those with the larger pelvic sizes.

At my next visit to Kruger National Park, I noticed that this was exactly what the rumps and the leg structures of the Buffalo and Blue Wildebeest looked like. Surely it was nature’s selection criterium for easy calving. An absolute priority for survival.

Calving Ease as Selection PriorityEmile Kotzé, Anderland Simmentaler Stud, Noordbrug NW

As an Agricultural Extension Officer, working for the Department of Agriculture in the extensive cattle area of the Northern Transvaal Bushveld (now the Limpopo Province), I often came across cattle farmers who

believed that the Simmental was a coarse-boned, difficult-calving breed.

Rice PelvimeterUsed to measure the pelvis size of the female to determine which bulls to breed with, potential calving problems, selecting replacement heifers, and determining your breeding stock.

UP-Agric Feedlot ChallengeOn 29 April 2020, the cattle were weighed for the fourth time. This was also their last weigh-in

while on the grower diet. And they are looking fantastic!

The teams are neck and neck, but yet, the Vetties and Cattle Gang [Simmentaler and Simbra purebreds and crosses] are still in the lead in the weight category. These two groups also have the two bulls who have breached the 500kg mark - Vetties has the heaviest bull weighing 530kg, while Cattle Gang has the second heaviest bull weighing in at 503kg.

Tavros takes pole position when ADG and weight gain (over the whole period) results are compared between the groups. The 5 bulls with the highest weight gain, and thus best ADG, are in the following groups: Connor and the Demeters has the two bulls who put on the most weight so far, followed by Cattle Gang's 305kg bull, and then two bulls from Tavros.

This time around feed conversion rates (FCR) have been added. And here, Raising the Steaks are comfortably in the lead.

On 8 May 2020 the cattle went over onto the finisher ration. This finisher ration contains Zilmax, a beta-agonist (Facebook post on growth promotants and beta-agonists to follow), which will help the cattle build muscle rather than deposit fat. So now it is anyone's game, especially when it comes to conformation!

Good luck teams!

Source - Facebook: UP-Agric Feedlot Challenge

Photos of The Cattle Gang

Finding value in cattle shows in an eraof modern breeding

by Llewellyn Angus

The showing of cattle is often used by stud breeders to market their animals. However, as genetic values become more prominent as a tool to improve the performance of herds, is there still a place for the showing of cattle? Show

judge and breeder Llewellyn Angus investigates.

The showing of cattle is often used by stud breeders to market their animals. However, as genetic values become more prominent as a tool to improve the performance of herds, is there still a place for the showing of cattle? Show judge and breeder Llewellyn Angus investigates.

Showing or exhibiting animals to determine which the phenotypically ‘best’ animal is has been practiced for a long time.

As many breeders will tell you, they enjoy farming with animals that offer visual appeal.

However, these animals must earn money for their breeders. Breeders and buyers put an economic value on animals for two main reasons: their genetic or breeding value (what they can bring in financially in terms of production), as well as their appearance.

An animal’s visual appeal is determined by its structural correctness and functional efficiency, as well as characteristics such as coat colour and shine, masculinity and muscle development, or femininity in the case of females.

Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs), on the other hand, provide insight about an animal’s genetic value for certain genetic measurable traits such as birthweight, calving ease or weaning weight.

Looks versus performanceA question that has long plagued the tradition of showing cattle is whether the best-looking animals, which are crowned winners at shows, are also economically the best to breed with.

Phenotype, or what an animal looks like, is a combination of genotype and the environmental factors that the animal has been subjected to.

From this point of view, one assumes that show cattle have been subjected to favourable environmental conditions so that they can be in the best possible condition.

However, the ‘prettiest’ cow, economically speaking, is not necessarily the one with the most phenotypically correct appearance, but actually the one that weans a good calf each year under normal ranching conditions.

There is no harm in participating in shows as a hobby, but if showing is part of your business of breeding productive and efficient cattle, then you could be mixing up your objectives.

Breeders of certain breeds do still pay big money for show prize winners or champions, even if these animals have poor EBVs. But how much longer will this trend last?

Show cattle, with their higher level of nutrition and hands-on management, cannot be compared directly with a large herd of cattle on the veld that are more often than not the

ARC Performance Class Pretoria Show 2016

animals that are actually making the money on the farm.

They are, in effect, an isolated group of animals that are supposed to represent the ‘better’ animals that a particular breeder has to offer. But how do we define ‘better’? The expenses of showing, and the maintenance cost of show animals, can easily total R10 000 per animal per year or more.

The benefits of showingThis is not to say that there are no benefits to showing cattle. Show animals are scrutinised by cattle judges, like me, to the finest detail for structural correctness, functional efficiency and breed characteristics.

When judging bulls, a lot of emphasis is placed on overall masculinity, the scrotum and sheath, legs, which are an indicator of walking ability, and on muscling.

When judging females, the animals are evaluated for their femininity, udders, whether they have the wedge-shape build and capacity to carry and birth a healthy calf, as well as their legs and walking ability.

Through visual inspection, a show judge can determine whether an animal is coarse or fine-boned, large, rangy or podgy, whether it has good breadth and capacity, poor or good muscling in bulls, or too much definition of muscling depending on the breed.

In addition, whether or not an animal adheres to breed characteristics can also be evaluated visually. Therefore, visual appraisal remains important for show and non-show

animals when assessing cattle for structural faults and functional efficiency.

The old saying “form follows function” still holds true. These days inspectors, who are usually judges as well, also consider the EBVs of stud animals during on-farm inspections.

Making ‘figures’ countWhere do ‘figures’ come in with show cattle? The animals are weighed and measured for traits such as birth weight and weaning weight, scrotum circumference, yearling weight, 600-day weight and hip height.

Also, when judging cows over three years old, it is imperative to check the number of calves they have had and to discriminate against less fertile cows. As Dr Cliff Lamb from Texas A and M University puts it: “Females selected for breeding without the necessary fertility metric will have a negative impact on the herd’s overall fertility”.

This also applies to show cattle.

But a breeder might ask what happens if the management grouping of show cattle wasn’t done accurately.

This may very well result in overblown actual weights and EBVs for growth. For this reason, the biggest problem presented by the smaller management groupings within which show cattle are measured and judged is the resulting lower accuracies of EBVs when compared with the larger farm cattle management groups.

Gauteng North Simmentaler Show 2019

On-farm we can typically have 10 to 15 calves in a contemporary group, but with show cattle we may have only two or three animals in a group, which is insufficient for accurate performance testing.

A possible solution will be to select animals for showing only after the yearling weights and scrotum size have been performed on the entire management group.

Combining figures and visual assessmentSome examples where performance figures and visual assessment are already combined in the show ring include the Simmentaler, Simbra and some other breeds’ super-cow class, where cows only qualify if they have had at least three calvings, and where a Simdex (Simmentaler reproduction index) is combined with a visual assessment score to determine an overall winner.

The existing Breedplan BLUP (best linear unbiased prediction) bull classes of various breeds, where certain EBV values are combined with a visual score, is a good example of crossover show classes.

The Agricultural Research Council’s awards, as well as the South African Stud Book’s annual Phase C Performance Test Awards, are similar, where every breed society decides visually which bull of the qualifying bulls is the breed winner.

These qualifying bulls have attained certain minimum performance criteria.

According to international show judge, Dr Thomas Grupp of Bayern Fleckvieh Genetics, when judging show animals in events where performance figures are also taken into account, there must be a balance between the visual appraisal and the placing of animals based on performance test scores and EBV figures.

Martin Seyfferdt, another show judge, agrees that if figures are available, they must be used, but there must be a balance between them and the visual appraisal.

When buying bulls for breeding, though, one must first look at the figures to identify which animals’ breeding values will achieve the breeding objectives set for a particular herd.

Only thereafter a visual appraisal of those bulls with the desirable breeding values is warranted.

Ultimately, one must remember that certain attributes or qualities can be determined via visual appraisal, but others can only be determined by recording performance data resulting in EBVs.

A breeder should make use of all the tools at his or her disposal when assessing animals.

When looking at cattle breeds throughout the world that have placed the emphasis on showing, it is clear that those breeds have lost market share.

The breeders that have focused instead on improvement, based on the genetic trends of the whole breed, and on the whole breed’s good and bad attributes, gained market share.

In South Africa, there are a number of breeds, including most of the synthetic cattle breeds such as the Bonsmara, that do not show at all, and this has not necessarily harmed their market share growth. Breed statistics in South Africa actually show the opposite.

The future of showingTraditional showing does have its place in the industry, as long as participating breed societies and the commercial beef industry are aware that what is put on display in the show ring is only part of the whole story.

Over time, due to economic and labour constraints, showing as we know it today will probably become less popular and only the bigger shows will survive, while open inspection days of animals on-farm, and young bull days, will become more popular.

When breeders start paying less for traditional show winners, and more for phenotypically correct animals with the required EBVs, whether they be show-winning animals or not, the industry as a whole will be moving in the right direction.

Visual assessment for structural correctness and other attributes will always be important, but stud breeders must remember that their bread and butter are the commercial breeders to whom they supply 90% or more of their stud bulls, and for these breeders, a bull must move the commercial herds forward in terms of performance.

Breed societies should consider limiting showing in the conventional way, and instead pursue new ways to promote their breeds, including open inspection days, young bull days or non-halter showing.

If a society chooses to continue showing, participating breeders should try to select show animals only after a year old so that all traits and weights up to then would be directly comparable in big management groups.

When a society or breeders make showing their first priority, they are forgetting about balancing the breed and its objectives. No breed should be bred for the show ring, but for the farm.

Source - https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/animals/cattle/finding-value-in-cattle-shows-in-an-era-of-modern-breeding/

Explaining the placing of animals

on visual appraisal.

STEPS TO BECOMING A REGISTEREDSIMMENTALER BREEDER

START HEREContact the office for an

English or Afrikaans application form -

info@simmentaler.org oraccounts@simmentaler.org

Return application form to the office

with proof of membership fee

payment.

Complete the application form in full -

Form 1, 2, 3 and 4.

NB - all dates and a drawing of your road

map need to be completed.

Double check your joining date - this date determines

part of your membership fee as well as the date which

calves can be registered from.

Once the application has been processed, you will

be notified of your registered details and receive a VAT invoice.

Your application will be sent to the registrar.

uu u

u

uWould you like to be part of a Society and members with an intense interest in the

breeding and raising of Simmentaler animals? Yes? Well, look no further!

Receive application form containing applicable information and fees.

u

u

Congratulations! You are now a

registered member of the Simmentaler

Society!

Add value to your animals An income potential apart from only weaners New marketing opportunities New income possibilities Join a network of dynamic beef producers Trade ideas, meet other farmers with mutual objectives Outstanding professional client services

24 hour access to your animal and herd reports Annual Technical Advisor visits Assistance in animal selection, genetic analysis and

general advice A sophisticated system for performance testing Registration certificates for animals A well trained and competent team at the Society’s office

ADVANTAGES OF MEMBERSHIP

Lasses of the South

Grandin Zanie, GDH1746. 30 Month old first-time mother of twin heifers. Grandin Studs, Ghanzi BW

Adino Gerda KBW143 with calf. Tholo Holdings, Gabane BW

Odensim Anexie, AGO0418. 16 Years old with 16 calves, ICP 352. HC Franck, Lynnwoodrif GP

BTB1887, one of the young pregnant heifers at the BTB Simmentaler stud. Boekenhout Trust, Klerksdorp NW

Rapole Romeo RAP1926 with dam Jors Winsome SC1345. DJA Ellis, Orkney NW

Leeupoort Betombi, PN13563 - Our current reigning Supreme Champion 2017. PJ Nienaber, Rustenburg NW

Simberg Miek, JS1315 with heifer calf Little Creek Miesa JE204. JJS Erasmus, Lephalale LM

Foundation cow to be used in IVF program with Kykso genetics. SimRanch Simmentalers, Sannieshof NW

Creating a space to share some recent photos of Simmentaler females across Southern Africa.

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Simmental International - America, 11/05/2020

The Defining Decade:The Modern Simmental Success Story

Chip Kemp, Director American Simmental Association

Three qualifications of “Top 20 Business Transformations of the Last Decade” according to Harvard Business Review.

Reposition the core: How effectively has the adapted its traditional core business to changes in its markets, giving its legacy business new life?

New growth: How successful has the company been at creating new products, services, and new business models?

Financials: Has the company posted strong financial performance?

So, how would the “business of Simmental” fare relative to its competitors if HBR were to dig into transformations within the ag sector? It seems a worthwhile thing to consider. We often hear folks give opinions and thoughts about many businesses. Some perspectives are well-founded in intimate knowledge and facts. All too frequently, some perspectives lack the details necessary to make an accurate judgment. ASA is no different. So, let’s dig into details using HBR’s own three-pronged approach.

Reposition the Core

What is ASA’s core? The ASA mission statement should suffice. “The success of the American Simmental Association is dependent on our members’ cattle making a significant genetic contribution to the beef industry. By utilizing the most advanced science, the highest priority is to maintain services and products which bring value to ASA members’ customers.”

Fair enough. That means we must provide tools that allow members to generate cattle that work in the marketplace and that are in demand. To see if we’ve continued to position the business of Simmental to meet that directive, we will tackle this in two parts. First, we’ll look at genetic indicators of whether SimGenetics are working in today’s beef business. Secondly, we will look at how they fare relative to customer demand.

From a genetic standpoint, a very complicated and dynamic business can be boiled down to two areas of focus that directly impact the profitability of a commercial beef enterprise (our “members’ customers” from the mission statement): maternal traits and terminal calf value.

Maternal traits: The plight of the short-lived cow has become all too recognized in the modern ranching community. It has been repeatedly highlighted over the last couple of decades as commercial operators have bought too heavily into straightbred cow herds. Let’s just look at

SimGenetic trends to see if cow longevity (stayability) and other relevant maternal traits are working for or against today’s cow-calf operator.

Clearly, over the same period that you’ve heard neighbors and pundits lament the concern with cows that can’t last, members and their customers have experience and proof that SimGenetics are clearly a solution to that problem and more. Calving ease, maintenance costs (mature size and milk production), and weaning weights all favor balancing those straightbred British females with Simmental genetics. Simmental breeders continue to moderate mature cow size and milk production with no loss in performance, resulting in lower maintenance costs. What is more, it is recognized that the largest mature-size beef breed is now a prominent British breed, a fact acknowledged by their own association.

Of the two profit centers for a commercial outfit — cow herd value and terminal calf value — the SimGenetic influence on cow longevity is evident and proven. What about the other profit center — terminal calf value?

The Harvard Business Review (HBR) recently published its “Top 20 Business Transformations of the Last Decade”. The article highlights those organizations that have adapted and flourished in the last ten years to become dominant players in their respective fields, and in many cases, these businesses have changed our lives. Netflix and Amazon were both in the top three. If we know anything about recent months, we know both groups have flourished. But there are lesser-known names on the list like Ecolab (16th). You might know them for their wide array of cleaning products which built a long-established and successful business. But what placed them on this list was their awareness of a need to branch out. And branch out they did — into providing water efficiency solutions globally, tripling the value of an already multibillion-dollar company in just nine years.

Terminal calf value: As more data is shared and utilized, it becomes abundantly clear what determines the demand for a terminal beef calf: health and the ability to minimize/avoid the need for prophylactic health aides; efficient gain, marbling and in some cases, access to certain branded programs based on visual traits. If you can do those things, you have the potential for significant returns. If you can’t, you are relegated to the edges.

Health and calf management continue to be a primary driver in the feedlot sector. Market sector data and scientific literature leave no room for doubt. Dr. Ken Odde’s (Kansas State University) work with the Superior Livestock Auction dataset highlights these facts. Simultaneously, the recognition that responsible crossbreeding and heterosis provide positive benefits in health is gaining more steam. A ten-year dairy industry crossbreeding study conducted by the University of Minnesota highlighted similar health benefits in the crossbred dairy female. Other animal agriculture sectors have known this for quite some time. The “business of Simmental’’ has consistently touted the appropriateness of responsible crossbreeding to solve a myriad of problems. That approach is more vital now than ever given feedlot health concerns associated with BRD and late-term congestive heart failure issues. While much is to be learned in the arena of heart health, research and anecdotal benefits of Continental-derived breeds suggest a great deal of promise in this area for SimGenetics.

The cattle feeder demands animals that can gain and gain efficiently. This is the core of the premise of a feedlot. Slow-growing or poor-doing cattle make it essentially impossible for profit in that sector. Simmental breeders have always acknowledged this and have continued to select for growth performance while still ratcheting down mature size and inefficiencies.

The packer has one essential duty: to deliver to the beef purchaser the caliber, consistency, and quality of product their customers demand. Period. It is no more complicated than that. And fortunately, Simmental-influenced cattle are flawlessly positioned (this comes from decades of work and sweat) to compete in the beef business of 2020 and well beyond. SimGenetics allow for efficient and responsible gain and flexibility in carcass weights, which gives marketing latitude, and high cutability carcasses with superior marbling ability. As a strong bonus, most Simmental-influenced calves come with a strong punch of hybrid vigor. The terminal trend chart proves the responsible selection for each of these important traits.

The genetic merit is proven. What does the market think of what we are doing together? Fortunately, this is easy to demonstrate. Two items to consider — 1) how has the demand changed for Simmental-influenced terminal calves? and 2) how has the demand changed for SimGenetic sires?Simmental-influenced terminal calves? and 2) how has the demand changed for SimGenetic sires?

We could look at internal ASA info to get a glimpse, but it’s likely more impactful if we look outside of our business to see what others think. Let’s consider number 1. We will use information from the largest marketer of feeder cattle in the United States. Their data will do nicely. Early in 2020 Dr. Bob Hough wrote an article for Western Livestock Journal that dug into the large Superior Livestock Auction dataset to analyze breed types represented in the data. The numbers showed a seven-fold increase (yes, seven times as many!)

in the number of SimAngus™ calves highlighted in 2018 when compared to 2010. During that same time period, Angus-identified calves dropped 11% and Hereford-sired calves went up 0.6%.

When it comes to the demand for SimGenetic sires, we could look at the increase of Simmental and SimAngus bulls in any semen company catalog over the last decade. The pages allotted to SimGenetics have grown greatly. Just one example — Select Sires carries twice as many SimGenetics bulls today as it did in 2010. Or, we could view the open-access information provided by the National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB). NAAB numbers show a combined look at semen sales and custom semen collection to indicate an increase in Simmental semen usage between 2013 and 2018 of 179%. Yes, 179%. Over the same time frame, Angus increased 56% and Hereford had no change.

Or, we can consider the bull sale reports posted on the websites of those three breeds from October 2019 to present. Using those results, Simmental and SimAngus bulls out-averaged the other two breeds by roughly $200 per head.

Popular press is another manner to evaluate our success in highlighting SimGenetics to the commercial producer. In both 2014 and 2020, BEEF magazine conducted a large survey of producers regarding the breed composition of the bulls they owned or intended to purchase. The rate of increase for SimGenetic demand outpaced every other breed highlighted in the top seven responses, positioning SimGenetic sires in a very desirable spot of high customer demand and trending in an ever more positive direction.

Maybe we look at a different angle of SimGenetic demand. What about the demand for high-type females as evidenced by the desire for junior exhibitors to own and display at the AJSA National Classic? Any single year in the last decade might underestimate or inflate this demand. If we average the number of head for years 2012 and 2013, years 2015 and 2016, and years 2018 and 2019, we get a less biased view of the changes across the decade. Steady increase in demand is evidenced by increased average attendance numbers of 389 head, 535 head, and 655 head, respectively. Even the youngsters get it!

Have we positioned and repositioned the core of our business for success? Clearly, SimGenetics are on an arc never before seen in the history of the Simmental business. So far, the HBR would be impressed.

New Growth

Creativity and ingenuity are crucial if we are to have new growth opportunities. But cool ideas without the ability to truly have a positive impact on the long-term success of the commercial beef business are hollow and destined to fail. The core of any breed association is credible genetic evaluation. It would make sense then, that novel approaches and new business endeavors would align with the skillset necessary to deliver elite-level genetic awareness.

Massive genotyping research projects have been implemented on two fronts in recent years. It’s no coincidence that those efforts align with earlier-discussed issues of enhancing predictors of cow longevity and gaining more insight into the genetics of carcass parameters.

The Cow Herd DNA Roundup (CHR) was implemented to encourage submission of unique maternal metrics that are all too frequently lacking in a genetic evaluation. To label CHR as a success to this point would be an understatement. Between the inception of the program in 2017 through mid-2019, there have been over 40,000 female genotypes, over 40,000 mature cow weights, and over 30,000 body condition scores incorporated into the genetic evaluation because of CHR. This trend has continued since that time and has greatly improved the accuracy of prediction for all members, large and small, CHR users or not. This manifests itself every time you or I use a genomic panel. Even if I wasn’t a CHR participant the knowledge gained by the project makes my selection and breeding decisions more valid and more impactful.

In a similar fashion, the Carcass Expansion Program (CXP) looks to glean more power from genomics by linking actual carcass data with pedigree knowledge and DNA. Much like the CHR, this multi-year research project benefits all members and has a tremendous advantage for members who are unable to directly participate by retaining ownership on their terminal calves. The genomic insight makes its way to the daily DNA tests we run on our own farm or ranch. We get more carcass awareness by the work of our peers in the Simmental business who are positioned to own their steers and heifers through the feedyard. The first year of this five-year effort brought in more than 4,000 carcass records with genomic information and pedigrees. That more than doubles the number of carcasses normally entered in a given year! The second year of the program has 4,600 head committed, and staff is presently communicating with producers regarding year three. Bold steps that only

enhance the next chapter of the modern Simmental story.

By definition, new growth means bringing new folks to the party. As a result, ASA has provided a platform through Total Herd Enrollment (THE) that allows for seedstock producers of any breed composition or breed affiliation to receive EPDs and Indexes. They benefit from the services and multi-breed approach the organization provides. This broadens the reach of our business philosophy — specifically allowing breeders who are looking for new association attitudes and capabilities, or for those who’ve never found a genetic evaluation home — to get the breeding, selection, and marketing information they need. Their data makes for a more robust and accurate genetic evaluation for all parties involved. This novel approach provides for serious growth opportunities while generating superior knowledge for the more traditional ASA audience.

In the same vein, a subset of commercial operations is prepared to capture the genetic insight that comes with data collection. While this is a fairly small percentage of the commercial landscape, it is a crucial group that often has direct access to carcass records and long-term female metrics that are tied to pedigrees — and more and more frequently, to genomics. The inclusion of that information into the genetic evaluation makes all of our EPDs more meaningful, relevant, and accurate. As such, there is even a mechanism for those folks to work within the Total Herd Enrollment system. They receive female-only EPDs and Indexes — something never before available in the commercial space, and the rest of us benefit from the inclusion of hard-to-capture data. New growth is a win-win for both the core of the business and unique situations present outside the traditional association framework.

Welcome collaboration. Welcome International Genetic Solutions. Our friends at the HBR would undoubtedly see International Genetic Solutions (IGS) as one of the turning points and game-changers in the long-established beef business. For far too long, we’ve isolated our different breed types into silos, making it difficult and uncomfortable for commercial beef operators who were trying to make wise decisions for their family’s future. Many other individuals and entities have tried through the years to piece together mult i-breed genetic evaluation. Despite serious commitment and remarkable efforts, essentially all those failed, until the humble, thoughtful, collaborative effort that morphed into IGS. IGS presently has 16 different breed association partners, and the 17th partner of the group is Neogen Genomics, Inc. IGS leverages the strength of the science team at ASA to provide the most credible and trusted EPDs in the business to breed associations across the globe. IGS is the largest beef genetic evaluation on the planet with 20,000,000 animal records and nearly 400,000 added annually. Yes, ASA data is the largest group within IGS, but it isn’t about the size of any group. It is about the connectedness across the various populations that make the genetic predictions more accurate and more thorough.

Source - https://simmental.org/site/index.php/pub/article-topics/industry-events/264-the-defining-decade-the-modern-

simmental-success-story

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