Under the auspices of Livestock Registering Federation, the Zimbabwe Herd Book hosted its 12th edition of Beef School from 17 to 19 September 2024.

The theme for this year was ‘The Bottom Line: Streamlining Costs for Profitability’.

Each year of the Beef School is also focussed on a particular breed, and 2024 was the Year of the Tuli.

Beef School is an annual series of educational sessions designed to provide beef producers with the latest information and best practices. It has been an exceptional platform to expose producers to cutting edge technologies in beef production across a wide range of fields including genetics, reproduction, nutrition, health, meat quality, cash flows and viability of beef cattle operations, as well as management.

Importantly, the event features expert-led discussions and hands-on demonstrations covering the latest trends and technologies in livestock management. Attendees also have the opportunity to connect with industry leaders, exchange ideas, and explore new business opportunities.

It is encouraging to witness the adoption of many of these technologies in beef cattle production in Zimbabwe. The school is dedicated to informing and training producers to ensure their operations are efficient and lucrative.

A capacity attendance of 160 delegates were accommodated and 16 companies sponsored the event. The Zimbabwe Herd Books is grateful to the sponsors of the event and all the participants who made the Beef School 2024 a huge success.

CLICK HERE for 2024 BEEF SCHOOL PHOTO GALLERY

Download full Beef School 2024 Programme HERE

Click HERE for a Beef School follow-up article by Agriculture Zimbabwe called 'The viability of cattle production'

Click HERE for Agriculture Zimbabwe's write-up of event

Click HERE for Agribusiness article pre-Beef School 2024

Lick and How to Improve It - Rhys Sims

Ammoniation of Hay and Crop Residues - Claude Ndavambi

History of Indigenous Breeds of Zimbabwe - George Hulme and Dr Mario Beffa

Intensive Holistic Dryland Grazing Management - Ajs Kirk

Viability of Beef Cattle Operations - Jaco Erasmus

Why Data is King The BTB Simmentaler Experience - Johan Styger

Enzootic Stability to Tickborne Diseases - Prof John Lawrence

Cash Flows in Beef Cattle Operations - Jaco Erasmus

Practicalities of Selection for Fertility - Llewellyn Angus

DLVS and Disease Update - Dr Biko Gadaga

Maximising Productivity Through Precision Supplementation of Zimbabwean Beef Breeding Herds - Dr Hinner Köster

Functionally Efficient Breeding Animals - Llewellyn Angus

Making Best Use of Stovers - Ian Brown

Setting Up Breeding Goals - Johan Styger

Mineral Supplements in Licks and Their Importance for Immunity - Chris Cilliers

Practical Animal Health Branding Injecting Stomach Tubing - Dr Doug Bruce

Bush Meal - John Hodgson

Lew Bevan's Contributions to the Beef Industry - Prof John Lawrence

Manufacture of JD17 Vaccine - Dr Mark Jubenkanda

BREEDPLAN Star Rating assesses the quantity of pedigree and performance information submitted:

• Analysed from animals born between 2018 and 2022 - 5 year period

• Limited to breeds with breed runs: Boran, Brahman, Simbra, Simmental and Tuli

• Limited to herds that submitted performance data during the year

Completeness of Performance Recording Awards 2024

3.5 Stars, Bronze Standard Herds - Honourable Mentions

4.5 Star Silver Standard Herds:

Oscar Johnson - JAMBO TULI STUD - 155.9 points

BreedPlan Star Rating:

Future Measured traits: Feed Efficiency, Carcass and Meat Quality

3 to 3.5 Star: Bronze Standard:
Reasonable information: 105 points

4 to 4.5 Star: Silver Standard:
Comprehensive information: 135 points

5 Star – Gold Standard:
Complete information: 165 points

Fertility Awards Criteria:

Limited to own bred currently active cows with 2 or more calvings;

Age at First Calving < 44 months;

Lowest Intercalving Period (ICP) Four.

Categories:

Honourable Mentions for breeders within 1 month of category winner .

Fertility – Averages By Year

10 or more cows - 82 herds:

Small Herds - 36: 10 to 30 cows

Fertility Awards 2024 - Small Herds

Medium Herds - 29: 31 to 60 cows

Fertility Awards 2024 - Medium Herds

Large Herds - 10: 61 to 100 cows

Fertility Awards 2024 - Large Herds

Very Large Herds - 10: >100 cows

Fertility Awards 2024 - Very Large Herds

It offered an excellent opportunity for those who attended to enhance their knowledge on profitable cattle production. Presenters were considered extremely knowledgeable with high quality presentations. Adequate time was allowed to encourage participation and interaction, with the aim of holding relevant and beneficial discussions for understanding issues. Sponsors were well represented, and audio-visual equipment excellent. All participants reported that their time was well spent at Beef School. The breed of year for 2023 was Nkone and the Society exhibited animals and promoted the breed.

Papers delivered this year are now available for download - see below!

Click HERE to visit our Beef School 2023 Photo Gallery.

To see the full 2023 Programme click HERE

If you didn't make it this year, be sure not to miss next year's edition!

You can register right now for Beef School 2024, to be held from 17 to 19 September: email [email protected]
or call +263 242 756 600 / 772 915 or call or WhatsApp +263 774 122 660

Topics covered under this year's theme included:

Our Generous Beef School 2023
Sponsors:

• Pastures to improve soil health
• Green manure
• Breeding objectives and selection indices
• Interpretation and use of EBVs
• Tick resistance and tick-borne diseases
• Cattle handling and Real Time Ultrasound scanning to evaluate carcass traits in live animals
• Financial and production analyses

• Nkone Breed Exhibition
• Association between soil and animal health
• Strategies for Effective Grassland and Savanna Management
• Regenerative Livestock Management in Communal Farming Systems
• Harnessing the Power of Fire in Grassland and Savanna Management
• Anti-quality Factors in Veld Plants and Planted Pastures
• National cattle disease update and biosecurity

BREEDPLAN Star Rating assesses the quantity of pedigree and performance information submitted:

• Analysed from animals born between 2017 and 2021 - 5 year period

• Limited to breeds with breed runs: Boran, Brahman, Simbra, Simmental and Tuli

• Limited to herds that submitted performance data during the year

Completeness of Performance Recording Awards 2023

4 Star Silver Standard Herds:

Doug Follwell - NTUNTENI TULI STUD - 139.35 points

Oscar Johnson - JAMBO TULI STUD - 137.75 points

Philip and Linda Reed - ANIVAI TULI STUD - 136.80 points

Very Large Herds:

Medium Herds:

Large Herds:

Small Herds:

For full details of the ZHB Awards 2023 and the judging criteria used: Download the complete PowerPoint file using this link

With the support of generous sponsors, the Zimbabwe Herd Book hosted the 10th Edition of the Beef School. We had an exciting line-up of local, regional and international speakers covering a wide range of topics.

The 2022 Theme was:

'Financial Sustainability in Beef Cattle Production'.

Mario Beffa and the ZHB team were integrally involved in the setting up of this year's Beef School, and the programme for 2022 was exceptionally interesting, stimulating, and jam-packed with information.

This year was the first Zimbabwe Beef School that was totally independent of the Aldam Stockman School, South Africa. We have learnt a lot from our neighbours and thank them for their assistance.

Gold: 1st Place - Lorna Joubert - Luipaardsvlei Brahman

Silver: 2nd Place - Anne Cooke - Zimbo Tuli

Bronze: 3rd Place - Philip and Linda Reed - Anivai Tuli and Reed Brahman

Completeness of Performance Recording Awards

Tuli - Philip and Linda Reed - Anivai Tulis - 3.5 Star Rating
Brahman – Dr Themba Dlodlo - Nguni Brahman Stud - 4.0 Star Rating

Fertility Awards

Very Large Herds:

Large Herds:

Medium Herds:

Small Herds:

For full details of the ZHB Awards 2022 and the judging criteria used, follow this link

Inauguration of The Michael J. Bradfield Memorial Scholarship

Under the tutelage of the late Dr Michael Bradfield, Zimbabwe Herd Book adopted BREEDPLAN® in 2010 to service all stud breed societies in the country. Through this relationship with Michael, many Zimbabweans attended the Aldam Stockman School in 2010 and 2011 which, with Michael’s support, heralded the introduction of the Zimbabwean version of the Beef School in Harare in 2012 and held a week after the South African event.

As a result of Michael’s ardent promotion of the Beef School, Zimbabwe has managed to attract a host of regional and international speakers to support presentations by local speakers. Michael also participated and gave presentations at most of the Schools and facilitated the attendance by Chairpersons and representatives from the Livestock Registering Federation.

The Beef School has been an annual event and in 2020 was a shared online event with the Aldam School. The Beef School has been an exceptional platform to expose producers to cutting edge technologies in beef production across a wide range of fields including genetics, reproduction, nutrition, health, meat quality and management. Importantly, the interactions with speakers have extended beyond the event itself and it is encouraging to witness the adoption of many of these technologies in beef cattle production in Zimbabwe.

The Livestock Registering Federation (LRF) is delighted to announce that the Agricultural Business Research Institute (ABRI), Australia, have generously provided for a Memorial Scholarship for a M.Sc. or Ph.D. opportunity at Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU), University of New England, in honour and recognition of the contributions of the Late Dr Michael Bradfield.

Dr Bradfield (AGBU Ph.D. 1999) was one of South Africa’s leading animal geneticists who was particularly well-known for his life-long dedication to ensuring that on-farm livestock breeding practises take a more scientific approach with more extensive use of breeding values and genomics. Besides being a passionate advocate for technology, Dr Bradfield was also a great champion for the under privileged and this scholarship is presented with this same spirit of inclusion. The scholarship is meant to inspire the next generation of scientists and future leaders in this area. While the challenge increases in complexity over time, so do the tools, including methods for precision phenotyping and breeding using genomic technologies. Although all applicants are encouraged to apply with a project idea or passion in the area of livestock breeding, preference will be given to problems related to opportunities in Africa and developing countries as well as solutions for the pastoral industries.

Click HERE for details.

Links to 2022 Beef School Papers

2. Rotational Grazing Systems that suit your environment - Prof Kevin Kirkman

3. Disease Update - Dr Josphat Nyika

4. Beef Value Chain Efficiencies and Delivering Value to Consumers - Blessing Ndoro

5. Invasive Vegetation Management Products to Improve Grass Pastures - Ray Young

6. Local perspective on using Limpopo 200GG to improve carrying capacity of natural pastures - Ferdie Jordaan

7. Invasive Vegetation Management Products to Improve Grass Pastures - Polachem

8. Live Animal and Carcass Classification and Grading Systems Beef Cattle Goats Sheep in Zimbabwe - SLIDES - Dr Patrick Tawonezvi

8a. Live Animal and Carcass Classification and Grading Systems Beef Cattle Goats Sheep in Zimbabwe - FULL PAPER - Dr Patrick Tawonezvi

9. Supplementation Feeding Backgrounding Animals Ready For Feedlot - Anna-Marie Verhoef

10. Better Animal Selection with BREEDPLAN - Catriona Millen

11. The science behind the Venter-Drewes grazing system for sourveld grasslands - Dr Richard Fynn

12. Matching Cow Size to Environment to Maximise Fertility - Dr Mario Beffa

13. Body Condition Scoring - Dr Doug Bruce

14. Budgets and Cashflow for cattle production - Accessing loans for beef farming enterprises - Erasmus Bhunu NMB

15. E-Livestock Global - LLC-A Blockchain Powered Global Traceability Platform for Healthy Livestock - Chris Light

16. Cattle Auctioneering in Zimbabwe- Charles Rundle

17. What I Learned from Years of Research in Grazing Management - Prof Kevin Kirkman

19. Diagnosis and Treatment of Theileriosis - Dr Nick Mchardy and Dr Oswin Choga

20. Farm Biosecurity - Dr Doug Bruce

At the Beef School held in October 2021, the Herd Book presented its Awards for the first time.  Three categories were chosen:

Housekeeping, Performance Recorded and Fertility.

Housekeeping Awards:

National Foods Limited
proudly sponsored a prize of five tonnes of feed of Lianne’s choice.

Click here for details of the Awards and criteria used to evaluate studs.

Tuli - Oscar Johnson, Jambo Tuli Stud, 4.5 Star Rating

Brahman – Dr Themba Dlodlo, Nguni Brahman Stud, 4.0 Star Rating

Fertility Awards

* Number of cows with two or more calves

Links to Papers and Presentations

ZHB Awards Beef School 2021

Bob Weaber - Ideal Cow Size

Doug Bruce - A New Calf Killer on the Horizon

Doug Follwell - Practical Cattle and Veld Experiences

Japie Jackson and Jesse Steele - Wabai Poisoning

John Lawrence - Theilerias and their control

Josphat Nyika - Current status of cattle diseases and their control in Zimbabwe

ZHB Beef School 2021 Sponsors and Exhibitor List

Links to Papers and Presentations

Charles Waghorn - Zimbabwe a Veterinary History

Steve Miller - Improved Productivity through Genomics

Ajs Kirk - Bush Dairy

Doug Bruce - Senkobo Disease

Ferdi Jordaan - Bush Control

Hugh Nivison - The Australian Experience

Izaan du Plooy - Beef Genomics Project

Johan Mouton - Heifer Rearing

Johan Mouton - Veld Management Principals

John Lawrence - Theileriosis Today

Kim Matthews - Beef Breeding Developments

Kim Matthews - The European Experience

Steve Miller - The USA Angus Experience

Wilmot Chikurunhe - Compartmentalisation

ZHB and LMAC Update Presentation at Beef School 2018

Cliff Lamb - Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle

Brad Crook - Developments in International Genetic Evaluations

Michael McGowan - Building a Fertile Herd

Reuben Mapletoft - Applied Reproductive Strategies in Livestock in Canada

Llewellyn Angus - Practicalities of Selection for Fertility

Cliff Lamb - Alternative Measures of Fertility

Michael McGowan - Superovulation of Cattle

Reuben Mapletoft - In-Vitro Embryo Production in Calves

Bobby Lawrence - Innovations with Forage Preservation

Brad Crook - Making Use of Genomics in Beef Cattle Breeding

Michael McGowan - Economics of Fixed Time AI

Cliff Lamb - Utilising Reproductive Management