Nguni Beeste
Oorsprong van die ras
Die Nguni is ‘n Afrika-Sanga Ras wat sy oorprong waarskynlik meer as 8000 jaar gelede in Noord-Afrika gehad het. Hierdie beeste het saam met hul eertydse eienaars suidwaarts getrek om die Zambezirivier ongeveer 590-700 NC oor te steek. ‘n Aantal ekotipes het gevolglik onder verskillende geografiese en klimaatsomtandighede deur natuurlike seleksie ontwikkel. Hierdie ekotipes verskil in grootte maar het die basiese karakteristieke eienskappe van die ras behou. Die oorspronklike eienaars het dit gebruik om die mooiste en vetste vroulike dier vir geloofs- en kulturele-seremonies te slag. Dit het heel waarskynlik daartoe aanleiding gegee dat onvrugbare individuele diere uitgeslag (geprul) is en slegs die vrugbaarste beeste vir teling oorgehou is. Dit staan in direkte kontras met die algemene gebruik onder telers van ander rasse, waar die mooiste en vetste individuele diere vir skou en vertoon-doeleindes gehou is…
Algemene beskrywing
‘n Klein tot mediumraam bees met ‘n wye verskeidenheid kleure en kleurpatrone.
Eienskappe/Kwaliteite
- Uitsonderlike vrugbaarheid onder uiterste omstandighede
- Vroeë seksuele rypheid – veral onder die verse
- Goeie wei (blaar & grasvretend) en loopvermoë
- Nguni’s het die vermoë om voedingverwante metaboliete gedurende moeilike tye in die bloed te bewaar vir beter prestasie in vergelyking met ander rasse
- Weerstandig teen bosluise en bosluis-gedraagte siektes
- Hitte weerstandig
- Gemak van kalwing en uitstekende moedereienskappe
- Gemaklike en mak temperament met gevolglik verminderde stresvlakke vergeleke met ander rasse
- Ideaal vir kruisteling met grootraam rasse
- Langlewendheid
- Vleiskwaliteit
- Dun vel vir die produksie van gehalte leerprodukte
- Vleis wat onder natuurlike omstandighede beproduseer is, beskik oor laer clolesterol-vlakke asook ‘n gunstige essensiële vetsuur (Omega 3) vlak
Normale produksie-omgewing
Kus-duineveld tot bosveld – warm en vogtig tot warm en droë klimaatstreke
Ras en Prestasie-inligting
Ouderdom met eerste kalf: 24-36 maande
Gemiddelde interkalfperiode: 360-400 dae
Volwasse massa: Bulle: 600-800kg Koeie: 400-500kg
Geboortemassa: Bulle: 29kg Verse: 25kg
Speenmassa (210 dae): Bulle: 185kg Verse: 165kg
Verwysing:
Keith Ramsay, Liz Harris & Antoinette Kotzé (Eds) in Landrace Breeds: South Africa’s Indiginous and Locally developed Farm Animals. Farm Animal Conservation Trust, PRETORIA. ISBN: 0-620-25493-9
Nguni Cattle
Origin of the Breed
The Nguni is an African Sanga breed which probably originated in North Africa more than 8000 years ago. These cattle and their owners migrated south, crossing the Zambezi River between 590 & 700 AD. A number of ecotypes evolved under different geographical and climatic conditions due to natural selection. These ecotypes differ in size but retain the basic characteristics of the breed. The original owners of these cattle has the habit of slaugtering the most beautiful, fat heifer for cultural and religious seremonies. This habit most probably led to the less fertile heifers being slaugtered (culled!) and the more fertile specimens being left behind. This lead to the selection towards a highly fertile breed! This is in direct contrast to what has happened in many other breeds where the most beautiful specimens were kept for show purposes…
General description
A small to medium framed breed with a wide variety of colour patterns.
Qualities
- Exceptional fertility under harsh conditons
- Early sexual maturity – particularly heifers
- Good foraging (browsing and grazing) and walking ability
- Nguni’s have a better ability to retain nutritionally related metabolites in the blood during difficult times as compared to onter breeds
- Meat produced on natural pasture has lower levels of cholesterol and has favourable levels of healthy Omega 3 fatty acids
- Tolerant of ticks and tick-borne diseases
- Heat tolerant
- Ease of calving and exceptional mothering abiliy
- Ideal for cross breeding with large framed beef breeds
- Docile temperament and therefor less stressed than other breeds
- Longevity
- Quality meat
- Thin hide, producing top quality leather
- Normal Production Environment
- Coastal duneveld to bushveld – hot and humid to hot and dry climates
Breed and Performance Information
Age at first calving: 24-36 months
Average inter calving period: 360-400 days
Mature weight: Bulls: 600-800kg Cows: 400-500kg
Birth weight: Bulls: 29kg Heifers: 25kg
Weaning weight (210 days): Bulls: 185kg Heifers: 165kg
Reference:
Keith Ramsay, Liz Harris & Antoinette Kotzé (Eds) in Landrace Breeds: South Africa’s Indiginous and Locally developed Farm Animals. Farm Animal Conservation Trust, PRETORIA. ISBN: 0-620-25493-9