Afrikaner Cattle Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Afrikaner is a very old breed of cattle breed that was first herded and kept by the Khoisan in South Africa from around the 15th century.
They were once used for milk, meat and as a draft animal that pulled the wagons of the Great Trek in South Africa.
They are a very hardy breed that can survive in arid conditions and on low-quality foliage that the effectively turn into food without compromise to their meat or milk quality.
Although they do not have a very high milk yield they have a very rich and creamy milk that is higher in butterfat content than most other breeds.

AFRIKANER BREED OF CATTLE QUICK PROFILE OVERVIEW
Rugged, powerful and muscular the Afrikaner cattle as a sight to behold as their deep reddish brown coats glitter in the heat of the African sun.
Country of Origin:	South Africa
Other Names:	Africander or Afri
Main Purpose:	Meat, milk, and draft
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Can be used for	Breed, Milk, Meat and Draft cattle
Ideal Climate:	Heat, Cold, Most Climates
Conservation Status:	Not listed by the *ALC Status/Rarity: Common
Health Issues?	No known health issues
Good Starter Cattle?	Novice to intermediate Cattle farmer/keeper level
Cattle Associations:	Afrikaner Breeders Society of South Africa
Cattle Clubs:	Afrikaner Breeders Society of South Africa
Where to buy them?	Afrikaner Breeders Society of South Africa
Child Friendly?	Livestock should not be left unattended around unsupervised children
General Information:	The Afrikaner cattle breed is one of the oldest breeds of cattle and is the very definition of draft cattle. When you first see one in real life you can picture it pulling a plow or wagon. They are extremely hardy animals that can handle dry, hot and arid conditions. The Afrikaner cattle contains almost twice as many sweat glands than any those of European breeds of cattle. They are often used for cross-breeding purposes due to their excellent meat, fertility, temperament social organization. They can also be kept in the same area as most European cattle in quite a large number.
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Afrikaner cattle breed has a cervices-thoracic hump being a Sanga cattle type which is renown for this characteristic. They have long sturdy legs that are through to be a bit sickle shaped and long strong face with well-defined features. The ears are also quite long and droop to the sides of their heads. They have a very beautifully muscled physique and are excellent foragers.

Size:

Medium to large

CATTLE ⇒	COW	BULL
Breed Color:	Deep reddish brown	Deep reddish brown
Breed Weight:	450 to 600 kgs	820 to 1090 kgs
Breed Height:	152 cm	152 cm
Horns:	YesThey have long horns with a bit of a twist to them. Although there is a polled version of the breed.	They have long horns with a bit of a twist to them. Although there is a polled version of the breed.
Temperament:	They are easy to handle with an even temperament	They are easy to handle with an even temperament. Bulls can be a bit agitated around mating time
Matures at age:	6 to 8 months or 9 + months	6 to 8 months or 9 + months
Puberty Age:	6 to 15 months	9 to 1o months
Breeding Age:	13 to 15 months	1 year
Breeding Traits:	See Cow breeding & Milking Info	Cover 25 to 30 Cows in 1 season. The bull is very often used for crossbreeding. The Bonsmara is one breed that owes part of its lineage to the Afrikaner.

COW BREEDING & MILKING INFORMATION
They were once used for their milk by the Khoi people and are still occasionally used for their milk purposes although these days it is usually just for her calves. Their milk has a higher butterfat content than most other cow breeds. Cows only calve once a year and should have 12 to 14-month inter-calving cycle. The Afrikaner cow makes for an exceptionally good mother and will attend to other cows’ calves as they go off to graze and have some mom time. They Afrikaner cows are known to be quite fertile and have been known to calve right up to the age of 16 years old. There have even been reports of an Afrikaner cow giving birth at 21 years of age. They have a low calf fatality rate and usually have no birthing problems.
Breeding Period/cycle:	Usually lasts 6 to 24 hours Most ave. 12 to 16 hours Cows usually come on heat every 21 days.
Estrous cycle:	Ave. 17 days to 24 days Heifer – usually ave. 20 days Cows – usually ave. 21 days
Gestation Period:	Usually, around 279 to 287 days but most gestation is 283 days. Cows that are carrying bull calf’s their gestation period is usually a little longer than cows that are carrying heifer calves.
No. Calves/Litter:	1 calf at a time. Cows rarely have twins or triplets, but it can happen
Lactation Period:	Cows lactation period can last for up to about 10 months (305) days.
Milking From:	1 to 6 weeks after Calving
Drying off Period:	The cow should have a 12 to 14-month inter-calving cycle. Drying off period for around 60 days before she can calve again.
Milk Quality:	Good, Quantity: Not a very good milk yield.
Milk Ideal for:	Calves and can be used for human consumption, cheese, etc.
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CATTLE MEAT PRODUCTION INFORMATION

The Afrikaner has a very tender and juicy beef of a very high quality. Their beef has some great cuts and meat to bone ratio. They are usually crossbred to improve other breeds meat production. They have a good ability to add weight with a low/poor quality forage.

Meat Production?

Yes, Quality: Excellent

CATTLE ⇒	VEAL	BEEF
Ave. Maturity Age:	6 to 8 months	9 months up to 4 years

CATTLE SKIN PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Most meat Cattle will have a skin by-product, and these are usually used in some form or just as a hide.

Skin Production?

N/A

Skin is used to Produce:

Calf/cow skin leather products such as shoes, car seats, fine leather coats, gloves, handbags, belts, furniture, rugs, etc.

CATTLE ⇒	CALF	ADULT
Age they Produce from:	6 to 8 months for Calf skin 1 to 2 years old for Normal leather	9 months + for Cattle skin 1 to 2 years old for Normal leather

HISTORY

The Afrikaner cattle are thought to be a very old breed of cattle with their ancestors originating on the Asian Steppes. They are said to have migrated some 2000 years ago gradually moving South.

The Afrikaner shares ancestry with the Drakensberg and Nguni cattle breed mostly likely appearing as a breed around 655 to 960 years ago. Writings by Dutch sailors that frequented the Cape have documented Afrikaner type cattle being kept by the Khoikhoi from around the 15th century.

During the Second Boer War, the Afrikaner cattle breeds number were sorely depleted to near extension due to being wiped out and an outbreak of Rinderpest. This outbreak tore through South Africa wiping out half of the country’s cattle population.

Breed improvement and recovery programs were started after the war ended and in 1912 the first ever Afrikaner studbook was opened. It was opened in South Africa in order to maintain and control the breeding program. But due to a rather small supply of animals, there was a lot of inbreeding right up until 1923 when it was decided that some Afrikaner cattle be sent to America.

It was in 1932 that the US government imported a herd of the Afrikaner. In 1929 The Afrikaner Breeders Society in South Africa gifted two cows and a bull to King George the V.
In 1953 Australia received the first five Afrikaners cattle for the CSIRO’s Belmont Station in order to see if they would adapt to the Australian climate.

Up until the 1970s, the Afrikaner cattle was the most prominent breed of a cattle in South Africa. This was due to the introduction of the Brahma and also a problem with the Afrikaner breeds breeding due to problems associated with inbreeding and infertility.