Boran
History
When paging through the publication “Beef Breeding in South Africa” the advertisement on the Boran Cattle of Kenya caught my eye.
This really seemed to be the breed we could use in the Karoo and the drier parts of South Africa.
My problems started when I tried to buy a few pure bred animals. I soon found out that there were none available. The only way to go was to upgrade from indigenous breeds. Mr. Tim Ralph of Escourt offered us 25 F1 Bonsmara X Boran heifers. This was fine but to obtain a good bull was going to be difficult. I heard that Mr. William Usher had bought a good Boran Bull in 1996 from Mr. Ralph and that this bull was being used for crossbreeding. I contacted him and we agreed to swap HVT517 (Metusaleg) for a Braunvieh Bull. This was the beginning of the Masai Stud.
Our F2 heifers were approved for Embryo flushing by the newly formed Breed Society. The resulting females were F3 and almost identical to the purebred animals.
In 2005 I had progressed to the stage where the first SP bulls and heifers were born in the upgrading system. They have been a great success.
I have used TLM0323, the bull that fetched the second highest price of R 260 000.00 at the National sale of 2008. At present I am using KB39X, a bull that is not related to any other in South Africa.
We concentrate on conformation with heavy muscling and true to type. Selection for temperament is high on my agenda. Due to strict selection for ICP ect, the heard is not large because quality is more important than quantity and “ONLY THE BEST IS GOOD ENOUGH”!
