Farm Facts
DESCRIPTION
Eastern Sandveld.
ENTERPRISE
Ultra-high density grazing (UHDG) cattle farming with planted pastures as well as veld; cow/calf, weaner and oxen production system.
PROPERTY SIZE
7400 hectares (including 690 ha of Bloubuff el
and mixed grass pastures).
FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF AREA
Sandy area with moderately aggressive bush thickening and frost.
AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL AND VARIABILITY
Average: 483 mm; lowest: 250 mm; highest: 900 mm (2000-2022).
ELEVATION
1580 metres above sea level.
OWNED OR RENTED
Owned (Kühl/Rösemann family); full-time
management.
MOTIVATION FOR CHANGE AND APPROACH
After taking over the farm in 2018, the Rösemanns decided to sell cattle in order to adjust the stocking rates to sustainable limits, and to opt for the ultra-high density grazing (UHDG) approach.
MAIN INNOVATION
Ultra-high density grazing on planted Bloubuff el pastures in the growing season and on veld in the non- growing season, while building a herd of well-adapted animals that graze non-selectively.
Forage for animals: The average amount of available grass and browse in kilograms per hectare is 1391 and 454, respectively, giving a total of 1845 kg/ha of available forage to the livestock.
Tree density: The average woody tree density is 1111 T E / h a .
Biodiversity: The grass and bush component is made up of 12 and 9 species, respectively. The Biodiversity Index of the farm is a medium value (0.6), which indicates that a few species are starting to dominate the grasses and shrubs growing on the farm.
Key Results
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Building a well-adapted herd through the 2019 drought.
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Improved cattle performance.
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Improved ground cover and grass production.
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Increase in profitability.
Farm Tokat
Detlev and Stephanie Rösemann’s motto is to: Plan and then start. Do not hesitate too long. Know where you want to go, start with what you have, do what you can, and improve as you go along.
Key Tips
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If you practice Ultra-high Density Grazing, daily visits to the livestock herds are required to ensure that the cattle are full (well fed) and receiving the appropriate husbandry, which leads to proper body condition, good health and shiny coats.
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UHDG is not a quick fix; however, a focused mindset and the necessary patience will bring about rewarding results.
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Plan ahead to cater for what is needed with regards to animals and infrastructure (or the replacement thereof). Do the financial planning to deal with these expenses in advance.
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Invest early on in wealth-generating expenses: genetics (good cattle stock), handling infrastructure, watering systems, and suchlike.
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Any grazing management system needs to work in harmony with the type of cattle being used; therefore, choosing the appropriate genetics must be a priority right from the start.
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Make sure you have early-maturing, well- adapted livestock – they are the key to your success. Adapted cattle do eat bush and perform very well on it. As much as possible, try to purchase adapted bulls from the immediate vicinity of your farm.
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Due to selection pressure, a lower preg- nancy rate is almost certain, compared with conventional farming practices. This lower pregnancy rate is, however, off set by higher stocking rates.
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To run a sustainable cattle operation, focus on the combination of factors that create a ‘product’ that generates profi ts (N$/ha). Do not focus on trying to achieve the best individual weight or price per animal.
Approaches
RESILIENCE OF THE FARM
Ecological and fi nancial resilience was achieved during and after the 2019 drought. Stocking rate increased from 25 kg/ha to 41 kg/ha since 2018.
MONEY-MAKING POTENTIAL OF THE FARM
An average of 62% calving was achieved from 2019. The live weight produced on the farm increased from 6 kg/ ha to 15 kg/ha since 2018. The Rösemanns believe that potential exists to increase the calving percentage and that lower calving percentage is off set by the increased stocking rate.
CHOICE OF ANIMAL/S
The fundamental principle applied during cattle selection is to retain the individuals that are reproducing, regardless of their breed and/or their appearance. Most of the time these ‘reproducing’ individuals are those with the ‘fullest package’ and the best body condition that stem from non-selective grazing.
