New member from Namibia

[Lee VanRoss]

Georg> As I understand it your dollar is valued 1 to 1 with the Rand and around 7 cents to the USD? (or 15-1) I have no idea if the
operations there are heavily mechanized or depend on the availability of cheap labor. I think it would be a political football to have
the bulk of the populace walking around with the power of the ballot and no education or motivation for achievement. Do you (as in
managers and operators as a whole) rely on transient labor to move livestock or is this done with fencing and a minimum of labor?
Also, by what means do you market your produce and livestock? Is this done at the farm or transported to an auction and subject to
public bidding? And I am compelled to ask, with respect, does the general populace have the command of english that you seem to
display for which I am most grateful. I am, however; at a loss to understand how any exchange between us can mediate the problems
enumerated by yourself. This being said, you are in a position that any of us here could find ourselves embroiled in and submit any
solution arrived at would be mutally benficial so please stay in contact. Also not sure if it is possible but I am sure any photos you
could send would be appreciated on this end! Now that I have thrown any thread of continuity out the window what wild animals
are native to your farm and what effect do they have on your operation? All for now LVR

 

[Georg]

I am farming now for 40 years, raising indigenous Sanga cattle from cow to 4 year old oxen, without any chemical or other inputs, except good natural grazing. My biggest obstacle right now is how to retire without a willing follower. Out of my 5 children only the youngest girl would like to take over, but without husband this is not an option to us, where farm murders, cattle rustling and poaching are daily facts of life. The farm is 4700ha in size and situated central east of Namibia. Yearly rainfall around 350mm, normally over a short summer period of 3 months. Any questions?

 

[kenny thomas]

Cattle sure look fat and healthy.

 

[andybob]

Sanga cattle - Nguni bulls and an Nguni cow, typical of the phenotype adapted to the harsh conditions in Southern Africa - highly productive in terms of low costs and high Lbs/Acre produced, could also be more profitable if sold as a branded product rather than just through the abattoirs.

 

[Georg]

Georg> As I understand it your dollar is valued 1 to 1 with the Rand and around 7 cents to the USD? (or 15-1) I have no idea if the
operations there are heavily mechanized or depend on the availability of cheap labor. I think it would be a political football to have
the bulk of the populace walking around with the power of the ballot and no education or motivation for achievement. Do you (as in
managers and operators as a whole) rely on transient labor to move livestock or is this done with fencing and a minimum of labor?
Also, by what means do you market your produce and livestock? Is this done at the farm or transported to an auction and subject to
public bidding? And I am compelled to ask, with respect, does the general populace have the command of english that you seem to
display for which I am most grateful. I am, however; at a loss to understand how any exchange between us can mediate the problems
enumerated by yourself. This being said, you are in a position that any of us here could find ourselves embroiled in and submit any
solution arrived at would be mutally benficial so please stay in contact. Also not sure if it is possible but I am sure any photos you
could send would be appreciated on this end! Now that I have thrown any thread of continuity out the window what wild animals
are native to your farm and what effect do they have on your operation? All for now LVR

The exchange rate is 15 to i

Sanga cattle - Nguni bulls and an Nguni cow, typical of the phenotype adapted to the harsh conditions in Southern Africa - highly productive in terms of low costs and high Lbs/Acre produced, could also be more profitable if sold as a branded product rather than just through the abattoirs.
View attachment 14457View attachment 14458

Andrew just for information, me and another Nguni farmer are the only two organic registered meat producers in Namibia. So no chemicals or poisons to be applied. We have also done away with supplements. So our cattle thrive on salt lick and use bush for supplementation.

 

[andybob]

The exchange rate is 15 to i

Andrew just for information, me and another Nguni farmer are the only two organic registered meat producers in Namibia. So no chemicals or poisons to be applied. We have also done away with supplements. So our cattle thrive on salt lick and use bush for supplementation.

This is certainly a good option for Sanga cattle, utilising their natural parasite and disease resistance, and forage adaptability to suit the growing market trend for chemical and hormone free beef - not to forget the high quality of the beef.

 

[Georg]

Georg> As I understand it your dollar is valued 1 to 1 with the Rand and around 7 cents to the USD? (or 15-1) I have no idea if the
operations there are heavily mechanized or depend on the availability of cheap labor. I think it would be a political football to have
the bulk of the populace walking around with the power of the ballot and no education or motivation for achievement. Do you (as in
managers and operators as a whole) rely on transient labor to move livestock or is this done with fencing and a minimum of labor?
Also, by what means do you market your produce and livestock? Is this done at the farm or transported to an auction and subject to
public bidding? And I am compelled to ask, with respect, does the general populace have the command of english that you seem to
display for which I am most grateful. I am, however; at a loss to understand how any exchange between us can mediate the problems
enumerated by yourself. This being said, you are in a position that any of us here could find ourselves embroiled in and submit any
solution arrived at would be mutally benficial so please stay in contact. Also not sure if it is possible but I am sure any photos you
could send would be appreciated on this end! Now that I have thrown any thread of continuity out the window what wild animals
are native to your farm and what effect do they have on your operation? All for now LVR

The exchange rate is 15 to 1. We use very little machines. I have a tractor, a trailer, a feed mixer and a hammer mill. All of them good used, old and worn. One reason I decided on the Sanga cattle was, that 3 men can handle any animal with a rope and their bare hands. Standard stocking of the farm is calculated at about 50kg per hectare. Which calculates to about 800 cattle on 4700ha. All the work, like fencing repairs, cattle branding is done by hand with basic tools only. I need to mention, that Namibia is the driest country in Africa south of the Sahara. We have an average annual rainfall of 350mm, which falls over a short period of less than 3 months. My production system is for fully grown cattle delivered to the export abattoir. It takes me about 4 years to finish a steer. But I do sell and purchase small batches of cattle on livestock auctions. Especially those misbehaving ones, cattle that jump fences, animals that are difficult to manage.
The official language is english. But very few master this perfect. The rest makes use of the lingua franca, Afrikaans.

 

[andybob]

The exchange rate is 15 to 1. We use very little machines. I have a tractor, a trailer, a feed mixer and a hammer mill. All of them good used, old and worn. One reason I decided on the Sanga cattle was, that 3 men can handle any animal with a rope and their bare hands. Standard stocking of the farm is calculated at about 50kg per hectare. Which calculates to about 800 cattle on 4700ha. All the work, like fencing repairs, cattle branding is done by hand with basic tools only. I need to mention, that Namibia is the driest country in Africa south of the Sahara. We have an average annual rainfall of 350mm, which falls over a short period of less than 3 months. My production system is for fully grown cattle delivered to the export abattoir. It takes me about 4 years to finish a steer. But I do sell and purchase small batches of cattle on livestock auctions. Especially those misbehaving ones, cattle that jump fences, animals that are difficult to manage.
The official language is english. But very few master this perfect. The rest makes use of the lingua franca, Afrikaans.

We were the only English speaking family in our community when we had Rugby farm in Okahanja, but all the neighbours both German and Afrikaans speaking were able to speak a good standard of English,we all speak Afrikaans as well, as most of our immediate neighbours in Rhodesia had been Afrikaans speaking. Most of Rugby was purchased under a government compulsory purchase order to build the Omatako dam. so the family operations were moved to two farms in Delmas South Africa.

 

[greybeard]

that 3 men can handle any animal with a rope and their bare hands

I remember those days.
2 of the 'men' were under 16..
It was exciting but twern't much fun ........ all at the same time.

Those are some really solid looking bulls. 350mm is not a lot of rainfall for a year but the grass in the pictures looks amazing. Do you cut and raise hay off it?
Here in Texas USA, that hump goes for good $$ retail, IF, you can find it.

 

[Georg]

I remember those days.
2 of the 'men' were under 16..
It was exciting but twern't much fun ........ all at the same time.

Those are some really solid looking bulls. 350mm is not a lot of rainfall for a year but the grass in the pictures looks amazing. Do you cut and raise hay off it?
Here in Texas USA, that hump goes for good $$ retail, IF, you can find it.

No, I don´t cut or process any grass. But my neighbor does on a very big scale. What I do cut is bush for so-called Boskos, invader bush processed through a chipper and balanced as a ruminant feed in times of drought.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

No, I don´t cut or process any grass. But my neighbor does on a very big scale. What I do cut is bush for so-called Boskos, invader bush processed through a chipper and balanced as a ruminant feed in times of drought.

The more I learn the more I find out what I didn't know.. On the Boskos, Can that be liquified and cubed in say 1kg blocks (or a more manageable
size) and be fed from hay rings in a feedlot setting? I would think due to the volume required that material handling and transportation
would require a modicum of automation or labor would limit the availability of profit,, I have been reading up on your government and
infrastructure to get a better handle on how things operate down there. At this stage perception may not be reality so I shall forego comment
other than to say it may be in your best interest to be uniquely Namibian and not attempt to mirror the world. I would give a taler and 6 bits
for that colored bull!

 

[TdJ]

@Georg, welkom pel. Ek het america toe getrek (van suid afrika/UK) so 12 jaar terug en bly nou in Texas. Moer groot plaas wat jy daar het maar die reen is maar skaars! We get about double the amount here in central Texas. I've always said that the only way to price land is by carrying capacity. New Mexico / North Western Cape in ZA = 10's if not 100's of acres per head. Where I grew up we could run 2 head per hectare, guessing maybe similar in south Georgia or Alabama with a little management.

Anyway, welkom en geniet!

 

[Hippie Rancher]

Andrew I have my own FB page FARM GOTTESGABE - FRIGA NGUNI STUD and I manage the NGUNI BREEDERS SOCIETY OF NAMIBIA page as well. You can have a look there. And for pictures of the cattle. My web page is www.gottesgabe.com

nice, good info on your website. Namibia is on my list after Australia.

 

[Gobbler'sKnob]

No, I don´t cut or process any grass. But my neighbor does on a very big scale. What I do cut is bush for so-called Boskos, invader bush processed through a chipper and balanced as a ruminant feed in times of drought.

Do y'all mostly rely on standing water or on tanks? Impressive grass management for so little rain there, I bet you're a really squared away fella.

 

[Georg]

Do y'all mostly rely on standing water or on tanks? Impressive grass management for so little rain there, I bet you're a really squared away fella.

Water gets mostly pumped out of boreholes. Sometimes very deep to about 200m. Then we have basins, either concrete or plastic or corrugated iron, at every post to facilitate fast running when the herd comes to drink. My basins are from 60 cu m to 200 cu m. Herd size can be from 100 to 400 heads of cattle. But there are areas in Namibia, where they do not find underground aquifers and have to rely on dams or pans.

 

[tex452]

Do y'all have Klein grass?
The reason I'm asking is because me n my grandpa planted some in the early 80's.

 

[Georg]

Do y'all have Klein grass?
The reason I'm asking is because me n my grandpa planted some in the early 80's.

Never heard of.

 

[tex452]

Never heard of.

It's a drought resistant grass from Africa.