Nufarmer Africa
Author Cyril Ramaphosa : Cattle of the Kings .
ANKOLE - Cattle of the Kings
In his book , Cyril Ramaphosa reveals his passion and love for cattle as he introduces us to the magnificent Ankole cattle , originating in Uganda , and now , through his intervention , flourishing in South Africa .
He reflects on the legacy bequeathed him by his father , Samuel Ramaphosa , who had to leave behind his cattle herd in Venda to find work as a migrant worker in Johannesburg . Life in the city was tough and demanding , weakening Samuel ’ s links with his ancestral origins and causing the loss of his herd . The love of cattle runs deep in South Africans and Cyril is doing more than restoring his father ’ s loss , he is resuscitating a new pride for South Africans with these remarkable cattle .
The Ankole have become the flavour de jour . A few years ago the Nguni reigned supreme , now the attention and focus is on these regal animals with their soaring horns . Cattle of Kings is the Abundant Herds of the Ankole . The hardcover book is destined to become a collector ’ s piece .
Ankole-Watusi cattle are the show-stoppers of the bovine kingdom . Medium-sized animals , with long , large-diameter horns , they attract attention wherever they appear . These regal animals can easily trace their ancestry back more than 6,000 years and have often been referred to as “ cattle of kings .”
Long-horned , humpless domestic cattle were well established in the Nile Valley by 4000 B . C . These cattle , known as the Egyptian or Hamitic Longhorn , appear in pictographs in Egyptian pyramids . Over the next twenty centuries ( 2.000 years ), the Egyptian Longhorn migrated with its owners from the Nile to Ethiopia , and then down to the southern reaches of Africa .
Under traditional management , the Ankole cow was grazed all day , then brought home to her young calf . The calf was allowed to suckle briefly to stimulate milk letdown , then the cow was milked by the herdsman . The calf suckled after hand-milking was finished and was again separated from its mother . The process was repeated in the morning . This minimal nourishment of
calves resulted in high death rates in the young .
Milk production was not high , with a typical cow producing only 2 pints of milk daily , although an exceptional one could manage up to 8 pints . In addition , the lactation period was short . Over the last 10 years , the national government has attempted to select for animals which produce more milk and have better meat production . Famine and disease , as well as the conflict with traditional practices , have slowed this effort .
The Ankole-Watusi should appear elegant , well-bred , and graceful . A straight topline and a sloping rump are required ; a neck hump is preferred , but not required . Cattle may be solid or spotted in color . Horns are long and symmetrical , with a base large and proportional to horn length . Lyre and circular shapes are preferable to flat . The Ankole-Watusi is medium in size , with cows weighing 900 - 1200 pounds and bulls weighing 1000 - 1600 pounds .
Newborn calves weigh 30 - 50 pounds . This small birth-weight makes Ankole-Watusi bulls useful for breeding to first-calf-heifers of other breeds . During the day , calves sleep together , with an “ auntie ” cow for protection . At night , the herd-members sleep together , with the calves in the center of the group for protection . The horns of the adults serve as formidable weapons against any intruders .
The milk is about 10 percent fat . Some dairy farmers have used crossbred Ankole-Watusi cows in their herds to boost the butter-fat levels . Because they were developed in a climate where daily temperatures may range from 20 to 120 degrees F , Ankole-Watusi tolerate temperature and weather extremes well . The large horns act as radiators ; blood circulating through the horn area is cooled and then returned to the main body . This allows excess body heat to be dispersed .
Three meat studies have been done in the last five years , and the results have been good for the breed . Ankole-Watusi meat has been demonstrated to be very low fat and to have lower cholesterol than other commercial beef . These studies will continue , because the AWIR has the establishment of utility value as a high priority . This will be a way to protect the market for breeding stock as “ curiosity ” prices begin to disappear . Correspondent .
8 Nufarmer Africa | November / December 2017