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Review into the Nguni breed
The Nguni breed, which is an ecotype of the Sanga cattle (Bos taurus africanus), is said to be a product from crosses of Zebu (a Tibetan word for Zen or Zeba which means the hump of the camel) and humpless Hamitic Longhorn and Shorthorn cattle that occurred in East and Central Africa many years ago (Mukasa-Mugerwa, 1989). The Nguni breed, which was originally found along the East Coast of Southern Africa, is said to be a breed associated with the descendants of the Nguni tribes (in Swaziland, Kwazulu, Mozambique and Zimbabwe). As a result of the association of the cattle with these tribes, the Nguni breed has different names used by each of these tribes, such as Nguni in Kwazulu, Nkone in Zimbabwe, Tswana or Tuli in Botswana; while in Namibia the Nguni breed is called Sanga, an Ethiopian word for ox (Schoeman, 1989).
In the past, these southern African indigenous breeds, the Nguni, Afrikaner and Drakensberger were perceived as inferior, less productive than other breeds (Brahman and Hereford) especially for commercial purposes. As a result, these breeds were often crossed, if not replaced with exotic breeds or other breeds perceived to be highly productive (Köhler-Rollefson, 2001; Schoeman, 1989). However, studies to compare the indigenous breeds against exotic breeds have continued to prove that under similar circumstances the two types of breeds may compete reasonably well in terms of productivity. Indigenous breeds further proved their superiority in their ability to adapt to harsh environmental conditions.
Nguni cattle are preferred for their adaptive qualities that include high fertility, short intercalving period, ease of calving, low calf mortality, cow efficiency and tick resistance (Strydom, et al., 2001; Lepen et al., 1993).In a study carried out by Collins-Lusweti (2000b), Nguni cattle were compared with Afrikaner and Bonsmara cattle for performance under prolonged drought conditions. Weights (birth and 200 day weights) and cow productivity parameters (calving intervals and percentage) were compared. The findings of the study showed that birth weights did not vary widely between the three breeds. Although Bonsmara and Afrikaner breeds were better for most parameters, the Nguni breed had the highest calving percentage. In a separate study, Schoeman (1989) reviewed the production of Sanga cattle breeds of South Africa and Namibia. In this review,4 the Nguni breed was compared to four other breeds, which included Drakensberger and Bonsmara.
According to Schoeman (1989), the Nguni cattle had a high calving rate (89.6%) compared to the other breeds, which averaged 77.4%. Furthermore, Nguni cattle reached puberty much earlier (349.9 days of age) than Bonsmara, which reached puberty at 419 days of age, and the Drakensberger, which reached puberty at 407.2 days of age. The Ngunis also proved their worth in that they had low calving losses. Nguni heifers could be mated as early as 12-months (Schoeman, 1989). This however should be done with caution as it can affect the length of the reproductive life of the cow.
Acknowledgements
Abstract
Opsomming
List of Abbreviation
List of Figures
List of Tables
Chapter 1: General Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Objectives of the research
1.3 Hypothesis
Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1 Review into the Nguni breed
2.2 Adaptability
2.3 Breeding season
2.4 Factors that affect production and reproduction efficiency of Nguni cows
2.4.1 Introduction
2.4.2 Inter-calving period (ICP)
2.4.3 Age at puberty
2.4.4 Calving percentage
2.4.5 Cow efficiency
2.5 Geographical regions for beef cattle farming in South Africa
2.5.1 Introduction
2.5.2 Veld types
2.5.3 Biomes and oregions
Chapter 3: Materials and Methods
3.1 Collection of data
3.2 Statistical Analysis
Chapter 4: Cow Efficiency Based on Calf Weaning Weight and Cow Weight at Weaning
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Materials and Methods for cow weight at weaning
4.3 Results and Discussions
4.4 Materials and methods for cow efficiency
4.5 Results and Discussions
4.6 Conclusions
Chapter 5: The Effect of Non-genetic Factors on the Inter-calving Period of Nguni Cows in South Africa
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Materials and Methods
5.3 Results and Discussion
5.4 Conclusions
Chapter 6: The Effect of Environmental Factors on Pre- and Post-Weaning Growth of Nguni Calves
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Materials and Methods
6.3 Results and Discussions
6.4 Conclusions
Chapter 7: Breeder Effects on the Production and Reproduction Efficiency of Nguni Cattle
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Materials and Methods
7.3 Results and Discussions
7.4 Conclusions
Chapter 8: General Discussion and Conclusions
