Freddie Markram is a well known commercial cattle farmer in the Kalahari region and the greater South Africa. He farms on several in the Kuruman district with the minimal resources, which proofs that quality counts more than quantity.
In a very short space of time this stud breeder has made a name for himself and there are little cattle farmers country wide that does not know Freddie Markram.
The stud cows are managed in the same way as the commercial herd. They are on veld with a salt-phosphate lick. A four-camp rotation system is followed with the cows been moved to a fresh camp every two weeks during the summer and every three weeks during the winter.
There are never more than 60 cows in a herd. In the commercial herds two bulls are used to serve the 60-cow herds. The registered heifers are first bulled when 14 months old and weighing around 400 – 450kg. All the cattle are bulled throughout the year. This makes management easier and also allows Freddie to have bulls for sale.
Calving problems are extremely rare. The Charolais breed has completely overcome this problem through selection over a long period. Average birth mass is 44kg with some calves having a mass of only 38kg at birth. The average calve percentage is 84 and the average weaning mass 300kg for the registered calves (at eight month). The Brahman cross Charolais calves wean as heavy as 280kg. The young bulls are run on veld with a protein lick and finished on feed prior to being offered for sale when 18 to 24 months of age.
People now often say, “I beat Freddie’s SA Charolais Champion Bull…”. This is exactly what Freddie wants – Publicity! Because the more cattlemen talk about this magnificent stud the better.
Outstanding breeders are born, not made. It takes a lot of input and commitment to achieve the acknowledgment as a top class Charolais Breeder, and by investing in a top class bull, when you see it, can make the difference!