Afrikaner cattle
Afrikaner cow grazing
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| Other names | Africander |
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| Country of origin | South Africa |
| Distribution | South Africa, Australia, Zimbabwe |
| Use | Beef |
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| Coat | Red |
| Horn status | Horned |
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The Afrikaner, also known as the Africander, is a breed of taurine-indicine ("Sanga") cattle indigenous to South Africa.
Huge herds of Sanga type cattle were herded by the Khoikhoi (Hottentots) when the Dutch established the Cape Colony in 1652.
It is believed that the ancestors of Afrikaner cattle originated on the Asian steppes, before migrating into Africa about 2000 years ago. Cattle moved gradually southwards through the continent. Afrikaners share coancestry with the Nguni and Drakensberger breeds. They most likely diverged 655–960 years ago. Anecdotal evidence from Portuguese sailors suggest that herds of Afrikaner-like cattle had been kept by the Khoikhoi since at least the 15th Century.
The breed almost became extinct in the early 20th century during the Second Boer War, their numbers depleted through destruction and due to an outbreak of Rinderpest that halved the country's total cattle population. After the war, programs were put in place to improve the breed.
In 1912, the first Afrikaner studbook was formed in South Africa in order to control the breed's development. However, due to the recently depleted numbers of Afrikaner cattle, a high degree of inbreeding occurred at this time.
In 1923, it was proposed that Afrikaners be sent to the United States, and in 1932 the US government imported a herd to introduce new blood to the Gulf Coast. In 1929, a bull, and two cows (one a calf) were gifted to the King George V by the Africander Cattle Breeders' Society of South Africa. The first 5 Afrikaners arrived in Australia in 1953, and taken to the CSIRO's Belmont station for research into their adaptability to the Australian climate. They were imported from Texas and Florida.
During the first half of the 20th century, Afrikaners were being bred to reduce the size of their hump, as this was unsightly to farmers used to the taurine cattle shape.
The Afrikaner was the most abundant cattle breed in South Africa until the 1970s, however problems associated with inbreeding, lowered fertility and decreased reproductive period in cows decreased their popularity among local farmers. Crossbreeding with exotic cattle breeds may have also contributed to the decline in population numbers, as well as the introduction of the Brahman to southern Africa.
Afrikaners are usually deep red. They have the small cervices-thoracic hump typical of Sanga cattle.
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Wikipedia