By Amelia Genis
Research by scientists from the University of Fort Hare shows Ngunis fare better in communal farming systems, while Bonsmaras excel in commercial systems.
Dr Mhlangabezi Slayi, a researcher, and Dr Ishmael Festus Jaja, a veterinarian, both of the University of Fort Hare, monitored 80 Nguni and Bonsmara cattle over 12 months to determine how they graze, choose feed and interact with the environment.
They directly observed the animals’ behavior, tracked their movement patterns with GPS, weighed the animals and determined feed quality over different seasons. All of these factors are important for livestock productivity and ensuring the sustainability of rangeland ecosystems.
The research was conducted in the Eastern Cape, on traditional communal grazing at Alice and at the Bathurst Research Station, which represents a commercial grazing system.
According to Slayi and Jaja’s article in the publication Veterinary and Animal Science, Nguni cattle graze longer, walk more and show greater flexibility in their ration in communal systems.
Nguni have better metabolic efficiency, which helps them thrive in communal grazing systems where feed can be of lower quality and intermittently available.
Bonsmaras were bred for productivity in intensively managed grazing systems with high-quality grazing and supplementary feeding.
The article, “Optimizing rangeland use: Forage selection and grazing patterns of Nguni and Bonsmara cattle across traditional and commercial systems”, also states that Bonsmaras fare better in commercial systems with improved grasses, such as blue buffalo grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) and Smutsfinger grass (Digitaria eriantha). Their reliance on high-quality forage may mean they will need supplements to be productive in poor communal veld.
Nguni’s ability to utilise lower-quality forage efficiently may again give them an advantage in degraded veld with little palatable grass.
According to Slayi and Jaja, their findings highlight the importance of aligning grazing management strategies with the nutritional needs of different cattle breeds, thereby ensuring sustainability in diverse ecological systems.
