The Brahman is a medium-sized, humped, short-haired cattle breed, varying from light grey and red to almost black in colour.
Brahman was the first cattle breed to develop in the United States, out of crossbreeding between local European breeds and Bos indicus breeds, such as the Guzerat, the Nelore and Gyr, which were imported from India, Mexico and Brazil between 1854 and 1926 to introduce hardier cattle for states such as Louisiana, Texas and California.
Offspring crossed with the Bos Indicus bulls were far superior than the original breeds by the fifth generation, resulting in the formation of the American Brahman Breeders Society by 1924. The breed’s name was suggested by the society’s first chairman, JW Startwelle, in reference to its Indian heritage and the fact that the word Brahmin refers to a spiritual or holy person.
Jürgen Crantz of Namibia is considered the “father of the breed” in South Africa. While on their honeymoon, he and his wife, Vera, bought the first Brahman cattle from the United States to Southern Africa in 1954. The newlyweds travelled with the cattle on the ship, all the way from New Orleans to Cape Town, where after the cattle were transported per truck to Namibia.
These imports were followed by those of W Woker of Windhoek in Namibia, AI Marais of Naunetzi Ranch in South Africa and C Scheepers Normar stud in the same year.
The Brahman is the first cattle breed to have been developed in the United States, and is now part of beef production of South Africa....