The Simmentaler breed is part of the beef production industry of SA and seems to have developed around the Middle Ages, from a cross between German cattle and a smaller indigenous Swiss breed.
The breed’s name is derived from its place of origin, the Simme River Valley in Switzerland. According to Simmentaler South Africa, the breed, at one stage, was an even bigger export product than Swiss watches.
The breed is known by several other names, including Fleckvieh in Austria, Germany and South Africa, and Pie Rouge in France, and boasts the largest stud cattle federation in the world.
Attributes
The Simmentaler is a medium to large framed animal with good muscling and little fat. The weight of the animals largely depends on environmental conditions, varying between 480 kg for cows and 650 to 950 kg for bulls.
Simmentaler cattle have smooth coats, with colours ranging from gold to red with white in Europe to black or red in America. In South Africa, the animals are white and dark red, with well-pigmented areas around the eyes. Simmentaler cattle are placid, making them easy to manage.
The breed was originally developed to produce meat, milk and be used as draught animals, with the cattle in Namibia producing most of their income through cream production in the 1950s. Since then the breed has improved significantly, with beef production now being the primary aim in South Africa and Namibia.
Production in South Africa
Namibia was the first African country to import Simmentaler cattle in 1893, to improve the milk and beef quality of indigenous animals. In 1905, MT Steyn, president of what was then known as the Republic of the Free State, became the first South African to import the breed.
Production Regions
Simmentalers only really took off in South Africa around the 1960s, after interbreeding tests revealed their excellent performance. Thereafter, large numbers of Simmentalers were imported from Namibia and later also from Germany and Austria. Imports decreased after 1975, thanks to the development of locally adapted Simmentalers, which today are produced throughout the country.
Breeders in Namibia and South Africa established the Simmentaler Cattle Breeders’ Society of Southern Africa in 1964 and since then, the society was the first to move away from the subjective way of judging animals, by combining performance testing figures with appearance in the show ring. Over time, the Simmentaler has grown into the third largest beef breed produced in South Africa and is produced in all the provinces.
Use
Simmentalers perform will in closed herds, as well as when used with other breeds to produce hybrid power. Simmentaler SA labels Simmentaler bulls as the “king of crossbreeding”, because of the way in which these cattle accelerate growth in other breeds, producing weaners that fetch premium prices because of their high demand in feedlots. The cows have excellent maternal traits.
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