The Afrikaner Cattle Breeders' Society of South Africa

The Society ► LETTER TO PROSPECTIVE STUD BREEDERS [ KLIEK HIER VIR DIE AFRIKAANSE WEERGAWE ]
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Dear Madam/Sir

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

The Management of our Society was pleased to learn that you are interested in membership of the Society. Complete the accompanying application form. Please note that we do not accept any application without the necessary proof of payment to both the Association and SA Stud Book.

We have to draw your attention to the fact that before membership is accepted, a recognised cattle breeder of the Society or one of our technical officials has to visit the applicant to discuss the matter with him and to ensure that the necessary facilities are available for cattle breeding such as, for example, camps, kraals, crushes, scales, etc. As soon as your completed applications forms have been received, we will arrange with a person in your area or with one of our officials to visit you for this purpose.

STUD NAME

According to the Act of the Registration of Stud Book livestock it is compulsory for every member to register a stud name (prefix). The Stud Book Society has the sole right to register such a stud name. As many thousands of words have already been registered for breeders of all breeds and because the names of towns and cities cannot be registered as a prefix, we kindly request that you send us a list of names in the order of your preference of which one could possibly be registered for you as a prefix. As the more general stud names have already been registered for other breeders, we recommend that you make the choice of words as original as possible.

MINIMUM PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AFRIKANER IN RESPECT OF CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

The following minimum production requirements have to be met:

1. REPRODUCTION

1.1	A heifer has to calf for the first time BEFORE or AT 42 months of age. The requirement is applicable to all heifers born after 1 January.
1.2	No Inter-Calf Period may exceed 790 days.
	•	The Association, in collaboration with SA Stud Book, will check the reproduction status of all female animals annually.
	•	Animals that do not meet the minimum requirements will be identified. The owner will be informed in writing of the problem cases. Thereafter the owner has 3 months time to address the problem cases and to provide the necessary feedback to the Association. If the office does not receive any written representations or extenuating reasons for the problem animals, the Association has the right to inform SA Stud Book that no further calves of the cow will be accepted for registration and that the animal is cancelled.
1.3	Female animals have to meet the minimum fertility standards mentioned below. The owner will be given three months to act, after which the Association will instruct SA Stud Book to do the necessary irreversible cancellations. Thereafter no further calves will be accepted from the particular cow.

Number of calvings	Maximum average Inter-calf Periods (ICP) of cow
2	730 days
3 and 4 calvings	660 days
5 and more calvings	500 days

2. MILK PRODUCTION

2.1 A cow that weans more than two calves with an index below 90 shall summarily be culled.
(Not a rejection requirement, but should merely be used as a guideline for milk production)

3. GROWTH ABILITY

(Participation in Performance Testing is compulsory for all Category A members, where indexes can serve as guidelines for the owner and the selector.)

3.1	Heifers (Phase B)
	a.	Weaning Index 90
	b.	Year Index 90
	c.	18-Month Index 90
	If heifers are selected before 18 months, a year index will be required. Otherwise a Weaning and an 18-Month Index will be required. If one index is below 90, but the average of the available indexes is 90 or higher, the animal will be selected if the appearance has particular merit.

3.2	Bulls (Phase B)
	a.	Weaning Index 90
	b.	Year Index 90
	c.	18-Month Index 90
	d.	Scrotum circumference at least 30 cm
	No bull will be selected before 18 months and no exception rule will apply.

3.3	Bulls (Phase C and D)
	a.	Weaning Index 90
	b.	Average Daily Gain (ADG) Index at least 90
	c.	Average Daily Age Gain (ADA) Index at least 90
	d.	Scrotum circumference at least 30 cm
	Bulls will be selected directly following the completion of a test as a group. All rejected bulls have to be culled.

3.4	FUNCTIONAL APPEARANCE
	3.4.1	Animals with the following genetic deviations will be culled:
	a.	Hypoplastic testicles
	b.	Skew face
	c.	Short and long mandible
	d.	Woolly cilice
	e.	Laminitus
	f.	Hereditary twist in tail in top half of tail
	g.	Wild temperament
	h.	Any other clear genetic deviations

	3.4.2	The following extremes will be culled:
	a.	Weak constitution
	b.	Weak muscling
	c.	Bulls with female or ox-like appearance
	d.	Heifers with male or ox-like appearance
	e.	Pony types or extremely big animals
	f.	Very fine of extremely large-boned legs
	g.	Extremely upright, arched or cow-hoofed
	h.	Pigeon-toed or duck-toed, front paws, bent front legs
	i.	Heifers with defective udder development
	j.	Any other extremes.

All official performance details and particulars of the animals must be available during the selection.
Bulls or female animals of which the mothers do not perform in terms of the abovementioned norms of reproduction, may not be sold at auctions held in conjunction with the Association.

PERFORMANCE TEST SCHEME

Our Association regards Performance Testing as very valuable to assist members to select their animals in the most effective way. It is thus expected of members to join in the performance test scheme and it has also been decided that members have to join the scheme no later than 3 years after the commencement of cattle breeding.

The officials of the Association have also been instructed to assist our members in joining the scheme as well as with their record keeping in terms of performance testing. Participation in Phase A and B of the scheme is compulsory.

TATTOOING OF ANIMALS

As has been outlined in the by-laws, all animals have to be tattooed with a number in the left ear within 60 days after birth. A second characteristic, whether branding, ear code or ear tag that corresponds with the tattoo number, has to also be placed on the animal. A key for the ear code system is attached. If a breeder uses ear tags, the tags have to be attached in the right ear.

It is required by the Act that all calves have to be tattooed in the left ear with at least two letters (herd mark), over and above the tattoo number. As the Association allocates the combinations of letters (herd mark) to members, a combination will be registered for you as soon as your membership application is received. On one of the sets of forms that are sent to you provision has been made for combinations of letters in the order of your choice.

The tattoo number (serial number), year number and herd mark can be attached to the ear as follows: (e.g. for an animal born in 1981 with the serial number 123 and the herd mark AB)

AB81	OR	123
123	OR	AB81

In this regard you also have to study the enclosed details regarding the marking of animals. The form relating to your choice of method according to which you will mark your animals has to be completed and mailed to us together with the application form.

The Association does not provide tattoo pliers. You can obtain it from your cooperation or any other firm that sells livestock articles.

CALF REPORTS

The Association provides calf books with forms that serve as notification of births of calves and application forms for registration. The forms are in two-fold and the original form (the white form) has to be sent to the office within 90 days of the calf’s birth.

A calf report book will be sent to you on finalisation of your membership. If calves of registered or cows that can be registered arrive in the meantime, you have to please inform us by letter of the birth by providing the number of the cow as well as the date of birth and gender of the calf so that the calf can be noted for the time being. As soon as you receive the necessary calf books, you have to complete your calf reports for all the calves born in your stud (including those births that have been reported by letter) and send it to the office.

AUXILIARY STUD BOOK ANIMALS

An auxiliary stud book for pure bred Afrikaners has been compiled. Purebred female animals may after inspection and if approved, be included in the Auxiliary Stud Book and qualify after two generations for inclusion in the Fully-Registered Stud Book.

If you own purebred Afrikaner heifers or cows that you would want to have selected for the Auxiliary Stud Book, we request that you inform us, in which case we will arrange for the selection of your animals.

PURCHASE OF ANIMALS

When breeders purchase registered animals or animals that can be registered it is imperative that they compare the characteristics of the cattle with the character numbers on the documents of the animals. If there are any cattle of which the character does not correspond with the character number on the document, the Association will refuse to transfer the animal to your name and you will have to take up the matter with the seller immediately.

MONIES PAYABLE

a.	Annual Membership - R500,00 + VAT.
b.	Stud fees. Stud fees are levied annually on all male and female animals two years and older that are, according to the records of the Association, in the possession of a member on 1 March every year.
	The stud fees are currently R48,00 per animal per annum with a minimum of R500,00 plus VAT for 1-10 animals. Late birth notifications are also levied when 92 days and 2 x 10 days are exceeded.

NB: VAT will be levied on the said fees.
Amounts are subject to change as decided at the Annual General Meeting.

IDENTIFICATION OF STUD BOOK ANIMALS

According to the stipulations of the Constitution it is compulsory that all calves of registered parents are tattooed within 60 days after birth with the identification marks as prescribed by the Association.

These marks consist of the following:

1.	The stud mark as allocated by the Association to each breeder for his exclusive use. This mark consists of two or three letters that have to be attached in the animal’s LEFT EAR together with the three-year figure (see Nr. 3) and the serial number of the animal (see Nr. 2).
2.	The serial number of the animal that has to be tattooed in the left ear with the stud mark (see 1 above) and the year figure (see 3).
3.	The year figure that has to be added in the ear together with the stud mark, namely the figure 91 for the year 1991, 92 for the year 1992, etc. The stud mark, year mark and serial number can be added as follows (For example for an animal with the stud mark AB, born in 1991 with serial number 123).

AB91	OR	123
123	OR	AB91

	You may choose any of the following methods to mark your animals:

	a.	To start at Nr. 1 every year. The bulls and heifers born in a specific year can then be numbered with one series. In other words, only one calf book is used, in which case Nr. 1 may be a bull calf and Nr. 2 a heifer, etc. up to the end of the year. You then start at Nr. 1 on 1 January of every calendar year again and continue with the series until 31 December of that year. However, if you prefer to mark the bulls annually from Nr. 1 with a series and the heifers also from Nr. 1 with a separate series, it may also be done. In both methods referred to above, it has to be clearly understood that the series conclude with the birth of the last calf up to 31 December of the specific year.

	b.	To start at Nr. 1 and to then continue to Nr. 999 and then start again at Nr. 1. You can also use one joint series here for bulls and heifers or you can use a separate series 1 to 999 for bulls and a separate series 1 to 999 for heifers. If you decide on this method, the numbers have to continue until the number 999 has been reached, even if it takes a couple of years. You may then not switch over before the time to Nr. 1. You have to please complete the form attached to the membership forms in respect of the marking of animals according to your choice, and mail it to us together with the membership application form. The method that you prefer is in this way captured on the computer and in the future it will be compulsory for you to use the particular method.

4.	Over and above the tattooing a second identification mark has to be attached to animals. This mark may be any of the following:
	a.	Ear code notches that indicate the tattoo number, or
	b.	An ear tag in the right ear with the number of the animal attached to it, or
	c.	A branding number, the same as the tattoo number. The branding number is usually attached when the animal is old enough, but in any case before inspection for registration.

	Breeders may thus use any of the abovementioned methods together with the compulsory tattooing for marking animals.

EAR-CODE SYSTEM

The ear-code system (see attached example) has to be used if you prefer to use code notches instead of ear tags or to brand your animals. Tattooing as has already been indicated is compulsory. The Primrose McConnel System, of which an example is attached, is the only system accepted by the Association.

It has to be clearly understood that the notches that indicate the units in the left ear and the notches that indicate the tens, have to be added in the right ear. To read the code the breeder has to stand in front of the animal and it has to be borne in mind that the animal’s right ear is to the left-hand side of the breeder and the left ear to the right-hand side of the breeder.

The notches for the units and tens are always added on the outer part of the animal’s ear, whilst the notches indicating the hundreds are added on the inner side of the ear, that is to say, close to the head.

BRANDING

Suitable branding irons are necessary to brand the animals. The branding is usually on the left or right shoulder, the left or right buttock or the left or right hip. There is thus no limitation on the place where the branding may be added.

It is preferable that the letters or the numbers with which the branding is done are not less than 5 cm long and that the angles are reasonably curved. It is also advisable that the hair be removed from the place where the branding is applied beforehand.

To facilitate identification in the veld, it is advisable to brand the year number on the animal, especially when code notches are used as a second mark with the tattoo number.

Breeders who use the branding number as a second mark with the tattoo number, can brand the year number on top of or below the serial number or on the shoulder, according to preference.

HOW TO USE TATTOO PLIERS

1. PREPARATION OF PLIERS
	a.	The pliers and numbers have to be properly cleaned.
	b.	Place the numbers in the pliers in the required position and test the pliers on a piece of paper before you use it in order to determine if the numbers have been applied properly.

2. ACCESSORIES
	a.	A tin of ordinary stove polish or tattoo paste (Zebra stove polish is a popular marking material)
	b.	A soft brush or solid paint brush. If stove polish is used, it has to be used in paste form.

3. HOW TO TATTOO
	a.	Rub the tattoo numbers thoroughly with the paste by using the brush.
	b.	Then place the ear in the right position (see sketch) between the jaws of the pliers.
	c.	Suddenly press the jaws of the pliers and press together until the numbers clip right across the ear.

COMMENTS
	a.	It does not matter if the paste dries on the numbers before the tattooing takes place.
	b.	Don’t try to rub over the ear before tattooing – by rubbing over the ear you stimulate the blood flow that may cause the eradication of the tattoo marks.
	c.	Don’t tattoo if the ear is full of ticks: first ensure that the ear is tick-free. The surface of the ear has to be properly healed.
	d.	If the ear is dirty, the surface that has to be tattooed can be cleaned with a thumb slightly dipped in surgical spirits.

SKETCH: Inside of the left ear

HOW TO USE THE TATTOO PLIERS:

1.	The tattoo pliers have to be applied between the cartilage ridges with care.
2.	The dotted line indicates the correct position of the number jaw of the pliers.
3.	The mark can be at the middle or bottom level of the ear, but preferably at the middle level.
4.	It is advised that if breeders tattoo the tattoo letters and numbers in one row, the numbers be placed first so that it does not touch the hair-covered tip of the ear, e.g. 123AB. The letters can also be applied below or above the numbers e.g.

AB91	OR	123
123	OR	AB91