Background: The first veld bull test started on the 1'st of July 1998 with 51 bulls from 17 Northwest Bonsmara club members. From here, a core group of breeders formed Proveld, which now comprises 12 members who collectively place around 250 bulls in combined veld performance tests per year.
Performance Test: Summer calves - intake the first Monday in July.
1. Adaptation period: start July to about 30 September, depending on grazing conditions. Commercial lick intake is limited to average 1kg/bull/day.
2. Test period: First Monday in October to end of March the following year. The commercial lick intake is 1.5kg/bull/day, and the ADG is 800-950g/day, depending on the grazing conditions.
3. Inspection by two independent senior inspectors appointed by the Bonsmara Cattle Breeders' Association takes place early in April. The approval rate is between 55-65%. All animals not approved are slaughtered.
Performance Test: Winter calves - intake normally the first Monday in January.
1. Adaptation period: start 15 December to about 31 January, depending on grazing conditions. Commercial lick intake is limited to average 1.5kg/bull/day.
2. Test period: First Monday in February to end of June (140 days). The commercial lick intake is 2.2kg/bull/day, and the ADG is 850-1000g/day,depending on the grazing conditions.
3. Inspection by two independent senior inspectors appointed by the Bonsmara Cattle Breeders' Association takes place towards middle of June. The approval rate is between 55-65%. All animals not approved are slaughtered.
Approved bulls are kept on the veld with a maintenance lick until 6 weeks before the Proveld Veld Bull auction, after which the bulls are prepared for the sale on the veld with a commercial cattle finisher supplement.
Proveld registered brand mark: An approved bull that has gone through the Proveld veld test is branded on the left shoulder with our registered brand mark - a clover leaf above a bar.
Proveld Group auctions: All animals offered as stud animals are offered under the auspices of the Bonsmara Cattle Breeders' Association of SA, and in accordance with their rules.
Three Proveld Bonsmara auctions are held yearly at the Vryburg Show grounds. The first sale being on the second Wednesday in February, the second is a 2 day sale held on the second Wednesday in June which is a bonsmara weaner calf sale at the Vryburg sale pens, and the Thursday is the breeding stock sale at the Vryburg Show grounds, with the third sale being held on the third Wednesday in October.
The bulls are again screened by two indepenant senior inspectors prior to the auction to ensure a high standard, and all bulls are tested for fertility, sheath washed and certified CA and TB free. The female animals offered at the sales by the members, our 14 Proveld commercial members and guest sellers, are subjected to similar stringent selection criteria and pre-screening prior to the auction to ensure a consistantly high standard of quality is maintained.
