Road R70, Senekal, South Africa
The Braford breeding program at Heelbo Farm, in the district of Rosendal, in the picturesque Eastern Free State, was established in 1978 by the late Mr. P. H. N. Bremer. In 1978, two Brahman bulls were bought from Kanhym Estates. These bulls were used as base animals on Polled Hereford Dams, from the Heelbo Hereford Stud, in the crossbreeding program. F1 heifers, with a tendency towards the Hereford, were then crossed with Brahman Bulls and those that resembled the Brahman were crossed with Hereford Stud bulls. During the second or F2 phase, this process was repeated. Strict selection based on different visual criteria was maintained during each phase. During the original phases a lot of color variations appeared in the animals. Emphasis was placed on pigmentation, hair quality as well as the ability to move comfortably. Reproduction played a major role in selecting females that would continue in the program. The polled factor was regarded as a criteria right from the...