Bull's Eye Consulting

Bull's Eye Consulting Agent and project leader for BenguFarm management software.

Professional livestock and game breeding consultation services, focused on animal recording, production recording, performance & genetic evaluation, selection, breeding and management. Professional breeding consultation services, focused on animal recording, management software, production recording, performance evaluation, selection, genetic evaluation (breeding values), breeding and management.

Mr Leslie Bergh is the project manager and an agent for BenguFarm farm management software for beef cattle, sheep & goats, game and pigs. Bull's Eye Consulting also runs a data recording bureau service for farmers on the BenguFarm software.

Breeding seasons [10] - Breeding heifers If heifers become too heavy and/or too fat to be mated at 24 months of age, m...
13/06/2026

Breeding seasons [10] - Breeding heifers
If heifers become too heavy and/or too fat to be mated at 24 months of age, mating them at about 18 months of age during a second (winter) breeding season should be considered. This option will put even more stress on these young heifers and should only be considered if sufficient good-quality pastures and/or crop residues, hay or silage are available for the heifers during the winter following calving. Insufficient nutrients during this period will certainly result in a low re-conception rate.
It is always a question what to do with the first parity cows that calve during winter at 2½ years of age. There are basically two options, namely:
• Transfer them to the main breeding season by waiting an extra six months before they are mated again. This gives them additional time to recover before the next breeding season, resulting in a higher re-conception rate; OR
• Mate them immediately to calve again during the winter at an age of 3½ years. This practice will eventually lead to two full breeding seasons.
Another management practice to consider is starting the breeding season for heifers 4-6 weeks before the cows’ breeding season. This gives them a longer time to recover before the next breeding season, resulting in a higher re-conception rate.
It is also advisable to use a higher percentage of bulls when breeding heifers, especially during the first 21 days of the breeding season.
Also consider putting a teaser bull with the heifers nine days before the intact bull is introduced. The teaser bull will stimulate the heifers to ovulate.
The breeding season for heifers should ideally be 45 - 65 days to put higher pressure on selection for fertility.
Higher selection pressure can also be applied by the practice of over-mating. This practice implies that up to 50% more heifers than needed for replacement are mated, making it possible to retain only the pregnant ones in the breeding herd.

Teelseisoene [9] - Faktore om in ag te neem by die teling van verse. Die korrekte bestuur van verse en eerstekalfkoei...
06/06/2026

Teelseisoene [9] - Faktore om in ag te neem by die teling van verse.
Die korrekte bestuur van verse en eerstekalfkoeie is 'n kritieke aspek om 'n hoë konsepsie persentasie in 'n kudde te behaal omdat hulle nog groei terwyl hulle dragtig is en daarna ’n kalf moet soog. Om dit te kan doen en weer dragtig te word, het hulle voldoende hoeveelhede hoë gehalte voer nodig.
Gewig, kondisie en groeitempo is die primêre aspekte om in ag te neem in die besluit wanneer verse gepaar kan word. Hierdie aspekte is belangriker as die ouderdom van die verse. Die ideaal is om verse so gou as moontlik nadat hulle seksuele volwassenheid bereik het te paar. ’n Vers bereik seksuele volwassenheid wanneer sy ongeveer 60% tot 65% van haar verwagte volwasse gewig bereik. Vir mediumraam koeie met 'n gemiddelde volwasse gewig van 500kg is die teikengewig van verse vir paring dus ongeveer 300 tot 325kg.

Breeding seasons [8] - Bull/female ratio guidelinesImportant factors to consider when deciding on the bull/female ratio ...
30/05/2026

Breeding seasons [8] - Bull/female ratio guidelines
Important factors to consider when deciding on the bull/female ratio are:
• The libido of the bull to be used;
• The age and experience of the bull; and
• The environmental conditions during the breeding season e.g. camp size, visibility, physical obstructions, poor grazing, long distances to water, dry & hot weather, etc.
The following are general guidelines for different bull ages, but should be adapted considering the above-mentioned factors.
• 2-year-old bulls: 20 - 25 cows
• 3-year-old bulls: 25 - 30 cows
• 4+ year old bulls: 30 - 40 cows

Teelseisoene (7) - Hoe begin ek om ’n teelseisoen te implementeer?Daar is basies vier besluite wat geneem moet word, naa...
23/05/2026

Teelseisoene (7) - Hoe begin ek om ’n teelseisoen te implementeer?
Daar is basies vier besluite wat geneem moet word, naamlik:
1. Gaan een of twee teelseisoene per jaar geïmplementeer word.
2. Wat is die beste periode(s) gedurende die jaar.
3. Watter implementeringstrategie gaan gevolg word, naamlik geleidelik of onmiddellik.
4. Besluit oor die implementeringsproses.

Vir onmiddellike implementering van ’n somer teelseisoen word die volgende stappe aanbeveel:
1. Verwyder alle bulle uit die teelkudde aan die einde van die beplande somer teelseisoen.
2. Doen dragtigheidstoetse op alle koeie en verse 2–3 maande nadat die bulle verwyder is.
3. Skot alle nie-dragtige koeie en verse uit, OF plaas hierdie diere oor na 'n winter teelseisoen.
4. Indien die nie-dragtige koeie en verse oorgeplaas word na 'n winter teelseisoen, doen weer dragtigheidstoetse en skot alle nie-dragtige diere uit. Plaas die dragtige diere oor na die somer teelseisoen OF gaan voort met die winter teelseisoen.

Vir geleidelike implementering van ’n somer teelseisoen word dit aanbeveel om te begin met 'n langer seisoen en dit elke jaar met twee weke te verkort totdat die verlangde tydperk bereik word. Dit is belangrik dat die teelseisoen verkort word deur die begin datum vorentoe te skuif (nie die einddatum terug nie). Gestel die uiteindelike teelseisoen moet van 15 Desember tot 28 Februarie (2 ½ maande) wees, dan kan daar byvoorbeeld begin word met ’n vier maande teelseisoen en dit elke jaar as volg verkort word met twee weke:
• 1ste jaar: 1 Nov - 28 Feb (4 maande).
• 2de jaar: 15 Nov - 28 Feb (3 ½ maande).
• 3de jaar: 1 Des - 28 Feb (3 maande).
• 4de jaar: 15 Des - 28 Feb (2 ½ maande).

Die volgende proses word aanbeveel:
• Verwyder alle bulle uit die teelkudde aan die einde van die beplande somer teelseisoen.
• Doen dragtigheidstoetse op alle koeie en verse 2 - 3 maande nadat die bulle verwyder is.
• Skot alle nie-dragtige koeie en verse uit.

Breeding seasons (6) - How long should it be?A breeding season for beef cattle should be 90 days or less. Taking 285 day...
16/05/2026

Breeding seasons (6) - How long should it be?
A breeding season for beef cattle should be 90 days or less. Taking 285 days as the average pregnancy period of cattle, a cow must conceive within 80 days after calving to calve the next year at the same time. [365 – 285 (Pregnancy) = 80 days]. To ensure all cows have calved before the next breeding season starts, the breeding season should not exceed 75 days. To create selection pressure for fertility, the ideal is a 65-day (3 estrus cycles) breeding season for lactating cows and a 45-day (2 cycles) breeding season for heifers & dry cows. To achieve a high conception rate in such a short breeding season, aspects like the nutritional status, body condition and health management of the cows should be at optimal levels.

Teelseisoene (5) - Een of twee teelseisoene per jaar? In die algemeen is ’n somer teelseisoen die beste in ’n somerreë...
10/05/2026

Teelseisoene (5) - Een of twee teelseisoene per jaar?
In die algemeen is ’n somer teelseisoen die beste in ’n somerreënval gebied. 'n Winter teelseisoen behoort slegs oorweeg te word indien voldoende voeding van 'n hoë gehalte, byvoorbeeld oesreste of aangeplante weiding, teen 'n lae koste beskikbaar is gedurende die winter.
Die belangrikste voordele van twee teelseisoene per jaar is eerstens dat nie-dragtige koeie wat nie uitgeskot word nie, nie ‘n volle jaar hoef oor te slaan voordat hulle weer gepaar word nie – hulle kan binne ses maande weer gepaar word. Tweedens dat verse wat te swaar/vet word vir paring op 24 maande op 18 maande ouderdom gepaar kan word. Derdens dat teelbulle meer effektiewe gebruik kan word.
Die belangrikste nadele van twee teelseisoene per jaar is eerstens dat seleksiedruk vir reproduksie verlaag word weens die versoeking om koeie wat oorgeslaan het nie uit te skot nie, aangesien hulle binne ses maande weer gepaar kan word. Tweedens is prestasietoetsgroepe kleiner omdat die jaarlikse kalweroes verdeel word in twee seisoene. Derdens vereis twee teelseisoene hoër arbeid- en bestuursinsette omdat al die bestuursaksies twee keer per jaar gedoen moet word.

Breeding seasons (4)- Which time of the year is the best? The primary principle is to choose a time of the year at which...
02/05/2026

Breeding seasons (4)- Which time of the year is the best?
The primary principle is to choose a time of the year at which the cows reach optimum condition for breeding. This time is usually about three months after the month of the highest rainfall. For a summer breeding season, the best re-conception is achieved if cows calve about one month before to about one month after the first effective rains have fallen. (E.g. if the first effective rains in a specific area usually fall in October, cows should calve from September to November. This implies that the breeding season should be from 15 November to 15 February.
If no breeding seasons exist on a particular farm, the current calving pattern of the herd can be used as a guideline. Determine in which three consecutive months most calves are born and use this to determine the optimum time for a breeding season.
In general, breeding seasons in drier regions (where the rain usually starts later in the season) should be later than in wetter regions (where the rain usually starts earlier in the season).

Teelseisoene (3) - Wat is die gevolge van 'n teelseisoen wat te vroeg of te laat begin?Die belangrikste gevolge van ’n t...
25/04/2026

Teelseisoene (3) - Wat is die gevolge van 'n teelseisoen wat te vroeg of te laat begin?

Die belangrikste gevolge van ’n teelseisoen (en gevolglik kalfseisoen) wat te laat begin is eerstens laer speengewigte. Koeie wat te laat kalf het tot gevolg dat die kalwers nog te klein is om hulle moeders se hoë melkproduksie tydens die piek somerweiding te kan benut en dit lei tot laer speengewigte. Tweedens lei koeie wat te laat kalf tot hoër geboortegewigte en gevolglik 'n hoër voorkoms van moeilike kalwings omdat die koeie tydens kalwing reeds vir ’n geruime tydperk op die hoër voedingsvlakke van die somerweiding is wat lei tot groter kalwers by geboorte.

Die belangrikste gevolg van ’n teelseisoen (en gevolglik kalfseisoen) wat te vroeg begin, is ‘n laer herkonsepsiepersentasie. Koeie wat te vroeg kalf, d.w.s. te lank voordat daar voldoende somerweiding beskikbaar is om aan die verhoogde voedingsbehoeftes van lakterende koeie te voldoen, lei tot ’n te groot verlies aan kondisie van die koeie en gevolglik ’n laer herkonsepsiepersentasie.

Breeding seasons (2) - Advantages of breeding seasons:The advantages of breeding seasons are:1. The optimal utilization ...
17/04/2026

Breeding seasons (2) - Advantages of breeding seasons:
The advantages of breeding seasons are:
1. The optimal utilization of the peak production period of the natural pastures:
- The best paddocks can be allocated to the breeding herd, resulting in a better condition of the breeding herd and subsequently in a higher conception rate;
- Females can be mated at optimum condition and weight, resulting in a higher conception rate;
- The period of peak nutritional requirements of the cows (6 - 14 weeks after calving) can coincide with the peak production of the natural pastures, resulting in cows maintaining their condition, and subsequently in a higher conception rate and, secondly, calves with higher weaning weights;
- The pre-wean growth period of the calves coincides with peak production of natural pastures, resulting in higher weaning weights.
2. The period of low nutritional requirements of the cows (after weaning of their calves) coincides with the period of low production of the natural pastures (during winter). Less supplementation is therefore needed during winter.
3. Cost-effective strategic supplementation of breeding cows is possible.
4. It simplifies feed flow planning.
5. It simplifies routine management practices, e.g. dosing, pregnancy diagnosis, calving observation, identification, inoculation, dehorning, castration, weighing, weaning, etc. With single-sire mating, breeding groups must be kept separate for only a short period of the year.
6. Calving season(s) can be coordinated with other farming activities, e.g. planting and harvesting.
7. Attention can be focused on the breeding herd during the breeding and calving season(s).
8. Performance testing can be done more effectively because calf groups are larger and more uniform regarding age variation.
9. Marketing can be more effective because:
- Calf groups are larger and more uniform regarding weight and age;
- Non-pregnant cows can be marketed before winter in good condition.
10. Selection for fertility is easier and more effective because:
- Sub or infertile females can easily be identified;
- Sub or infertile bulls and/or bulls lacking libido can easily be identified;
- Non-pregnant females can be culled early, i.e. directly after the pregnancy diagnosis; and
- Cows that will calve late in the season (and have the highest risk not conceiving the next breeding season) can be identified.

Breeding Management - Other aspects:Other aspects that are essential for a good reproduction management programme are pr...
31/01/2026

Breeding Management - Other aspects:
Other aspects that are essential for a good reproduction management programme are pregnancy tests, good supervision of female animals – especially heifers – during the calving season, meticulous record keeping of the reproduction activities, for example, mating lists and AI records, pregnancy records, calving records and – where possible – when each cow was on heat and which bull serviced her. Reproduction records that should be recorded at the breeding group and herd levels include pregnancy percentages, calving percentages and mortaities at calving. A good management computer programme, such as the BenguFarm software and Mobile app, can be a valuable aid in this respect, as it provides for the recording, processing, and reporting of all reproduction records. For more information, please visit www.bengufarm.co.za.

Address

Kopieva Close 2
Pretoria

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 17:00
Thursday 08:00 - 17:00
Friday 08:00 - 17:00
Saturday 08:00 - 14:00

Telephone

+27 82 801 2026

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