In order to be prepared for the future, farmer Martin Jung breeds Brahmousin cattle from American Brahman bulls and French Limousin cows. Hotter summers, the wolf and ecological sustainability are just a few of the difficulties that can be expected and for which solutions have to be found. The new breed combines the best of the two breeds and shows excellent results.
Once upon a time, Brahmins lived in their origin country's pasture steppes, where they were exposed to various dangerous predators. In order to defend themselves against the danger, the cattle developed a strong herd instinct.
The animals protect each other by standing in a circle in order to secure the young animals which are located in the middle of the circle.
They have maintained this protection behavior until today. The animals are practicing their defense strategy on a regular basis on the pasture, a spectacle, which is very interesting to observe.
Martin Jung
Martin Jung (54) is a farmer with passion.
The farmer Martin was born in Breit, a small village in the Hunsrück region in Germany. For more than 30 years he has been keeping his farm there with over 120 cattle, which he breeds himself. This has given him a lot of experience over the years, especially in suckler cow husbandry.
A natural hospitality of the animals and a high meat quality are very important for Martin, therefore he takes care of his animals 365 days a year. His profession has become a lifestyle for him.
In order to protect himself and his animals against new threats such as the wolf, he looked for new methods and became aware of the cross Brahmousin.
The first results of his new breed confirmed, that the good qualities of the American Brahmins and the French Limousin cows has been transferred to the new breed. This is a complete success for him!
Calves
Very early the calves develop a strong muscle structure, as can be seen in the upper picture. This is because the animals are F1 crosses of Brahman bulls and Limousin cows. Through the crossing the carcass reaches an higher noble value. Due to the improved muscle structure, this crossing is also called grafting crossing.
The sales weight of the grafted animals has already reached 400 kg (live weight) and more after 10 months without the use of concentrated feed. The F1 cross bulls reach the 400 kg as slaughter weight already after 19-20 months.
This fast weight increase is reached by the daily increase of the carcass of approx. 1300g per day and is compared to pure-bred Limousin animals a clear gain.
Another special feature of this refining cross is, besides the high daily increase, which is achieved without concentrates, the optimal fat coverage level of the meat, which reaches the fat level 2 to 3.
Fodder
During summer the cattle only need pasture grass and around winter the animals are fed with self-made fodder, which consists of hay and grass silage. In addition, the pasture fattening bulls receive only 0.5 kg of organic cereal mixture per day, whereas the young bulls are also only fed with pasture grass.
The Brahmousinen calves build up their weight very quickly with this feeding strategy, without the use of concentrated feed. After 10 months, the weaners receive 0.5 kg of organic grain.
Martin Jung himself produces the basic feed for the animals on his agricultural land and obtains the organic cereals from regional partner farms. This ensures a transparent and sustainable feed chain.
The way Martin Jung keeps his cattle is in general economically very effective due to the high proportion of basic feed.
Bulls
Brahman cattle of the type Bos indicus have distinctive identification features, as can be seen in the pictures. Typical for the breed are a hump over neck and shoulder, big ears dangling down and abundant excess skin, which lies in wide folds at dewlap and navel.
In South America, the animals gained popularity as livestock, especially in states such as Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Australia, as they were better able to cope in this territory due to their high adaptability. Above all, the climate there, as well as the strong heat, does not bother the animals thanks to their heat-exchanging and sunburn-protecting skin. But even different insects such as flies, ticks and mosquitoes do not pose any danger to the cattle.
On the dangerous pasture steppes, the animals also developed a strong will to defend themselves against jackals, coyotes and wolves. Even cougars and lions think twice before approaching a Brahman calf, because the herd always protects the offspring attentively.
By this adaptation to the prevailing conditions in the southern states, this race had great advantages over the European cattle.
Not only the adaptability, but also the dimensions of the bulls are impressive: The bulls grow up to 1.5m and weigh between 18 and 25 hundredweights. On the pictures you can see that the carcass is very low in fat and has a high muscle percentage.
For the breeding of the Brahmousin cattle another trait is very decisive for the crossing of the two breeds. The crossing offers a good hybridization power. This means that the cross-breeds have better characteristics than the dam and sire. The bred animal combines the best traits from two different breeds.
Especially in connection with proven Europeans, outstanding breeding performance can be achieved. This ability is also another reason for the success of the Brahman on an international level. But also here in Germany the interest in the long-eared Indo-American is getting bigger and bigger.
From an economic point of view, the breed is also a success: For example, fewer resources are needed in keeping (see feed) and the bulls have an exceptionally high life expectancy of 20 years. They can still be used for breeding at the age of 18. Furthermore, the animals are considered to be very easy to calve and the calves are vital and joyful.
Currently Martin Jung uses two magnificent Brahman bulls for breeding: Mr. Chief (silver-grey) and Mr. Elanou (brown), both of original American descent. Both Brahmins are registered in the German and American herdbook.
The Wolf
The wolf conquers the German forest further and further back. This has a great influence on the agriculture and the safety of farm animals. Farmers have to protect their cattle from predators by taking precautions.
Brahmins naturally have a high herd instinct and defend themselves and the herd from danger. These and other basic instincts, like their good hearing, protect them and are a good weapon against the wolf in this country.
