Like many other parts of the country, Vastrap has been affected by a severe drought this year. By last week the veld was looking very desert-like with no roughage or green shoots for the animals. Things were so bad that we started grazing animals in the road and calling in favours to get extra feed bales from … Continue reading At Nature’s Mercy
We enjoyed a fantastic day at the 3rd Vastrap Boran Auction on Friday, 14 August. So much time and effort goes into planning the auction and there is always a lot of stress about how things are going to turn out. It is such a blessing when we wake up to a beautiful, windless blue-sky … Continue reading 3rd Vastrap Auction done and dusted!
The two most prominent bloodlines in the Vastrap Boran herd are the Jackie motherline and the Khan sireline. The Jackie's have been prolific breeders because of their enormous flushing capabilities and excellent fertility. The Jackie's are obviously close to our hearts, because the very first investment we made in the Boran was the purchase of Jackie … Continue reading Jackie-Khan: the foundation of the Vastrap herd
We had a fantastic time at the 2015 National Boran Auction last weekend that was held at the Afridome in Parys. It is always a real pleasure to catch up and socialise with our fellow breeders from around the country and to meet new people interested in the breed. The auction itself went very well. The … Continue reading Blessed by the Boran
We were so touched by this gentle and loving interaction between Hope MHB 04-11 and her calf by Griffen MHB 06-24, Hope VST 14-92. It's such a treat when we get to spend some quiet time with our Boran herd taking photos and generally bonding with the cows. Every-day farming is so hectic and Quentin is … Continue reading Touched by Mother Love
Vastrap Boran was very proud to be a part of the inaugural Boran Expo held on 13 March 2015 at Kroonboma. We had such a great time and really believe that this is a fantastic initiative set to become a highlight on the Boran calendar. Not only was it great to network and chat to other … Continue reading Learning from the Best
It's been an incredibly busy two weeks here at Vastrap with non-stop cattle work on the go. We were notified very late that our 2013 heifers and 2012 bulls would be inspected by the Boran Society yesterday. Before animals can be inspected they need to be branded so Quentin took a full three days working … Continue reading Busy, busy, Boran!
This is the story of a little Boran bull calf who fell down an aardvark hole and was very lucky to be rescued by Quentin. We're not sure if other Boran farmers have experienced this too, but we've had quite a few incidents of calves falling down holes that they couldn't get out of, much … Continue reading Calf rescue!
Quentin had an opportunity to give our little almost-one-year-old Livia, a proper introduction to our Boran cows today. She's often seen our herds from the safety of the bakkie and passed them on our daily walks, but today she got up close with her daddy. Boy did she love it! Some of our best cows were … Continue reading Daddy’s little cow girl!
The first rain of the season heralds the start of our cattle breeding season here in the Eastern Free State. After a good long rest over winter, our bulls have all been tested for fertility and STDs and now they are being put to work with the ladies. Here is group of young heifers, mainly … Continue reading Breeding season has begun!
Vastrap Boran 