Drakensberger

The Drakensberger is a South African breed of cattle. It is a dual-purpose breed, reared both for milk and for meat.[4]: 171  Its origins go back to the early nineteenth century, to the time of the Great Trek or earlier, when imported European stock from Holland with was cross-bred with black cattle of Sanga type obtained from nomadic pastoralist Khoikhoi peoples.[4]: 171  It is one of several successful African composite breeds of Sanga and European stock.[5]: 597  In the early days it was selected for adaptation to the sourveld biome of South Africa, and for black colour; it was kept principally along the Drakensberg escarpment, which gave rise to its modern name.[6]: 78  It was established as a breed with the formation of the Drakensberger Cattle Breeders' Society in 1947.[4]: 171} [7]

Conservation status
Country of originSouth Africa
DistributionSouthern Africa, Australia[3]
Usedual-purpose
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    900–1100 kg[4]: 171 
  • Female:
    500–700 kg[4]: 171 
Height
  • Cattle
  • Bos (primigenius) taurus

History

The origins of the Drakensberger go back to the early nineteenth century, to the time of the Great Trek or earlier, when imported European stock from Holland with was cross-bred with black cattle of Sanga type obtained from nomadic pastoralist Khoikhoi peoples.[4]: 171  These cross-breeds developed into a type or breed known as the Vaderlander; there was some selection both for black colour and for adaptation to the sourveld biome of South Africa.[4]: 171 

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Drakensberger.
  1. Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
  2. Breed data sheet: Drakensberger / South Africa (Cattle). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed December 2022.
  3. Transboundary breed: Drakensberger. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed December 2022.
  4. Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
  5. Marleen Felius (1995). Cattle Breeds: An Encyclopedia. Doetinchem, Netherlands: Misset. ISBN 9789054390176.
  6. [National Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Council] (June 2006). South African Country Report on Farm Animal Genetic Resources. Pretoria: Department of Agriculture. Annex to: Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 10 January 2017.
  7. Origin and History. Drakensberger Breeders' Society of South Africa. Accessed July 2022.
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