Let’s start with the most important question… Why is Collett Farming Superior Genetic Meatmasters relevant to you?

We are innovative

In the late 1980’s, we noticed that sustainable long term farming strategy had to change. Food will not always be as cheap and abundant as what it was at that stage. With the world population growing, a country whose population was growing rapidly, farming had to change. We are proud to be part of a small core of farmers that initiated and started the Meatmaster sheep breed. With the amount of Meatmaster breeders growing rapidly it is just proof that the foresight we displayed at that time, was right.

What started out as just a cross bred composite animal, through 22 years of diligent selection we have successfully managed to breed a sheep that we are proud to offer our clients. When we started crossbreeding in the late 80’s we did not want to reach a point where we say, “we should have tried, this breed or that breed” so we crossbred, as many breeds, two way and three-way cross breeds, obviously keeping the Damara breed as the foundation and focusing always on just selecting for economic traits both phenotypically and with performance figures.

The year 2000 we STOPPED ALL CROSS BREEDING! Then we focused on purifying our genetics to establish a pure breed gene pool, and make sure that our genetics is pure and breeds true to type! Although Meatmasters was initially bred for the dryer arid regions of South Africa, the breed has exploded in popularity throughout South Africa due to its great adaptation in wetter climates, it has done very well in the high parasite regions in the country with its higher rainfall and even in intensive and semi-intensive commercial structures has done well due to its high fertility, and tolerance to diseases.

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We are committed

Why did we ever start this project while being highly successful with four breeds? Why endure the ridicule of being called a fly by night by breeders of other breeds? Why start a new breeding project and not just build on our success? None of these breeds were committed to the commercial farmer! All these breeds say they are commercially focused but what happens? A champion gets chosen in a showring.

The look of this champion drives the selection of the whole breed. Fertility, Reproduction, Performance had no influence in the choice of choosing these champions. Most of the time if not all the time the champion has to go to an AI station because they can’t survive or serve in the veld. We bred various SA champions, so we know the process full well, and are not speaking with hyperbole or resentment. In 1985 we bred a ram that was sold for a world record price of R72 000.

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Some have claimed that we have bred more show champions of all the breeds we were part of, than anyone else. Fellow breeders in these industry’s literally went through the trouble to come and see us on the farm, thinking that we lost our minds. How could we leave these breeds where we where at the pinnacle of to try and establish a new breed, it seemed to them such a ludicrous idea. After being part of this industry for so many years, we just said, enough, is enough and called it a day and left with no hard feelings and truly wishing the breeds all the best for their future. With the initiating of this new breed at that stage, we asked ourselves. What will the commercial farmer need. Maximum income, minimum expense. Everything comes down to income.

You don’t become rich by making a lot of money and spending a lot of money, you become rich by making money and keeping as much as possible in your pocket. So, all our selection norms came down to what makes you money and what costs your money. Bearing in mind we farm totally extensive, no licks, no creep feeding, no flush feeding.

A key factor is you need to know what goes on in your herd, and the only way to do that is to keep record! A short pencil is better than a long memory. If you just work on memory, in time, it becomes a guessing game, but if you write it down, you will always work with facts.

Fertility obvious is vital, so we expect our ewes to lamb at 12 months and wean a lamb every year. Again, some will ask why not lamb every 8 months. Long term trials have showed us that extensively in the area that we farm, you make more profit by lambing once a year, rather than every 8 months calculating your sums over the entire 7-year life of an ewe and her progeny. And so, when we select a breeding ram, we look at how his mother performed, and both his grand parents etc. By doing this we make sure our breeding rams breed us daughters that adapt well are extremely fertile and rear their lambs well. THE TRUE MONY MAKERS!

We never use a ram just because he looks beautiful or looks like a “champion” because quite often, those that will win in the showring are the infertile, extreme conformation poor performing type of animal.

If you buy a ram with no information? What are you buying? I’ll tell you – you are either gambling, by buying just a pretty picture or you are buying someone’s nice story.

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What do we do?

We have spent the last 22 year devoted to raise the standard of our herd to such an extent that our worst ewes are better than the average of the breed. All our ewes are pure bred animals! Genetically pure bred Meatmasters. We have had genetic tests done to make sure that our herd is a pure gene pool. We have reached a point where some breeders of our original parent breeds are now using Meatmasters rams on their ewes for hybrid vigour.

Since 2015 we have won multiple awards, twice we have won South Africa’s SMALL STOCK HERD OF THE YEAR award, we have won platinum awards by SA Studbook and sold rams for record prices but what we are most proud of, and our biggest goal is that we can sell EXCELENT affordable rams to the commercial farmers at our annual production sale. We have been blessed to see some emerging farmers becoming increasingly successful with our genetics. AND THAT IS WHAT STUD BREEDING IS ABOUT! These farmers are from the Western Cape all the way to Limpopo. We really feel so blessed that we could inspire these farmers and assist them with some of their decision making and giving guidance where we can. Our clients, become friends.

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What is Collett Farming all about?

We see Collett farming firstly as our mission field, where we endeavour to carry out the great commission wherever our business takes us locally and abroad. We realise that each one will be held accountable for the choices they make and that only God and the trinity can convert. We can only endeavour to show the way by truly showing love and kindness to all but also by standing up without fear for what is right in this liberal and corrupted world. He who truly seeks the Almighty God creator of all things will find Him and His perfect eternal plan of salvation in Jesus Christ. Don’t look to us for perfection we realise we are just forgiven sinners by God’s grace endeavouring to do His will as we walk closer in His footsteps tomorrow than we did today.

Meatmasters in the whole country

Now why do we say made for a time such as this? South Africa is experiencing so much rain that its estimated that it can damage the production of grains, and so cause a grain shortage. China has record stockpile of grain, Food insecurity in America, massive locust plagues in north Africa. The United Nations estimates that in 2030 eating insets will be common practice worldwide. Grains will not be available for livestock because humankind will be needing it. Livestock will have to be adapted to their natural environment and survive, Produce, reproduce, and perform. This is why we believe in allowing nature to select for us regarding parasites, diseases and animals able to not to just survive but thrive in a tough natural environment.

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We would like to invite you to our Production Sale, 24 February 2022. There will be 120 Performance Tested Rams and 400 Ewes, 200 Stud Ewes and 200 Commercial. This is the platform that we have used for the past 36 Years where we tell all our clients “This is where we sell our best genetics for the year”.

For more information please do not hesitate to contact Mario du Preez on 0814890198 for further assistance.