The Zimbabwe Herd Book (ZHB) Beef and Small Stock School returns to Harare at ART Farm from 15 to 17 September 2026.

This year's move to the capital significantly improves accessibility for farmers and students, cutting travel costs while offering a world-class programme featuring local and international experts such as Catriona Millen and PJ Budler.

The intensive three-day schedule covers everything from data-driven breeding and ''Year of the Boran" genetics to practical artificial insemination, wireworm management, and even a live sheepdog demonstration. With rising operational pressures, this is the ultimate platform to master cash flow management and high-performance nutrition for both cattle and sheep.

Secure your competitive edge and network with the industry's best by staying tuned for details at:

Agriculture.co.zw

Mrs Carmen Stubbs, Fertyline Mashona Cattle Stud - 1935 - 2025

With a passion that spanned over six decades, Carmen worked tirelessly to conserve and improve the genetic integrity of the Mashona breed, leaving behind a wealth of knowledge and a lasting impact on Zimbabwe's agricultural heritage.

Follow this link to read more about Carmen's remarkable life and legacy

and learn how her work continues to inspire and influence the cattle breeding community in Zimbabwe.

It is with sadness that I inform you of the peaceful passing of Mrs Carmen Stubbs this afternoon, surrounded by her children. Stalwart of the Mashona cattle breed, who at the age of 90, celebrated 62 years of stud breeding.

Carmen will be remembered for her passionate dedication to Mashona cattle improvement and promotion. She enthusiastically shared her vast knowledge with the surrounding community and interested farmers.

One of a special kind of cattle breeder who has long championed Zimbabwe’s indigenous cattle breeds, Carmen has done much over the last 62 years to help ensure the survival, integrity and improvement of Zimbabwe’s indigenous cattle genetic heritage.

The livestock community are indebted for her dedicated skill and foresight. Carmen will be remembered for her sense of humour, courage, friendship and advice and support of the Zimbabwe Herd Book over the many years that I have known her.

Dr Mario Beffa, ZHB

Jakobus Johannes (Japie) Jackson was born on 20 August 1931 on the farm Riverton in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).  The second child of his parents, he and his older brother, Oswald, became children of the veld. His mother (maiden name Naude) died unexpectedly when he was only 13 years old. Thereafter he completed his school career as a boarder. Japie matriculated from Chaplin School in Gwelo (now Gweru) in 1948 with distinctions in six of the seven subjects in the Cambridge School Certificate examinations. Determined to become a farmer, he enrolled at Pretoria University for a degree in agriculture (BSc. Agric).

However, shortly after he had completed the first-year examinations in November 1949, Oswald prevailed on him to apply for admission to Onderstepoort in order to obtain a veterinary degree.

Early in 1950, Japie was informed that he had been selected as one of only 15 students for the second-year course at Onderstepoort and admission to the hostel situated on the campus. Although he had completed his schooling in English, his mother spoke Afrikaans. Consequently, he had no problem following those lectures that were presented in Afrikaans.
Japie was popular with his classmates, and close friendships were formed, as almost all the students were boarders, Onderstepoort being situated about 20 km from the city centre and bicycles being the only means of personal transport for the majority of students. Japie was a serious student and never hesitated to ask penetrating questions or express a
well-reasoned opinion.

This was less popular with some lecturers and may well have been responsible for the additional six months he had to spend at the faculty. The result was that he qualified for BVSc in the middle of 1954 instead of at the end of 1953. However, he never complained, stressing the valuable additional knowledge he consequently attained.

Japie selected his future wife, Hannalah Muller, on noticing her at a DRC church service in Pretoria North in 1950 during his first year at Onderstepoort and was introduced to her shortly thereafter by a few of his classmates.

“Oom Japie”

Honorary Life Member of Mashona Cattle Society

1. Appearance:
Compact, Well-proportioned, Fine boned Cattle.
A Handsome man of fine proportions, great muscling.
Soft gentle eyes that observed everyone and everything.

2. Colour:
Black, Red and Duns. (Dark Grey to Creamy White)
Sleek shiny coat. Dun to Pale Creamy White.
Always neatly barbered and well presented.

3. General Countenance:
Lithe, sleek, small, tough animals with active movements, a wide-awake intelligent look and possess a calm quiet nature unless calves are threatened.
Astute Farmer, Perceptive Academic, Inspired Veterinarian, Passionate Conservationist and Naturalist,
Lover of God, People, Cattle and the Veld.
An Exceptional Communicator, Linguist and Storyteller.
Tough and energetic. Oom Japie Performed millions of PD’s.
Always ready to walk the extra mile to explore God’s Creation.

4. Good Breeders:
Cows calve easily and are fiercely maternal. Compact feisty Bulls that get the job done. Tough genetics that have survived very rigorous natural selection processes.
Honourable, Loyal, Wise, Big-Hearted Man. Devoted Husband and Loving Praying Father. You Bred well. The Legacy of a Good Father will Bless many Generations. Together with your lovely Wife Hannalah, you produced a large productive Family that will have a lasting impact on generations to come.

5. Final Battle
Oom Japie likened his final Battle to “a cow battling Theileriosis”.

“A BULL AMONGST MEN”
A Fine Matabele Mashona who made us all Proud of our Cattle. Inspired us to want to be the best that we can
with the gifts God gave us.

Another outstanding feature in Japie’s life was his unshakeable Christian faith. Japie argued that, as The Bible was God’s word, it could not be faulted or criticised in any way. Darwinian evolution was, therefore, completely unacceptable to him. Hannalah shared this devotion. Their entire lives together were therefore ruled by their faith. Japie’s veterinary career started with employment on Liebig’s ranch in Southern Rhodesia, with its some 60 000 head of cattle in 1954. He had four main tasks:

• Immunisation of young calves against heartwater. It was a blood vaccine that was not available in Southern Rhodesia. Japie, therefore, had to produce it himself in heartwater-susceptible Merino sheep purchased in disease-free parts of South Africa. The laborious process of obtaining infective blood from these sheep was done on the farm, and some 10000 calves were immunised in the first season.

• AI of the ranch cows with semen obtained from Brahman bulls imported from Texas. As the bulls would not mount in oestrous cows, he successfully improvised an electro-ejaculator. Some 1000 cows were inseminated annually, and the success rate was
  approximately 50%.

• Pregnancy diagnoses (PDs) on some 15000 breeding cows occupied much of his time.

As he became more and more proficient, Japie reached a record of 2689 head in one day on Nuanetsi Ranch, where he also worked from time to time...... To read the rest of Japie's biography, click here

At our AGM in December 2021, Professor John Lawrence gave a very informative presentation on Theileriosis. Click below to download the article. We thank Livestock Today for sharing this:

Livestock Today: Prof John Lawrence report back
Control and treatment of Theileriosis to reduce cattle deaths

Click these links to access Livestock Registering Foundation's Newsletters:

LRF and BREEDPLAN News May 2023
LRF and BREEDPLAN News April 2023
LRF and BREEDPLAN News March 2023
LRF and BREEDPLAN News Jan 2023
LRF and BREEDPLAN News Feb 2023

An Excellent Mashona Cattle Society Field Day at Gombola Farm, Macheke on 4 Nov 2021

Mashona Cattle Society Members recently attended a highly educational and very enjoyable field day on the Lock's farm, Gombola, in the Macheke area.
The animals were in excellent condition for this time of the year. and those attending were able to witness, in person, what is proving to be the
'Match made in heaven' - the fine results of Mashona - Boran cross-breeding!

Sincere thanks from all Society Members go to

Helen and Andy Lock and Maree Osborne

for organising and hosting this informative event.

The Appendix Scheme - for grading up Mashona Cattle

It includes fascinating research study results about our cattle breed, articles of interest to anyone involved in breeding or farming Mashona cattle, and many beautiful photos and illustrations.

First published in 1992, this was revised, updated and extended in 2016.

If you are in Zimbabwe and would like to purchase a copy, these are available at Bargrove Veterinary Group (BVG) Office adjacent to the racecourse in Harare.

Price: US$25 per copy.

To arrange to pay and collect, and for directions to BVG, call +263 242 883736 or Cell: +263 777 223 325

If you are outside Zimbabwe, and are interested, please email osborne@zol.co.zw to make an arrangement.

Mashonaland Cattle Society Newsletter Jan 2016

Mashonaland Cattle Society Newsletter July 2015

Mashonaland Cattle Society Newsletter Feb 2014

Mashonaland Cattle Society Newsletter Jan 2014

Mashonaland Cattle Society Newsletter April 2013

Mashonaland Cattle Society Newsletter Aug 2012