Man, Cattle and Veld

By: Johann Zietsman

Narrated by: Cary Yates

Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

The audiobook for profitable ranching. A real ranching revolution. Cattle breeding. Grazing management.

Much like nature, this audiobook is both simple and complex. Zietsman has taken great care to create both a simple technical guide as well as a philosophic declaration about complex human and environmental nuances, all in one volume.

Those people who see and shape the future often say that the future is already here, it just isn't evenly distributed. Several years from now, many will look back upon this book, as well as the rest of Johann Zietsman's works, as foundational to the restoration of—and relationships between—man, cattle, and veld. Zietsman puts forth a much-needed critique of man and his actions over the past century, as well as personal stories as contra-example to the narratives that have dominated the ranching world.

Achieving the ranch goal of maximum sustainable profit per hectare depends on breeding and feeding cattle (and all grazing species) as the grazers that they are. Efforts should be directed at raising cattle that are more efficient converters of forage, not on trying to make forage-reliant species into grain-efficient machines. Forces of nature created the animals we have, and their genetic potential will be brought out through nonselective grazing and proper supplementation. Nonselective, time-controlled grazing, in which 80 to 95 percent of the mass of all grasses and forbs are utilized, thus pruning plants back to their crowns, is the process by which grasslands are improved in both plant vigor and species composition.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of this last point—plant species diversity is promoted by time-controlled severe grazing events, whereas selective, "take half, leave half" grazing is much more limited in improving species diversity, even leading to species narrowing in some circumstances.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2014 Johann Zietsman (P)2022 Johann Zietsman

The Best

IMO the best book out there on cattle in the regenerative world. Zeitsman is a master stockman and has forgotten more than I’ll ever know

Extremely valuable insights for beef producers

This is an incredibly detailed account of what I, as a less experienced beef producer, need to take into consideration when making decisions about individual animals, grazing practices and infrastructure planning and establishment. If your prior knowledge of cattle ranching was gained through agriculture extension programs, college ag courses or general convenional wisdom, be ready for an extreme paradigm shift.