The Santa Gertrudis cattle name comes from the legacy of lands of the Spanish Crown called Santa Gertrudis. It was developed by Captain Richard King in 1853. The ranch, King Ranch of Texas, USA and officially recognized in 1940. In addition to being the first defined breed of cattle developed in the North American continent with 3/8 of Cebu and 5/8 of Shorthorn. It was the best combination for its adaptation and production.
The Santa Gertrudis’s first breed of cattle developed in North America was created by controlled matings and crosses, to adapt to warm climates. The method used for the formation of the Santa Gertrudis breed was the following: After the first crossing with the original bulls, approximately seven-eighth Brahman on pure Shorthorn cows.
Subsequently replacing these Borden bulls with bulls of a better type and more uniformity of the highly selected Brahman rodeo. The most cattle butcher type was developed with blood percentages of about three-eighths Brahman and five-eighth Shorthorn.
Characteristics of Santa Gertrudis Cattle
Santa Gertrudis cattle its color is clear or dark uniform red, the skin pigmented red. This breed usually has a large, muscular body. They are huge everywhere with a pronounced hump and large hindquarters. Usually, the head is wide, the profile looks convex, the ears of medium size too long, and slightly fallen; the horns are antlers. The neat neck, the soft and muscular back with free movements. It has a broad chest, a straight back, well-arched ribs, and a broad long rump that fell from front to back.
The broad and muscular hindquarters. Skin with colored pigmentation, loose, with skin folds (double chin, navel) and pink mucous membranes. It has good adaptation to subtropical and temperate climates; It tolerates heat and takes advantage of hard grasses. The bulls have a slight hump on the cross. Her color is attractive cherry-red hair and her hair is short and soft. You may also like to read Jersey cow.
White spots are allowed that do not exceed half the area of the lower line of the body and some white hairs on the tassel. There is a mocha variety. He is intelligent and of docile handling with a calm temperament. The weight of adult bulls is around 850 to 1000 kg. Cows are very good mothers who produce milk and who help wean heavy calves.
Also, the female has a milk production from 6 to 11 lots. and the duration of breastfeeding is between 7 and 10 months. The Santa Gertrudis, without being a race specialized in producing milk, has good production under grazing conditions. You may also like to read Angus Cattle.
So we can use early weaning, so you can get more calves to the cow. The females of this species have a very good conversion of grass and grain into meat. While the cows of this species weigh between 550 and 700 kg. The calves, when born thin and elongated. Precocity is one of the qualities that has given renown to the race. Also, the weight at birth is 32-37 Kg, and at 18 months they are around 390-400 kg, with yields to the carcass of 60-61%.
Usage
The great resistance to heat and insects, rusticity, the propensity to gain weight, and early maturity of Santa Gertrudis cattle make it an economic breed at the same time. That is why farmers consider this breed to be profitable for meat production. The Santa Gertrudis breed produces excellent quality meat with an acceptable amount of fat.
With a higher yield in the later quarter. It is tender, of excellent flavor, good color, and with moderate interstitial fat. Today the selection tends to obtain an animal of intermediate size, great functionality, and good hindquarters. You may also like to read Highland Cattle.
Special Feature
Santa Gertrudis cattle have a natural heat resistance, as well as pests and parasites. It shows rusticity and a tendency to gain weight, tends to early maturity, and shows resistance to tropical diseases. It adapts very well to warm places, where there are places with average temperatures of 31 ° C., And precipitation greater than 2,000 mm. per year.
In recent years Santa Gertrudis meat has been exported to different European countries. The meat was sent to Germany Belgium and other South American countries through private breeders. They are also very docile and easy to handle animals. An animal Santa Gertrudis, with little source of calories and food, still has its shiny coat. Another very good characteristic of this breed, concerning producing meat, is that it has a high fattening, more than breeds such as Angus, Hereford, or Charolais.
FAQ
What is the Santa Gertrudis best known for?
The Santa Gertrudis breed of beef cattle is best known for its ability to thrive in hot and dry climates while still producing top-quality beef. This breed was developed in the 1940s by Robert J. Kleberg, Jr., a descendant of a wealthy ranching family from south Texas, who used Brahman cattle as the foundation stock and added British breeds including Shorthorns to create this unique hybrid that can perform well without requiring large amounts of water or supplemental feed.
Why is Santa called the Gertrudis cattle?
‘Santa’ is a long-standing nickname for the Gertrudis cattle, a breed of beef cattle originating in the late 19th century. They are named after Doña Gertrudis de la Garza de Arizpe, who is from Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, and established the first modern rancho in 1811.
What are the characteristics of Santa Gertrudis?
Santa Gertrudis is a breed of beef cattle that was bred in the United States by California rancher Captain Robert J. Kleberg and his wife, Sarah. It is one of the most popular beef breeds in the United States and Australia today.
Conclusion
Santa Gertrudis cattle are a breed of beef cattle that was developed in the North American continent by Captain Richard King. The ranch is located in Texas and it was officially recognized as a breed back in 1940. This crossbreed has 3/8s Cebu and 5/8 Shorthorn bloodlines which make it best for its adaptation to production on farms with sandy soils like those found at King Ranch. We hope this guide has helped you learn more about these beautiful animals! Good luck if you plan to raise them yourself!
As a reference: Wikipedia
