Santa Gertrudis - Short History
The Santa Gertrudis breed was developed in the early 1900's in the South of Texas, USA. The British breeds (Bos Taurus), mainly used at the time, did not thrive under the tropical and sub-tropical conditions. To overcome this so-called tropical degeneration syndrome, the Brahman (Bos Indicus) was used in cross-breeding which resulted in the Santa Gertrudis breed. This was such a success that a very similar formula was later used to develop breeds such as Bonsmara, Simbra, Brafford, etc. Today the Santa consists of 5/8 Bos Taurus and 3/8 Bos Indicus.
To breed Santas makes a lot of economic sense. The breed has the potential to produce meat efficiently and economically. It is a breed with an excellent feed conversion ratio which makes it a popular feeding lot animal. It is not uncommon to find Santas outperforming other breeds on auctions. It is a trouble free breed with excellent walking ability. Their smooth and short hair quality limits external paracites and allow them to adapt to extreme conditions.
The Santa cross-breeds exceptionally well with other beef breeds. It is a breed that gives the beef farmer and the rest of the meat chain animals that are ideally suited to improve your financial bottom line. The fact that Santas produce small calves and wean heavier calves, on average 20 to 30 kg more than most other breeds, make them the ideal breed to use in any situation. Definitely the best choice any farmer can make, commercial or stud.
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