Would it be crazy for a newbie to start with 3-5 Santa Gertrudis or Beefmaster. Im in louisiana, black angus do well here and are very common. I make my living doing landscaping. This will be hobby and just something i want to do. I want red and dont want what everyone else has. Ill start with these on 10 acres but have another 12 already fenced that we rotate our horses on if i needed a bit more ground before i buy more land... dont want to ramble on and on. When i mention what im thinking to some people they say its crazy to start with those?!
Santa and/or Beefmaster
- Thread starter Matthew
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
greybeard
Well-known member
Raise what you like!!
Gerts can be .............a bit rowdy.... :lol:
I have beefmasters and love em.
Gerts can be .............a bit rowdy.... :lol:
I have beefmasters and love em.
Thanks for the reply Greybeard. Ill probably go ahead with one of the two... like i said itll be more hobby and help myself with some tax things for the ranch. Weve got some good horses now and now daddy wants cows... ill buy the 10acres hopefully in the next 2-4 months. Wanna pay cash for it but then will need to fence, create shelter etc etc. look forward to learning a ton on here.
JMJ Farms
Well-known member
I like Santa Gertrudis cattle. Like anything else there are some fools. But a lot will depend on how you handle them. To answer your question I don't think it's crazy.
Thanks JMJFarms i found this site today and read a lot. Today on here was the first id read so much about Gerts being/acting crazy. Other "research" id done talked of them being docile, easy going, and great cows. Obviously there are knuckleheads and they will come but they will go quicker on down the road. Im sure they (cows) will be somewhat like our horses. Like you say according to how we handle them. Ive wanted to do this for years but im so close to being debt free as far as our current 50acrs, house, vehicles, etc... So if i wait a few more months i could enter debt free. So anyways i am curious and interested in others opinions. Thanks again
Coosh71
Well-known member
If it's what you want to do and it makes you happy do it. Be careful and use your head. And congrats!!
bird dog
Well-known member
You won't go wrong with either but also I prefer the beefmasters. They seem to do well under any condition, are usually docile, and calve on time. I just wish the better ones wern't so expensive.
Bred to angus makes a pretty good calf with a dark colored hide.
Bred to angus makes a pretty good calf with a dark colored hide.
BC
Well-known member
Either will make good mothers The comment about Gerts being "rowdy" can be said about every breed. I once owned a Holstein that treed all the hands at the vet clinic when I carried cows in for preg check
Either will be great in that area. There is probably a bigger Beefmaster market to choose from but I wouldn't let that deter you.
With any cattle, especially Brahman influenced cattle, don't just turn them out when you get them. Put them in a pen or small trap and hand feed them some sweet beef or some thing of that nature for a couple weeks. Some of them tend to be kind of one owner cattle. They need to be shown that you and who else may be working with them are now that one owner. A small investment in them on the front end will make them like puppy dogs for the next 20 years you own them. Start in a small pen, then move to a larger one, then to a trap where they have to go in and out of gates to come to the feed, until finally you turn them out and then continue to call them in to that same pen regularly to reinforce it. When you call them in to the pen close the gate on them while they are eating. Run around a bit and open it back up and let them out. Do that as often as possible.
With any cattle, especially Brahman influenced cattle, don't just turn them out when you get them. Put them in a pen or small trap and hand feed them some sweet beef or some thing of that nature for a couple weeks. Some of them tend to be kind of one owner cattle. They need to be shown that you and who else may be working with them are now that one owner. A small investment in them on the front end will make them like puppy dogs for the next 20 years you own them. Start in a small pen, then move to a larger one, then to a trap where they have to go in and out of gates to come to the feed, until finally you turn them out and then continue to call them in to that same pen regularly to reinforce it. When you call them in to the pen close the gate on them while they are eating. Run around a bit and open it back up and let them out. Do that as often as possible.
farmerjan
Well-known member
Hi and welcome to CT. Brute is right about getting them used to you and teaching them from the start where their food and treats are coming from. Getting them accustomed to hearing you call them, and feeding them, will make them alot easier to handle in the long run. Make sure when you do call them, that you give them something. Feed, cubes, fill the mineral, a few flakes of alfalfa hay.... something as a "reward" for coming.
I am in Va so can't offer much advice as to breed. Here, "black" is what sells. We happen to like red cattle too, but take a beating at the sales on them. It doesn't seem to be near as bad way up north, or down alot further south. Since they are not going to be something you are depending on to "make a living" then get what you like to look at.
There are idiot cattle in every breed and color. From what I have read, the gerts and anything with some Brahma influence tend to be very protective type of cattle. I have read some people who talk about how aggressive angus are, and just don't see it in ours. I see more "high strung" attitudes in limousin cattle here. We have a couple of red polls and they are very calm types; but they are so maternal that they will bellow for weeks after you take thir calf instead of a couple days. Not aggressive with us, they just don't like to "let go" of their calves.
Good luck. Right now cattle prices are quite low. It is hurting us cow/calf producers. But there are decent buys to be found so it's a good time for you to be getting in.
I am in Va so can't offer much advice as to breed. Here, "black" is what sells. We happen to like red cattle too, but take a beating at the sales on them. It doesn't seem to be near as bad way up north, or down alot further south. Since they are not going to be something you are depending on to "make a living" then get what you like to look at.
There are idiot cattle in every breed and color. From what I have read, the gerts and anything with some Brahma influence tend to be very protective type of cattle. I have read some people who talk about how aggressive angus are, and just don't see it in ours. I see more "high strung" attitudes in limousin cattle here. We have a couple of red polls and they are very calm types; but they are so maternal that they will bellow for weeks after you take thir calf instead of a couple days. Not aggressive with us, they just don't like to "let go" of their calves.
Good luck. Right now cattle prices are quite low. It is hurting us cow/calf producers. But there are decent buys to be found so it's a good time for you to be getting in.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Gerts are great cows for what they were bred for. Uncle ran a herd of 250 for years.
They don't play cowboy well at all as with all the Brahmans or composites. I haven't dealt with the breed in decades, they were prone to tally wacker problems. I would definitely look for a tight sheath bull.
They don't play cowboy well at all as with all the Brahmans or composites. I haven't dealt with the breed in decades, they were prone to tally wacker problems. I would definitely look for a tight sheath bull.
snoopdog
Well-known member
Not crazy at all, either is a good choice. I personally would prefer the gerts, but that's just me.
andybob
Well-known member
For an inexperienced person wanting something different in the way of a composite breed, I would go for Bonsmara, docile and the most performance tested breed, developed for hot climates (South African breed) the Thornbush herd in Alberta cope with Canadian winters outdoors.
andybob said:
Bonsmara are no more docile or not docile then any other breed. It all depends on where they come from and how they are handled.
Not saying it's not a good animal or doesn't have it's own benefits but it's not any more or less docile than the other breeds listed.
