Santa Gertrudis Bulls?

[BC]

I remember seeing them at Montgomery livestock expo in the 80s..that looked like the were six feet at the hip.nothing but frame and leather..

That was true of all breeds then.

 

[Budnap]

Lately I've been toying with the idea of incorporating some Santa Gertrudis genes to my herd. We run commercial bred to registered Brangus, but my interest in Santa Gertrudis has been peaked lately. We need good heat tolerance where we are (Southern CA)- which is a benefit I know that a Gert will bring as a Brangus does.

A problem we face is that the pickings for Gert bulls are next to zero in our parts so we're thinking of making a trip South to pick one up. The issue with this is that it's hard to shop around from so far away.

Any tips/advice? I should also mention that shipping wouldn't be an option as we'd want to have eyes on it. This is just an idea I've been thinkin' on so any insight is welcome.

I have had several bulls that I biught from my neighbor. My place is in Abilene Tx and it gets plenty hot here. The bulls are good, threw small calves. Have kept the halfblood gert cows and they are excellent mothers. Gentle in the pen, lots of milk and very protective around dogs, coyotes etc. some have some ear, but I really like them. My neighbor has a registered herd and usually has some young bulls for sale. If you are interested, you can call me at (325) 668-0220 and I will get you together.

 

[tex452]

The gert hereford cross heifers have become very popular. It seems that herefords cross well with many different breeds while straight hereford calves have no friends at the sale barn.
This was a fine set that sold over a year ago.

Santa Gertrudis-Hereford Cross

Lot #11 Santa Gertrudis-Hereford Cross This is a hard-to-find set of females that are just as good as they come! These ladies will no doubt, make some REAL ranching cows! Their maternal traits, heat tolerance, and unbeatable hybrid vigor will give them productivity off the charts!! They are...

www.jjcattleco.com

They are beautiful.

 

[u4411clb]

Guess that just leaves more Gerts for me. We use Hereford x Gert cross as momma cows and either Angus or Brangus bulls has done well for us for few years now.

 

[u4411clb]

In Alabama there is the Crimson Classic sale https://user-hunsujj.cld.bz/Crimson-Classic-Sale-2023/2/ and the Alabama Connection sale https://www.bamabeef.org/events/2021/alabama-connection-sale each year. There is a purebred breeder on this site from Tennessee that I have met and did business with that is strictly AI and he would have what you are looking for. But not sure how much good that does you in California. Maybe it is a warning sign there are no Gert breeders in your area. In Alabama can't throw a rock without hitting a Gert breeder.

 

[Warren Allison]

Guess that just leaves more Gerts for me. We use Hereford x Gert cross as momma cows and either Angus or Brangus bulls has done well for us for few years now.

Very nice looking herd. That is an excellent cross and just as good if you leave the Herford out of the mix. A few years back a friend bought a herd of registered SG heifers at an estate liquidation sale, He has bred them to his Brangus bulls every year. Always gets black polled calves. I have fooled with all of the Brahma crosses a LOT: Brangus, Braford, f1 Braford, Simbrah, Charbray, Beefmaster and Santa Gertrudis. Out of them all, the Gerts act the least "Brahmany" and the most like British cattle, followed close by Beefmaster.

 

[BC]

Here is a 15 month old bull in East Texas. Belongs to a small breeder close to Gilmer. He is out of a bull I raised and sold him.

 

[tex452]

Here is a 15 month old bull in East Texas. Belongs to a small breeder close to Gilmer. He is out of a bull I raised and sold him.View attachment 32609

I like everything about him, except underneath is a little long, but not terribly bad.

 

[birdog]

Here is a 15 month old bull in East Texas. Belongs to a small breeder close to Gilmer. He is out of a bull I raised and sold him.View attachment 32609

Use him to cover some red angus cows, he could produce some fine replacements.

 

[Brute 23]

I would not use that bull. No offense but he will cost you money for years and years. People talk about getting docked for ear, but its not the ears, it's that skin under the belly. Once you keep a replacement out of him it will take years and years and years to breed it out. You will get docked a nickel or so every time you sell his calves.

I'm in the process right now of culling out cows that produce calves with to much sheat. I can see the dock. They can have solid black calves, same sire, same good build just like that one, and that sheat will get me.

Plus, it lowers fertility.

You will see this a lot in the SG for sale. If you go to beefmaster or some of the other composite breeds there will be a lot more options as they have worked harder to clean the bulls up.

 

[u4411clb]

Send him to Alabama. The heat index this week will average 110 the flies are terrible this year along with mosquitoes at night. And this has been a cool year for us. Those Gert crosses will go out and get it and eat in the heat and not stay in the woods all day. I know people even farther south than me go straight British or Continental crosses but I have came to the conclusion on our place if it doesn't have Brahman in it I can't use it. Those cows that just hit their stride at 10 years old make up for the less per pound I may get especially if they give me more pounds at the end of the year.

 

[Warren Allison]

Send him to Alabama. The heat index this week will average 110 the flies are terrible this year along with mosquitoes at night. And this has been a cool year for us. Those Gert crosses will go out and get it and eat in the heat and not stay in the woods all day. I know people even farther south than me go straight British or Continental crosses but I have came to the conclusion on our place if it doesn't have Brahman in it I can't use it. Those cows that just hit their stride at 10 years old make up for the less per pound I may get especially if they give me more pounds at the end of the year.

Well, the laying in the shade or in the water doesn't matter to me. I don't care if they lie up all day and eat all night, as long as they eat. The insect and parasite resistance is what I like about Brahma and Brahma crosses. We are having a heavy fly load next door in GA, too. Some say it is because of the mild, almost non-existent winter we had. Have y'all had a lot of rain this spring and summer?

 

[alacowman1]

Well, the laying in the shade or in the water doesn't matter to me. I don't care if the lie up all day and eat all night, as long as they eat. The insect and parasite resistance is what I like about Brahma and Brahma crosses. We are having a heavy fly load next door in GA, too. Some say it is because of the mild, almost non-existant winter we had. Have y'all had alot of rain this sporing and summer?

We've been like a green house this year.…best hay year in a long while,if you can find a window..

 

[u4411clb]

Well, the laying in the shade or in the water doesn't matter to me. I don't care if they lie up all day and eat all night, as long as they eat. The insect and parasite resistance is what I like about Brahma and Brahma crosses. We are having a heavy fly load next door in GA, too. Some say it is because of the mild, almost non-existent winter we had. Have y'all had a lot of rain this spring and summer?

Lots of rain this year. That is partly what makes the flies worse for us. We use rabon and spray every so often but when we spray we seem to get rain that washes off the spray. I am not sure what they do at night but I don't think it can hurt them eating in daytime too. Grass is very good here so far.

 

[alacowman1]

Lots of rain this year. That is partly what makes the flies worse for us. We use rabon and spray every so often but when we spray we seem to get rain that washes off the spray. I am not sure what they do at night but I don't think it can hurt them eating in daytime too. Grass is very good here so far.

They graze at night right now..hang out in the shade during the day.and go back out in the evening…working second shift right now..and sometime swing shift ..might run in to some overtime tomorrow..

 

[Down in Dixie]

We've been like a green house this year.…best hay year in a long while,if you can find a window..

Worst hay year for me in a while. Only averaging 1 bale an acre on most fields. Been putting the fert to it to try and save the season. Weeds are tall and grass just seems to head out short.

 

[Travlr]

Here is a 15 month old bull in East Texas. Belongs to a small breeder close to Gilmer. He is out of a bull I raised and sold him.View attachment 32609

I like the bull. Better than many on these threads.

 

[Warren Allison]

Worst hay year for me in a while. Only averaging 1 bale an acre on most fields. Been putting the fert to it to try and save the season. Weeds are tall and grass just seems to head out short.

Most years, unless it is a drought, we get 4 cuttings off our bermuda field. Some years if it warms up early, and the rains hit just right, we get 5 cuttings. This looks like a 5 cutting year. I pull soil samples after each cutting, and fertilize back according to specs each time. And keep it weed free. If I was rolling it for cows, it probably wouldn't be worth the price, but we square bale those 8 acres for horse hay.

 

[BC]

I would not use that bull. No offense but he will cost you money for years and years. People talk about getting docked for ear, but its not the ears, it's that skin under the belly. Once you keep a replacement out of him it will take years and years and years to breed it out. You will get docked a nickel or so every time you sell his calves.

I'm in the process right now of culling out cows that produce calves with to much sheat. I can see the dock. They can have solid black calves, same sire, same good build just like that one, and that sheat will get me.

Plus, it lowers fertility.

You will see this a lot in the SG for sale. If you go to beefmaster or some of the other composite breeds there will be a lot more options as they have worked harder to clean the bulls up.

Brute, I understand where you are coming from. That bull on a set of Angus, Hereford or Red Angus cows will produce some good replacement females and the steer mates will sell well. If the cow herd has Brahman influence then you are spot on. You have to weigh the value of the replacement heifers vs steers. Unfortunately, we cannot have our cake and eat it too.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I would not use that bull. No offense but he will cost you money for years and years. People talk about getting docked for ear, but its not the ears, it's that skin under the belly. Once you keep a replacement out of him it will take years and years and years to breed it out. You will get docked a nickel or so every time you sell his calves.

I'm in the process right now of culling out cows that produce calves with to much sheat. I can see the dock. They can have solid black calves, same sire, same good build just like that one, and that sheat will get me.

Plus, it lowers fertility.

You will see this a lot in the SG for sale. If you go to beefmaster or some of the other composite breeds there will be a lot more options as they have worked harder to clean the bulls up.

I doctored a lot of peckers in my uncles herd.
But I would buy him before a Char bull.