If your going to retain heifers,personally I'd go back with Hereford..or maybe even a Beefmaster on those..then add a red Angus later..F1 cows are best for raising terminal calves ...you'd be trying to make a 3 way cross into producers..which ain't an ideal start..go In one breeding direction .get some consistency bred in first ..then change gears..
I'd go with red angus on them, but since it sounds like you want a little more ear then red brangus seems like the way to go.
Are you producing this Gert X Her from your own Herefords and Santa Gertrudis? Or are you buying these F1's? If buying them, then I agree with @BC .... buy your replacements. These Gert X Her are a good choice for momma cows, and the best bull to use on them would be Brangus or Ultra Black. You'd still have a pasture full of red cows to contrast with the neighbor's cows, but you'd end up with calves that would be worth some $$$$$. IF you are dead-set on raising a 3-way cross for some replacement heifers, and did not want any to be black, then look at using a Braford or Beefmaster bull.
Akaushi bull and sale all calves to Heartbrand beef.
Good advice. Another alternative would be to buy the best non-black momma cows there is, f1 Br x Her., and use the Gert bulls on them. This should produce calves with plenty of high bread vinegar that the steers would sell well even with the dock for red. Plus, if he did decide to retain some heifers, those Gert x Braford would make a pretty good cows for what he wants to do. After that, though, he needs to look at terminal crosses. Best to use would be Angus, Brangus, Ultrablack. If he just doesn't care about the sale prices, and is just adamant about not wanting to see a black calf in his pasture then I'd use Char, Simm, or Red Angus.
suggest going with red angus
I'm not a Gert fan at all. Its really hard to find quality Gerts who have adapted with the times and if you do you are going to pay a price that does not justify itself, IMO. You have to just want them to want them. Ive watched Gerts across the fence all my life and they aren't doing any thing any other breed isn't. In fact it could be debated that they are behind for the times.
Hello.
You are right, it seems like it is hard to find good Gerts. They have been the most numerous ear cattle around here, there are getting to be a few more Beefmaster herds nowadays. I've always like what a little Brahman influence can bring to the table, and had a few Gert cows over the years. Most were culled pretty quick. I think a lot of them around here are bred for the show ring more so than the pasture. The Hereford Gert crosses I've had have been pretty good. My first introduction to Santa Gertrudis was with a baby calf that I bought to go on a Charolais cow that had lost a calf. That Gert steer calf grew like a weed rivaling the growth of some of my Chars. That got my interest started in them and other Brahman crosses.
