What bull to put on Santa Gertrudis x Hereford Cross Cows?

[alacowman1]

I like too see gerts,,from afar...

 

[Pineywoods230]

Sounds like everyone agrees with making them a terminal cross for the most part. If I can find a close source for replacements I would be fine buying all I need. I found a few 5 hours from I was gonna guy for the initial cows. I'm not dead set on anything, just wanting something a little different. I know Brahman x Hereford is super popular around here and so well but again just wanting a change. Appreciate everyone's answers, I like hearing peoples different opinions.

 

[kdchex]

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 am looking at trying a small herd of F1 Santa Gertrudis x Hereford cross cows in East Texas. Curious what bull you would recommend putting on them? I am leaning towards Red Angus but not sure I want that high percentage of Angus in replacements. What would you do?

I've had good luck with Santa Gertrudis crossed with Hereford (and also Red Poll) and then adding Red Angus bulls.

 

[alacowman1]

I've had good luck with a 3 way cross too..In Fact I indorse it..just not the ideal way to """raise replacements"".its to maximize Heterosis.... Unless your making a composite ..which will breed fairly true..

 

[bird dog]

I started to answer this thread 3 different times and erased it all three. My thought was kind of like the others, the cross breds you have are known to be very fine mothers. It would be hard to improve on them and as was noted, something might come out of the wood pile. Buy more just like them if you can find them and raise good calves for the market. I darn sure wouldn't try to put in more ear than what the gerts are already providing. If they were mine, I would be looking at Charolais or Lim-flex for the sire.

 

[OzssieDave19]

Hi. We ran Hereford x Santa cows and joined to an Angus bull. We got beautiful straight black calves. What a wonderfull cross. I always thought another good cross would of been a Charolais over the Santa x Hereford cows. We were not retaining daughters we just sold all the calves as beef. We also had a Santa bull and Hereford cows. We eventually changed our operation and went all Angus.

 

[BC]

Guys and Gals, here in East Texas we hve made so many black calves there is no premium for having a black calf. Most order buyers will put a good yellow calf on the same order as the blacks.

The calf pictured is sired by a Gert bull out of Charolais cow.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Red Simmental will provide you with the red you want. Calves can go terminal or replacements. You can switch to Red Angus every 3-4 years and back to Simmental. You can get some white on the faces if you want - or not.

 

[Warren Allison]

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.

I'm not all that big on Gerts either. The OP is though, so I was offering opinions on how best to use the Gerts. Honestly, the best brood cows in my opinion, are the F1 Brafords, and breed them to black bulls. Another viable option that a LOT of people need to look into, is buying up Brahmas and Herefords and start producing those f1 Br x Her. Trying to put together 150 quality f1 Brafords for my client has been trying, and here in the SE we have a lot of eared cattle. I have about a half a mind to talk him into doing just that: Buying Brahma and Hereford cows, and go into producing these f1s. I went this weekend to look at 60 Brahma heifers ( born Feb 2020) that were with Angus and Hereford bulls this May and June. Great looking bunch of heifers, all polled, mostly white/grey but some reds and red/black. The man didn't have any idea which were bred to Angus and which to Hereford bulls, though. Man asked $75k,,,$1250 each... for the lot. I am going to offer him $55k, and I got a feeling we can strike a deal at $60k...$1000 each. I would prefer then to be 2nd calf cows, but damn these are some sassy looking gals! Dude had them in a 80 acre pasture..no corral or pens or cross fences, with a pond in the middle and a small creek running through it. Grass was belly deep on them. He had called me Friday night and said he had been trying all week to lure them into a portable panel corral, ,but they wouldn't follow his side-by-side he was using to try to get them to follow him with range cubes. They would run away from his UTV or truck. I asked the man if he knew how to ride, and he did. Ended up he rode very well.. just didn't have any horses. I told him I'd come on Saturday, and I would bring him a horse, and we'd be able to ease up to them, ride through them, and look at them good. He had a Hereford bull, about 900-1000lbs in with them. So, I got him to help me, and we pushed the bull down the fence to the portable corral, and those heifers started running after us once we went out of sight down the hill! So, we were able to pen them, too. Ended up selling him the horse I brought for him to ride!

 

[alacowman1]

I'm not all that big on Gerts either. The OP is though, so I was offering opinions on how best to use the Gerts. Honestly, the best brood cows in my opinion, are the F1 Brafords, and breed them to black bulls. Another viable option that a LOT of people need to look into, is buying up Brahmas and Herefords and start producing those f1 Br x Her. Trying to put together 150 quality f1 Brafords for my client has been trying, and here in the SE we have a lot of eared cattle. I have about a half a mind to talk him into doing just that: Buying Brahma and Hereford cows, and go into producing these f1s. I went this weekend to look at 60 Brahma heifers ( born Feb 2020) that were with Angus and Hereford bulls this May and June. Great looking bunch of heifers, all polled, mostly white/grey but some reds and red/black. The man didn't have any idea which were bred to Angus and which to Hereford bulls, though. Man asked $75k,,,$1250 each... for the lot. I am going to offer him $55k, and I got a feeling we can strike a deal at $60k...$1000 each. I would prefer then to be 2nd calf cows, but damn these are some sassy looking gals! Dude had them in a 80 acre pasture..no corral or pens or cross fences, with a pond in the middle and a small creek running through it. Grass was belly deep on them. He had called me Friday night and said he had been trying all week to lure them into a portable panel corral, ,but they wouldn't follow his side-by-side he was using to try to get them to follow him with range cubes. They would run away from his UTV or truck. I asked the man if he knew how to ride, and he did. Ended up he rode very well.. just didn't have any horses. I told him I'd come on Saturday, and I would bring him a horse, and we'd be able to ease up to them, ride through them, and look at them good. He had a Hereford bull, about 900-1000lbs in with them. So, I got him to help me, and we pushed the bull down the fence to the portable corral, and those heifers started running after us once we went out of sight down the hill! So, we were able to pen them, too. Ended up selling him the horse I brought for him to ride!

Alotta guys here been going the f1 Braford route last few years ...I did in the early 90s...now that I'm out of the Braford business everybody's getting in .seems like if one takes a laxative it works the whole area...I've went in a different direction now .if I could go back 30 years maybe..I don't move quick enough now..knocking them outa my way ..is better than them knocking me outa of their air space..

 

[birdog]

Might consider limousine. Knock a little ear off and some leather

 

[Pineywoods230]

I'm enjoying seeing what you all have to say, seems just about anything will work on them so long as it's gonna be terminal. Still think I'm going to do angus the first year or two. May try a char as they get up to over 5 years old but we'll see when that time comes. I gotta have calving ease, I cant leave work if someone is struggling with a massive calf.
I really don't know what there are more of around here, tigers and Brangus in a close race.I know people love those tigerstripes and they definitely sell for the highest premium around me but eh just not my cup of tea. I've capped out at between 50-60 head with stockers and just wanting to try cow/calf. It's a nice side job (if you don't count the fortune in equipment) but not getting a premium isn't a big deal either when it's not your sole income.

 

[Ranchito]

Red Brangus or Angus if you want to stay red.

Black Brangus or Angus Plus or Angus if you want black.

Have to decide how much Brahman you want to keep in them.

I would not go back Hereford or Gert because that defeats the purpose of the cross IMO. Might as well just buy straight Herefords or Gerts at that point.

Brute,

I am new to this, only being in it for two years but I agree wtih you. I think that a Red Brangus would be my first choice (for uniformity of color appeal) and a Black Brangus would be number two. I also agree to not re-breeding to a Hereford bull.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I am looking at trying a small herd of F1 Santa Gertrudis x Hereford cross cows in East Texas. Curious what bull you would recommend putting on them? I am leaning towards Red Angus but not sure I want that high percentage of Angus in replacements. What would you do?

I would put a good Beefmaster on them.

 

[Dave]

I am a long ways from your location. But here if I had those cows I would breed them to a Charolais. And pray it knocked off all the leather. I was at the sale yesterday. Some calves came through that I would guess were Red Angus x Gert. Not a lot of ear but some leather showing. They sold 30-40 cents off the market. But that is here a long ways from east Texas.