Santa Gertrudis

[outlawcattlecompany]

Many of you might have a misconception or lack of familiarity with the Santa Gertrudis breed. Just for fun, I'm sharing a photo of our newest herdsire prospect with you. Keep in mind he's green (May 2010 model). I am usually a pretty lethal "picture taker" but that T-Post wasn't cooperating and the only camera I had on me was my phone. Doesn't it stink when cattle are perfectly set and that happens?!

 

[sue]

He looks pretty good. 

 

[CAB]

He looks like a bull that will add lbs to a calf crop along with great structure. Santa Gert. will nick really well with alot of english bred cattle.

 

[Bradenh]

he is good . gerts dont usually pack that much bone and foot so thats a major plus

 

[outlawcattlecompany]

Thank ya'll. I appreciate him for having that clubby style I try to breed into my heifers. It's hard to find them freaky fronted and stylish while still maintaining the power he possesses. He's sound as a cat too. He was calf champion bull at the Louisiana State Fair which was his first show, youngest bull in the division. We're really excited about his future in the show ring and pasture.

 

[Bradenh]

that star 5 looking thing in your profile picture looks like a beast too

 

[outlawcattlecompany]

She is actually a purebred that came out with too much white. Jamie Stephenson exhibited her in TCCA shows last show season and she won a lot, even against true Star 5's and the fake ones people are hauling. I have a full bro and full sister that came out solid red. I've retained both for my herd. That mating produces some outstanding cattle for me.

 

[Bradenh]

haha no way? i showed that heifer! me and jamie (till she graduated) go to the same high school and i was running gerts with her everyweekend (i ended up third) and i always showed her star 5s for her when she had multiples in the drive. . . . we are really good friends with jamie and jen.

 

[outlawcattlecompany]

Yep, thats the one called Supernova with the white spot in the middle of her head. Jamie and I own this bull with Liberty Ranch

 

[garybob]

She is actually a purebred that came out with too much white. Jamie Stephenson exhibited her in TCCA shows last show season and she won a lot, even against true Star 5's and the fake ones people are hauling. I have a full bro and full sister that came out solid red. I've retained both for my herd. That mating produces some outstanding cattle for me.

Why do you Gert breeders freak the hell out over a white tail switch, or the occaisional dark roan that pops up every once in a while?

GB

 

[Bradenh]

it will get you classed out of shows thats why. my friend colby threet got a heifer thrown out of the natl show beause she had a half inch spot of white hair. heifer was THROWN OUT. id freak out too if i was the breeder.

 

[garybob]

it will get you classed out of shows thats why. my friend colby threet got a heifer thrown out of the natl show beause she had a half inch spot of white hair. heifer was THROWN OUT. id freak out too if i was the breeder.

All I'm saying, is it appears to me that Gert breeders are unnecessarily ashamed of their Shorthorn ancestry. I've talked to a few King Ranch employees, and, they tell me that the purer the Gert, the better the Gert. In college,during a Tour associated with the national Block and Bridle Convention, I asked one cowhand ( who spoke better Spanish than English, and, whose family were among the original Kinenos) what, in his experience, defines "better" and "purer", Santa Gertrudis cattle. His reply came with a heavy Spanish accent, was, "you gotta accept a few roans, every now and again" He then gave me a wink, and, then, looked down at his boots and twirled his handlebar mustache.
I had to ask him in English,at the time, because, that was a "few"years before the Hispanic influx into Northwest Arkansas.

GB

 

[garybob]

he is good . gerts dont usually pack that much bone and foot so thats a major plus

Boy! Up here in the Ozarks, a Gert, if they're born here, will always, without exception  be powerful and HEAVY boned. I wonder if it has to do with limestone? Brangus and F1 Braford cows, too.

GB

 

[kfacres]

at first glance.. i thought this post, and that  picture had something to do with a t post leaning on a gert? <rock>

 

[Bradenh]

alot of them appear real heavy boned when theyare little but it goes away with size. thouth alot of these bulls do have some bone but they end up looking like swayback mares. but it could be someting  with the enviornment up there idk

 

[outlawcattlecompany]

Alright, let me answer some questions and clear the air. Santa Gertrudis are allowed to have white switches and variations in color. There are Gerts from blackish cherry red to yellow. We however do have very strict breed standards regarding issues such as white on our cattle. There can be no white anywhere but on the underline. The underline can't be more than 50% covered. No white is allowed in front of front legss or behind the "udder" which I put in quotes because I consider the rear udder attachment part of the udder but in essence if its on their butt its not allowed. Numerous cattle roan out throughout their life which is unnacceptable by breed standards but often ignored because like you say they are over half shorthorn (supposedly). Strict breed standards are kept to maintain the breed character. It is not our fault someone 50 years ago decided a breed of cattle with over 50% shorthorn in them should have minimal white...that's just the way they wanted them. Monkey, the very first Gert bull born, was solid red. I have a lot of cattle with white on them. I pay special attention when I breed though to keep color in mind, breeding a light cow to a light bull is asking for trouble. Many of our show heifers will roan out on their hips from laying down, this is accepted because its not genetic. There are also a few bulls I have used and still use quite a bit that I am aware are known to throw calves with "white" issues. This is a risk I choose to take because I like the bulls. Its not burdensome to just keep color in the back of your mind.

If a Gert does come out with too much white according to breed standards they may be registered as a 3/4 Star 5 and their calves which meet breed standards may be registered as purebreds. I am president of the National Jr Santa Gertrudis Association so I deal with this stuff all the time. It AMAZES me when I see a breeder has sold a junior member a calf that is out of breed standards. It is the responsibility of the breeder first and foremost, but also the junior member and their family to be educated about our breed. We all work together to keep our breed the way it is supposed to be. Personally, I'd much rather deal with a little color drama than genetic defects and staying up all night during calving season. Our place and lifestyle requires low maintenance cattle. I can be just as profitable at weaning time as anyone else. I am more than happy to answer any and all questions about the breed. Thanks, Micah

 

[Bradenh]

some of the vets and judges say the roaning on the hip is a copper difencey? is that true. we missed natls on my gert (that won the s&s and was reserve at the BBB) because we heard they would pull her papers over that roaning? was that not a smart move

 

[outlawcattlecompany]

some of the vets and judges say the roaning on the hip is a copper difencey? is that true. we missed natls on my gert (that won the s&s and was reserve at the BBB) because we heard they would pull her papers over that roaning? was that not a smart move

The roaning on the lower hip is from them continually laying down on one side and the hair dying. I have quite a few which are like that. The TT heifer you mentioned was was roaning out all over (by roaning out we mean white hairs popping up everywhere). The heifer was allowed to keep her class and donated heifer because it was not caught during sift. I was told by them a copper deficiency was likely to be the culpret, I am not sure what the vet finally decided.