Santa Gertrudis

Santa Gertrudis, breed of beef cattle developed in the 20th century by the King Ranch in Texas, U.S., by crossing Brahman bulls and Shorthorn cows. Years of selective breeding, in which preference was given to coat color without sacrificing type and conformation, have resulted in the present-day Santa Gertrudis cattle that are about five-eighths Shorthorn and three-eighths Brahman. The breed shows considerable heat tolerance and disease resistance and is highly adaptable to a variety of climatic conditions, including that of the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Breed history

Robert Justus Kleberg, Jr., of the King Ranch—the largest ranch in the United States—is credited with the development of the Santa Gertrudis breed. Exploratory crosses and progeny testing that began in 1910 showed that crossbreeding Brahman and Shorthorn cattle produced offspring with good meat quality and better adaptability to the hot and harsh South Texas ranch conditions compared with the pure English breeds. Subsequent selective breeding led to a deep red, well-muscled bull calf in 1920. Called Monkey, this bull became the foundation sire for the breed—all present-day Santa Gertrudis cattle are descended from him. The breed was recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a new beef cattle breed in 1940. It was introduced successfully in Australia in 1952 and reached South Africa in the 1960s. It is now a globally established beef breed that is reared in about 40 countries. The name of the breed is derived from Los Cerros de Santa Gertrudis, the earlier name of the area where King Ranch is located.

Breed characteristics

Santa Gertrudis cattle are usually solid cherry red in color with occasional small white markings on the forehead or in the region of the flanks. They have great depth and length of body, with more loose skin about the neck, brisket, and navel than the breeds of strictly British origin. Their thick skin insulates them against heat and insect pests. Their ears are elongated, and the cattle may be polled (hornless) or horned. The presence of eye hoods reduces the chances of pink eye and cancer eye (ocular squamous cell carcinoma) in these cattle. Santa Gertrudis cattle are generally the heaviest of the beef breeds and have thickset hindquarters. A mature bull can weigh between 770 kg and 1,000 kg (1,700 and 2,200 pounds), and mature cows weigh about 610–840 kg (1,350–1,850 pounds). Bull and heifer calves are rather small at birth but show good daily growth of about 1.6–2 kg (3.5–4.4 pounds), reaching weights of 230–250 kg (510–545 pounds) at weaning. The breed shows good feed conversion, gaining 1 kg (2.2 pounds) on average for every 6 kg (13.2 pounds) of feed consumed.

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Females breed when they are 12–14 months old and produce their first calf when they are two years old, after a gestation period of about 286 days. Their milk production is above average, which helps with the growth of their calves. Cows may give birth beyond 12 years of age, often calving at age 18 and above. They are well-known for their maternal instinct and mothering qualities. The breed is a good forager and shows superior heat tolerance, covering long distances for food and water under harsh conditions with ease. It does equally well in feedlots and is resistant to ticks and bloat.

Breed significance

The meat quality of Santa Gertrudis beef is considered to be good; it has an above average cutability (proportion of salable meat) and shows good marbling—an indication of tenderness and juiciness of the meat. The 2018 Santa Gertrudis Breeders International (SGBI) Steer Feedout found that 96 percent of the tested steers graded choice on quality rating, whereas 51 percent were premium choice. Meat from this breed has minimum fat cover, and the 2018 SGBI Steer Feedout reported an average yield grade of 2.98, suggesting a moderate yield of boneless retail cuts per carcass. Females of this breed can be crossed with almost any bull, and crossbred females in particular produce offspring with exceptional physical traits and strong hybrid vigor.