CROSSBREEDING
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If you are considering or doing crossbreeding, Santa Gertrudis is the answer.

In the stud industry the biggest problem is that breeders forget what the cattle industry is about. Stud breeders can thus start living in their own small world in colour markings and pedigrees that they forget what is really important, namely the requirements of the commercial breeder. If stud breeders would listen to what the commercial breeder says and produce what he wants, he will always be in business.

Commercial breeders tend to buy the cheapest bull on sale, no matter what breed it is, it is going to be the new bull in his crossbreeding programme. This practice is busy to change and commercial breeders want to see performance testing results on bulls and are willing to pay a higher price for this bulls. We should be striving for to be producing the biggest amount of saleable beef from the grass growing on the farm. To achieve this goal, we must breed cattle that will maintain high standard in the following production characteristics: fertility, milk production, vitality, weight gain or growth, length, muscling and temperament. Cattle must also possess constitution, of which the Santa Gertrudis breed has ample. Characteristics with a low heritability, e.g. fertility, the most important characteristic of breed production, cannot be improved upon quickly by selection, but can be greatly enhanced by using Santa Gertrudis bulls in the crossbreeding programme.

Mortality goes hand in hand with fertility. Santa Gertrudis cows have a very low calf mortality rate and are renown for very strong mothering abilities and for producing calves op to 16 years of age.Milk production is just as important. The commercial breeder cannot afford to try and rectify this characteristic by selection alone when he can do so by using another breed. It is probably the highest single factor that will determine how many kilograms of beef a cow will produce over twelve months, because milk is a food. In the case of the weaner calf producer, the weaning weight produced by the breeding cows per hectare is the correct measurement to use.

Fertility is very important, and therefore one must not overlook the cow. It is of the utmost importance that one’s cows are highly fertile and produce a calf every year. Santa cows are inherent very fertile and will just do this if looked after well.

With crossbreeding you can find the desired combination to suite your conditions and production system. The bigger the genetic variation between breeds, the better the hybrid vigor.

Hybrid vigor is not heritable. To maintain this, the crossbreeding programme must be correctly managed (do not buy the cheapest bull on sale). In any crossbreeding system selection with performance and conformation in mind, is just as important as in stud breeding.

Thus one of the most important aspects in a crossbreeding programme is the bull in use. The purchase of a bull must be seen as in investment and not a burden or liability. It is mainly the bull that will determine the quality of your future herd. The influence of the last three bulls you bought into the herd is nearly 90%. The long term effect of a good or poor bull in the future herd is there-fore clearly noticeable.

If you use Santa Gertrudis Bulls, you have quality for the Consumer, the Butcher, the Feedlot owner and for yourself

The Conclusion:

x  Firstly breed quality - For the consumer, so he can feel satisfied and gets value for money.
x  Secondly for the butcher - So that he can keep his customers happy and make a profit.
x  Thirdly for the feedlot owner - So that he can keep the butcher happy and also make a profit.
x  Fourthly for yourself - because you want to be proud of your product and you deserve to make a profit.

Everybody can benefit from your decision to use the SANTA GERTRUDIS in your breeding program.