Santa Gertrudis cattle

Last updated
Santa Gertrudis
Santa Gertrudis Mother and Calf.jpg
Conservation status
  • worldwide: not at risk [1] :140 [2]
  • United States: at risk/vulnerable [2]
Country of originUnited States
Distributioninternational
Use beef
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    750–1000 kg [3] :290
  • Female:
    600–850 kg [3] :290
Coatcherry-red
Horn statushorned or polled
  • Cattle
  • Hybrid Bos (primigenius) taurus/indicus
Bull at Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia Santa Gertrudis bull.JPG
Bull at Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia

The Santa Gertrudis is an American breed of beef cattle. It is a taurine-indicine hybrid breed, descended from both zebu and European cattle. It was bred in the early twentieth century in Texas, and received official recognition in 1940. It has been exported to many countries including Australia, Brazil and South Africa, and has contributed to the development of a number of modern breeds, among them the Barzona [3] :290 and the Droughtmaster. [4] :721

Contents

History

The Santa Gertrudis was developed on the King Ranch in southern Texas. The name derives from the Spanish-owned estate of Los Cerros de Santa Gertrudis, where in 1851 the King Ranch was established. [3] :290

The ranch was initially stocked with Texas Longhorn cattle. From about 1880 bulls of the British Hereford and Beef Shorthorn breeds were used to improve them; [3] :290 substantial separate Shorthorn and Hereford herds were kept to supply the bulls. [5] :115 In 1910 a part-zebuine bull, descended from an Ongole bull imported in 1906 directly from India, was acquired and was cross-bred with cows of the Shorthorn stock. [3] :290 The results were promising, and in 1918 the ranch bought fifty-two taurindicine bulls with no less than 75% zebuine parentage, in the hope of creating a composite breed of about 37% zebuine and 62% taurine ancestry. Between 1923 and 1935 a bull named Monkey was extensively used to fix the characteristics of the breed, which was officially recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1940. [3] :290 All Santa Gertrudis stock descends from this bull. [5] :124

In 1931 the ranch imported from South Africa eleven cows and sixteen bulls of Afrikander stock, with the idea of using them to help fix the deep red coat color of the new breed. In the event, this was not found to be necessary, and the cattle were sold off; some were used to create the Africangus cross-breed, and others contributed to the development of the Barzona. [4] :759

A breed association was formed in 1951, and the first bulls were sold in the same year. [3] :290

The Santa Gertrudis has been exported to many countries, and is reported to DAD-IS by about forty, in all five inhabited continents. [6] In 2021 the total number worldwide was estimated at approximately 72 000. The largest population was reported from South Africa, at approximately 25 000; significant numbers were reported from Australia, Brazil, Morocco, Namibia, Paraguay and South Africa. [6]

In the United States there were 28 000 head in 1975; [2] by 1990 this had fallen to about 15 200, and to just under 8500 in 2000–2001. [7] :41 In 2013 the population was reported at 5000, and in 2021 the local conservation status was "at risk". [2]

Characteristics

The cattle are a solid deep cherry-red in color, with only minimal traces of white on the underline; they may be either polled or horned. [3] :290 They are hardy, with good resistance to ticks and bloat, and a good tolerance for heat. [8] Signs of their indicine heritage include a small hump in bulls, medium-large ears, and loose skin with heavy folds below the neck. The coat is smooth and short. [8]

Use

The Santa Gertrudis is reared for beef. It was bred to be better adapted than imported British beef breeds to the environmental conditions of Texas – the semi-arid landscape, the sub-tropical climate and the abundance of ticks [5] :115 – and has been exported to a number of other countries where conditions are similar, including Australia, Brazil and South Africa. [3] :290

It has contributed to the development of a number of modern composite breeds, among them the Barzona (with Aberdeen Angus, Afrikander and Hereford in roughly equal proportions); the Brazos (with Hereford and Gelbvieh); [3] :290 the Droughtmaster (with Beef Shorthorn, Devon, Hereford, Red Brahman, Red Poll, and possibly Afrikander); [4] :721 and the Santa Cruz (with Gelbvieh and Red Angus). [9] :51

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Longhorn</span> American breed of cattle

The Texas Longhorn is an American breed of beef cattle, characterized by its long horns, which can span more than 8 ft (2.4 m) from tip to tip. It derives from cattle brought from the Iberian Peninsula to the Americas by Spanish conquistadores from the time of the Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus until about 1512. For hundreds of years the cattle lived a semi-feral existence on the rangelands; they have a higher tolerance of heat and drought than most European breeds. It can be of any color or mix of colors. In some 40% of the cattle it is some shade of red, often a light red; the only shade of red not seen is the deep color typical of the Hereford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberdeen Angus</span> Scottish breed of beef cattle

The Aberdeen Angus, sometimes simply Angus, is a Scottish breed of small beef cattle. It derives from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeen, Banff, Kincardine and Angus in north-eastern Scotland. In 2018 the breed accounted for over 17% of the beef production in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Brahman</span> American breed of cattle

The Brahman is an American breed of zebuine-taurine hybrid beef cattle. It was bred in the United States from 1885 from cattle originating in India, imported at various times from the United Kingdom, India, and Brazil. These were mainly Gir, Guzerá and Nelore stock, with some Indu-Brasil, Krishna Valley and Ongole. The Brahman has a high tolerance of heat, sunlight and humidity, and good resistance to parasites. It has been exported to many countries, particularly in the tropics; in Australia it is the most numerous breed of cattle. It has been used in the creation of numerous taurine-indicine hybrids, some of which – such as the Brangus and Brahmousin – are established as separate breeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corriente</span> Mexican breed of cattle

The Corriente is an American breed of small cattle, used principally for rodeo events. It derives from Criollo Mexicano stock, which in turn descends from Iberian cattle brought to the Americas by the Conquistadores, and introduced in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to various parts of what is now Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afrikaner cattle</span> Breed of cattle

The Afrikaner or Africander is an African breed of taurine-indicine cattle in the Sanga group of African cattle. It is derived from the cattle of the Khoikhoi (Hottentot) people which were already present in the area of modern South Africa when the Dutch East India Company established the Cape Colony in 1652.

The Buelingo is a modern American composite breed of belted beef cattle, created in North Dakota, in the United States. It is named for Russ Bueling, who owned the foundation stock in the early 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gyr cattle</span> Indian breed of zebuine dairy cattle

The Gir or Gyr is an Indian breed of zebuine cattle. It originated in the Kathiawar peninsula in the state of Gujarat, and the name of the breed derives from that of the Gir Hills in that region. Other names include Bhodah, Desan, Gujarati, Kathiawari, Sorthi and Surti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blonde d'Aquitaine</span> French breed of beef cattle

The Blonde d'Aquitaine is a modern French breed of large domestic beef cattle. It was created in 1962 by merging three blonde draught breeds of south-western France, the Blonde des Pyrénées, the Blonde de Quercy and the Garonnaise. Since about 1970, it has been selectively bred specifically for beef production. It is the third-most numerous beef breed of France, after the Charolais and the Limousin. It has been exported to many countries round the world.

The Indu-Brasil or Indo-Brazilian is a Brazilian breed of zebuine beef cattle. It was bred in the early twentieth century in the Triângulo Mineiro in the western part of Minas Gerais state, and particularly in the area surrounding Uberaba. It was originally known as the Induberaba. It derives from imported Indian zebuine cattle, principally Gir and Kankrej. It was formerly an important beef breed, but in the twenty-first century is an endangered breed. It is characterised by particularly large ears, perhaps the largest seen in any breed of cattle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Normande</span> Breed of cattle

The Normande is a breed of dairy cattle from the Normandy region of north-west France. It is raised principally for its milk, which is high in fat and suitable for making butter and cheese, but also for its meat, which is marbled and good-flavoured. It is a world breed: it has been exported to many countries and is present on all continents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hungarian Grey</span> Hungarian breed of cattle

The Hungarian Grey, also known as the Hungarian Grey Steppe, is a Hungarian breed of beef cattle. It belongs to the group of Podolic cattle and is characterised by long lyre-shaped horns and a pale grey coat. It is well adapted to extensive pasture systems and was formerly raised in very large numbers in the Hungarian puszta. In the twentieth century it came close to extinction, but numbers have since risen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Droughtmaster</span> Australian breed of cattle

The Droughtmaster is an Australian breed of beef cattle. It was developed from about 1915 in North Queensland by crossing zebuine cattle with cattle of British origin, principally the Beef Shorthorn. It was the first Australian taurindicine hybrid breed; it is approximately 50% Bos indicus and 50% Bos taurus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Red</span> British breed of cattle

The Lincoln Red is a British breed of red-coated beef cattle. It originates in, and is named for, the county of Lincolnshire in the eastern Midlands of England. It was selectively bred in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries by crossing large local draught cattle of the region with Teeswater Shorthorns of medium size. It was at first known as the Lincolnshire Red Shorthorn, and was a dual-purpose breed, reared both for milk and for beef. The polling gene was introduced in the early twentieth century, and the cattle are now usually polled; the word 'shorthorn' was dropped from the breed name in 1960. In the twenty-first century it is reared for beef.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanwoo</span> Korean cattle breed

The Hanwoo, also Hanu or Korean Native, is a breed of small cattle native to Korea. It was formerly used as a working animal, but is now raised mainly for meat. It is one of four indigenous Korean breeds, the others being the Chikso, the Heugu and the Jeju Black.

The American Breed is an American bovid hybrid of cattle with a small percentage of American Bison blood. It was developed in the 1950s by a New Mexico rancher looking for beef cattle which could survive on poor fodder in the arid Southwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siboney de Cuba</span> Cuban breed of cattle

The Siboney de Cuba is a Cuban breed of dairy cattle. It was developed from the 1960s through cross-breeding of Holstein Friesian and zebu stock, with a final genetic contribution of 5/8 from the former and 3/8 from the latter. It is one of several Cuban dairy hybrids of European (taurine) and zebuine cattle; others are the Mambi de Cuba and the Caribe, which are grouped with the Siboney under the name Cebú Lechero.

The Blue Albion was a British breed of cattle with an unusual blue roan coat. It originated in the English Midlands in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, and was a dual-purpose breed, reared both for beef and for milk. It became extinct following the foot-and-mouth outbreak of 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drakensberger</span> South African breed of cattle

The Drakensberger is a South African breed of cattle. It is a dual-purpose breed, reared both for milk and for meat. Its origins go back to the early nineteenth century, to the time of the Great Trek or earlier, when imported European stock from Holland was cross-bred with black cattle of Sanga type obtained from nomadic pastoralist Khoikhoi peoples. It is one of several successful African composite breeds of Sanga and European stock. In the early days it was selected for adaptation to the sourveld biome of South Africa, and for black colour; it was kept principally along the Drakensberg escarpment, which gave rise to its modern name. It was established as a breed with the formation of the Drakensberger Cattle Breeders' Society in 1947.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guzerá</span> Brazilian breed of indicine cattle

The Guzerá or Guzerat is a Brazilian breed of domestic cattle. It derives from cross-breeding of Indian Kankrej cattle, imported to Brazil from 1870 onwards, with local taurine Crioulo cattle of European origin. The name is a Portuguese spelling of that of the western Indian state of Gujarat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Brangus</span> American breed of cattle

The Red Brangus is an American breed of hybrid beef cattle, with both taurine and indicine genetic heritage. Development began in Texas in the 1940s. It is a colour variant of the Brangus, a hybrid of American Angus and Brahman cattle, and differs from it only in colour. There are two herd-books, one international and one American. For international registration the animal must be of 5/8 Angus and 3/8 Brahman descent; in the United States, it may be any mix of the two breeds, but registration is conditional on inspection.

References

  1. Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN   9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Breed data sheet: Santa Gertrudis / United States of America (Cattle). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN   9781780647944.
  4. 1 2 3 Marleen Felius (1995). Cattle Breeds: An Encyclopedia. Doetinchem, Netherlands: Misset. ISBN   9789054390176.
  5. 1 2 3 A.O. Rhoad (1949). The Santa Gertrudis Breed: The Genesis and the Genetics of a New Breed of Beef Cattle. Journal of Heredity. 40 (5, May 1949): 115–126. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a106008. (subscription required).
  6. 1 2 Transboundary breed summary: Cattle: Santa Gertrudis. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed September 2021.
  7. Harvey D. Blackburn, Terry Stewart, Don Bixby, Paul Siegal, Eric Bradford (2003). United States of America: Country Report for FAO's State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources. Agricultural Research Service, USDA; National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation; National Animal Germplasm Program. Annex to: Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN   9789251057629. Archived 10 January 2017.
  8. 1 2 Cattle breeds: Santa Gertrudis. Department of Primary Industries, New South Wales Government. Archived 21 June 2019.
  9. D.S. Buchanan and J.A. Lenstra (2015). Breeds of Cattle. In: Dorian J. Garrick, Anatoly Ruvinsky (editors) (2015). The Genetics of Cattle, second edition. Wallingford: CABI. ISBN   9781780642215, pages 33–66.

Further reading