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SANTA
GERTRUDIS IN SOUTH AFRICA
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The modern Santa Gertrudis are medium framed cattle. They are exceptionally good foragers
(non-selective) and with an excellent walking ability cover long distances in
search for food and water. The modern Santa, with its dark red, smooth coat,
well hooded eyes (more resistant to cancer and pink eyes) and excellent legs and
feet, is tailor made for future South African trends. They are medium - quick
maturing, carrying a lot more muscling than those imported in the nineteen
seventies and is definitely better adapted to our extreme climatic conditions. |
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Santa weaners, both pure bred and crosses, consistently excel in feedlot
growth tests. Weaner weight for male and female calves were 227 kg with an ADA of
930 while the national average for all breeds is only 217 kg with an ADA of 869. Weight gains of
up to 2 kilogram per day are common and they are sought after because of their
high cutability (slaughter percentage) with up to 65% having been recorded. |
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The South African Santa breeder is leading the field in breeding for superior
Feed Conversion. Many of our growth test bulls are consuming less than six
kilogram of feed for one kilogram of weight gain. This is achieved because we
believe that performance is the only criteria by which a breed can be judged and
in this aspect the Santa Gertrudis has excelled. This is proved by the latest
data released by the National Beef Performance Testing Scheme. (2002)
Approximately 55% of the total feed and non feed costs of lean meat
production is required to maintain the cow herd (Dickenson 1983). Approximately
70% of the cost of rounding off cattle in feedlot is feed costs. The larger part
of the variation in production cost, is therefore related to feed conversion.
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If all the facts are considered, FCR (Feed
Conversion Ratio) as calculated in Phase C of the SA Performance Testing Scheme,
is a trait that should be given greater emphasis in the selection of superior
animals. In this regard the Santa has made steady progress with many Phase C
tested bulls now achieving FCR's of less than 5.5 with some already have broken
the magical 4,00 barrier, the best being 3,84 (the best ever in South Africa for
all breeds.)
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Taking the above in consideration, it should be
obvious that the cattle breeder in South Africa would benefit financially if he
use Santa Gertrudis Bulls. BLUP analysis on all Santa bulls is available.
The Santa Gertrudis are non selective feeders therefore whether an intensive
high pressure grazing system or a light grazing system is employed, pasture
degration is negligible. Inspiring and aiding pasture management and natural
resources. |
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Even in the showring the Santa Gertrudis are performing well. At Vryburg,
Bloemfontein and Johannesburg shows the Santa Gertrudis won the Gold Cup during
1997 and 2001 with 3 different animals, judged by 3 different judges. At the
Royal Show Pietermaritzburg the cow White Horn Pandora won the Gold Cup for three years
running.
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