Breeding Philosophy
As a business whose livelihood is dependent on cattle we know how important it is for the herd to perform financially. With this in mind strong emphasis is placed on maintaining high standards of feeding efficiency, fertility, good doing ability, temperament, muscle, softness and structural soundness in the herd.
Strathmore Santa Gertrudis also recognises the commercial demand for polled and dehorned cattle. Accordingly the stud is increasing it’s polled genetics.
Breeders
For a female to remain in our herd she must:
- Produce and rear a live calf each year
- Have a quiet temperament
- Be structurally sound and a good type
Bulls
All bulls must
- Pass the Australian Cattle Veterinary Thresholds for Specific and total Abnormalities through morphology testing
- Have a quiet temperament
- Be structurally sound and a good type
Steers bred in the commercial herd are either grass-fattened for the Japanese export market in a good season or finished in feedlots in marginal seasons.
The Walkers take particular note of how their cattle perform with regards to the processors’ kill sheet specifications and make sure their breeding objectives are in line with what the market wants. Strathmore cattle consistently kill at the top end of the processors specifications.