BREED ORIGIN & CHARACTERISTICS
The N'Dama, a native (Bos Taurus) of Senegal,
North West Africa was crossed with the British breed, Red Poll.
The two breed composite was developed on the island of St Croix
in the Caribbean, at the beginning of the 20th century. The result
of infusing the Red Poll was a combining of the N'Dama's superior
traits of heat tolerance, insect resistance and ability to thrive
on poor quality forage, with the carcase quality, high fertility,
feed efficiency, quiet nature and renowned maternal and milking
ability of the Red Poll. The Senepol has been a fixed breed now
for almost a century.
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N'Dama the native
Bos Taurus of Senegal |
British breed Red Poll |
Senepol Cattle
- solid red colour, ranging from dark red to
a lighter ginger colour
- in general have a very short hair coat type
- are naturally polled
- have good eye and skin pigmentation
- a docile temperament - being easily managed
and handled in extensive pastoral conditions
The development of the breed placed high natural
selection pressure on structural soundness, hardiness and fertility.
The island environment of St Croix encompasses both wet tropics
with high humidity and rainfall and hot, dry savanna country.
Tropical parasites and cattle tick are abundant and the native
feed low in quality. This 'home' of Senepol has produced a tough,
adaptable breed of cattle with the ability to thrive under harsh
conditions, maintaining fertility, tropical resistance and feed
efficiency whilst producing an excellent eating quality carcase.
ECONOMIC FACTORS
Senepol are best described as being of medium
frame - extremes of muscle and bone having been avoided in striking
a workable balance of feed efficiency to growth, fertility and
calving ease.
Senepol Cattle
- reach puberty earlier than Bos Indicus breeds
- females are renowned for their ease of calving
and calves for their fast 'get up and go' vigour
- heifers will calve as two year olds under
normal management conditions
- longevity is well documented, breeders often
still efficiently producing calves well into their teen years
- average birthweight of calves is 34kg
- average mature weight of cows is 550-650kg
at pasture
- bulls, 930kgs at pasture
- bulls have a high libido, are fertile
and aggressive breeders from an early age.
Heat Tolerance
A pure Bos Taurus breed with superior heat tolerance
(USDA Subtropical Research Station, Brooksville, Florida) Dr Tim
Olsen's long term research findings established that Senepol cows
maintained a cooler rectal temperature than Brahman cows whilst
grazing during the heat of the day. These studies also found that
the F1 Senepol maintained rectal temperatures the same as full
blood Senepol thereby indicating the ability to pass on the factor
in crossbreeding.
Disease and Insect Resistance
- Senepol have a greater immune response compared
to other beef breeds. This fact has been largely attributed
to the N'Dama influence. N'Dama cattle are highly resistant
to the Tsetse fly, a carrier of the disease Bovine Trypanosomiasis
(Sleeping sickness). This trait is of importance in Australia
where Buffalo fly is prevalent.
Slick coat gene
- An identified gene (Sk - Dr Tim Olsen) confers
a very short haired, sleek coat when an animal carries a copy
of the gene. To date Senepol is the only breed available in
Australia that is known to be a carrier of this gene.
- The gene is associated with the heat tolerance
of the Senepol breed.
- Smooth coated animals in tick infested
country will carry less tick burden than hairy coated animals.
The natural licking (grooming) process, as well as the animal's
inherent tick resistance, greatly reduces tick larvae from maturing.
The Senepol and its slick haired crosses, from field counts
conducted in Queensland, appears to have a very high level of
genetic tick resistance.
Crossbreeding value
Senepol offers crossbreeders excellent hybrid
vigour from a tropically adapted Taurine breed, with a genetic
package which ahs not been subjected to unbalanced 'single trait'
selection. Senepol admirably complement tropical beef production
where traditionally Bos Indicus derived breeds have been used.
Senepol are the ideal Bos Taurus for crossbreeding with British
& European breeds in hotter country and for use in the development
of tropical composite herds.
Production flexibility
Target a wider range of markets, increase your
production options.
"We see the most profitable
people in northern beef production as those producers providing
high quality beef from a low cost base. Senepol cattle have
proven they will survive and thrive in harsh conditions and
provide outstanding quality beef. We need no further reason."
JIM LITCHFIELD
Benchmark Senepols, Thallon Qld
"Senepol's
ability to bring major uniformity of colour and type to the
first generation progeny from a "mixed mob" of breeders
is to me a most important benefit - in an area where not only
heat tolerance and foraging ability of cattle is important,
but also the market advantage of offering drafts of weaners
of consistent type. I am so impressed with the performance and
outcome of my Senepol infusion programme over the past two to
three years that this year I am joining all of the 1800 mainly
Santa Gertrudis and Santa x Shorthorn breeders to Senepol infused
bulls. I believe the Senepol to be highly prepotent breed due
to its background of largely 'survival of the fittest' and natural
selection process."
DIGBY BOLAND
Lagnacourt Pastoral Co, Moree, NSW
"This year we are
mating all of our heifers to a mob of Senepol bulls. We are
extremely pleased with the way they are handling the climate
and covering the country. They have also proved to be very quiet
cattle.
PHIL CORLIS
Hazelwood Station, Richmond, Qld
