Oil And Cattle Enterprise

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30592, 7 November 1964, Page 8

Oil And Cattle Enterprise

Oil production and beef cattle production combine well on the 823,000 acres of King Ranch in Texas, according to Mr P. D. Shea, a cattle buyer of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, who visited the ranch famous for its Santa Gertrudis cattle during a recent visit to the United States and Canada.

“I am sure that beef producers in Canterbury would be very happy and contented if they could raise and fatten their cattle under such favourable economic conditions,” said Mr Shea this week—“cattle above ground and oil wells below.” King Ranch, which is all flat country, carries 80,000 cattle of which 7000 are purebred Santa Gertrudis and nearly all the rest Santa Gertrudis cross. There are small

studs of Texan Longhorns and of Africanders. “I really enjoyed seeing the big red Santa Gertrudis breed again,” said Mr Shea. “They are deep meaty cattle of placid temperament and put on weight very rapidly and do not carry any surplus fat.” “In recent years the Santa Gertrudis cattle have been exported to many countries and not only to those with tropical climates. At the present time they are being tried in Alaska and in some other American states where they experience a cold winter. Current reports indicate that they are proving very satisfactory.” Although his knowledge of the Charolais was limited to what he had seen of them in the United States, Mr Shea said it was his opinion that the Santa Gertrudis would be superior to that breed. Commenting on the Charolais cross cattle he had seen

in American feedlots. Mr Shea said that their conformation was not impressive and there seemed to be a wide variation in type. “I could not get very enthusiastic about them.”

Livestock on King Ranch also includes 1000 quarterhorses and some thoroughbreds raced by Robert J. Kleberg. junior. During his visit Mr Shea said he was interested to see the famous racehorse, Assault, now rising 22 years old, which won 480,000 dollars during his racing career, and the triple crown in 1946 of the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.