Hidden from the average vacationer and located inland from the beaches, resorts and man-made attractions is the real Florida. Unknown to most is Florida’s rich history of ranching.The Florida cowboy, or “Cracker” as they’ve come to be called due to the sound of their whips, was the country’s first cowboy.

Long before the historic cattle drives of Western lore, Crackers were driving cattle across the swamps and woodlands of Florida. Today, Florida cattlemen still manage some of the nation’s largest ranches and remain the true stewards of the land that’s home to some of the most diverse wildlife areas in the country.Agriculture is big business in Florida and ranching accounts for a large percentage of that business. Florida is home to six of the nation’s top ten largest ranches, including the largest. More than 1,750,000 head of cattle graze its ranchlands that total around 7 million acres, a full 1/5th of the entire state. There are just over 15,500 cattle operations located in Florida equaling an average herd size of 112 head. Most are multi-generational, family ranches that have been handed down through the years.Florida is challenging ranch country in terms of heat, insects and parasites.

Brahman influenced cattle are a necessary part of commercial ranching there. Kenansville Cattle Company employs a crossbreeding method involving Red Angus, Brahman and Hereford.The Kelley family owns and operates Kenansville Cattle Company, a modern day ranching operation headquartered near Kissimmee. Alan Kelley, fifth generation Florida rancher, helps manage the ranch spanning some 10,000 acres. Through the family’s efforts, approximately 4500 acres are classified as improved grazing with the remainder considered woodland grazing.The ranch’s forage base differs vastly from one location to another. The grasses at Southport are stronger, or more nutritious than the grasses at Kenansville, but Alan has worked hard to improve that forage base. Pastures are dominated by Bahia grass and Floralta, both warm season perennial grasses. During the winter/spring months, the cowherd is supplemented with a free-choice, molasses syrup that is a byproduct of the sugarcane industry.The cowherd at Kenansville Cattle Company consists of approximately 1300 momma cows, plus replacement heifers. Alan utilizes a three breed, planned crossbreeding strategy with Red Angus, Hereford and Brahman genetics for cattle he keeps for his cowherd. The ranch’s ideal momma cow would be 1/2 - 3/4 Red Angus with the remaining 1/2 - 1/4 being Hereford x Brahman.

Compared to straight bred animals in this environment, this genetic make-up produces females that exhibit higher fertility rates, longer productive lifespan, increased production and heat tolerance, while delivering a calf that weans heavier, expresses more vigor and hangs a carcass with the traits both packers and feeders demand.To propagate superior maternal traits in his replacements, Alan identifies the herd’s top producing females that have proven their worth by weaning a minimum of three calves, breed back early and never missed. These females will then be bred to Brahman bulls. The resulting 1/2 Brahman heifers will be bred to produce the sought after 1/2- 3/4 Red Angus based replacement females. The ranch selects the top females and breeds them to produce top quality replacements while the remaining cowherd is used to produce feeder calves with increased performance bred in them. All wrapped in a predominately Red Angus and Hereford x Brahman cross package designed to excel in their environment.The calving season at Kenansville starts in December and ends in February. Calves are shipped in July or August with everything gone by September 1st. Alan utilizes the services of a ranch in south Georgia to develop his replacement heifers.Wanting to reap full advantage of his cowherd’s genetics, Alan has taken a proactive approach to marketing his cattle.

All calves are age and source verified. Alan, along with several other progressive Florida ranchers, joined resources to form Florida Heritage Beef, LLC. This marketing group is designed to highlight the volume, genetics, management and overall quality of the members’ calves.The Kenansville calves do well in the feedyard. In fact, the stockmen in Florida have greatly overwhelmed any stigma that some feeders once held by increasing the quality of the state’s calves through quality genetics over the last 20 years. Red Angus has played a key role in this enrichment.Red Angus cattle are having an increasing presence on the ranches of southeastern U.S. Ranchers in this region need cattle that are heat tolerant and can bring value to the needed crossbreeding programs used in this environment.Red Angus are more heat tolerant than their black counterparts. They have bred-in convenience traits like being polled, having pigmented eyes and udders, quite dispositions and carry tremendous maternal, carcass and performance traits for ranchers in any environment.Florida ranching is quite diverse and requires stewardship of land resources. Wildlife co-exists rather openly with cattle in great harmony.There is no replacement for good beef genetics. Like anywhere else they are crucial in Florida. With challenges of heat, insects and parasites, ranchers here are finding that Red Angus cattle deliver traits to them that elevate their programs.

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