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• FOUNDATION STOCK - St. Croix
• HARSH, DRY CONDITIONS
• FREE RANGE
• PURE BLOODLINES
• SAME MANAGEMENT SINCE 1962
• OPEN BOOKS SINCE 1960

Castle Nugent Farms has been breeding Senepol since 1957 on our ranch on the arid south east shore of St. Croix, the largest of the U. S. Virgin Islands. Exportation of Senepol from Castle Nugent Farms for breeding purposes has been steady during the past 10 years. (Embryos and semen are also exported.) Castle Nugent Farms is considered a Genetic Bank for the Senepol breed.

FOUNDATION STOCK - Ranch owners and founders Caroline Wall Gasperi and her late husband, Dr. Mario Gasperi, became managers at Castle Nugent Farms in the early sixties with seed stock from the historical “Longford-Wall” herd of N’Dama and Senepol cattle on the estate. Mario and Caroline’s son, herdsman Mauro Gasperi, and Mario’s brother, ranch manager Enrico “Kiko” Gasperi, have continued rigorous culling for fertility, morphology and performance for over four decades with this same herd, which traces its roots back to the 1600s on our small island.

HARSH, DRY CONDITIONS - The east end of St. Croix is arid with extremely dry periods during the year. Humidity is high but constant trade winds dry out the landscape and make it difficult for many plants to grow. Desert plants such as acacia and cactus are common in our pastures. Our herd thrives solely on native grasses and bush, due to their ability to browse. CN Senepol tolerate free range conditions that offer sparse shade, constant winds and temperatures between 70 and 95 degrees F, year round. Our live animal shipments have been consistent in recent years to all the Sun Belt States (Florida through Texas) and Australia, with the result that CN brand is quite common on many ranches with Senepol cattle. Ranches that enjoy more lush conditions than ours will usually experience an increase in performance with CN Senepol.

FREE RANGE - Our cattle live all year round on open pasture. They require very little care and receive no feed supplements to their grass diet, and minimal health care from the vet. They don’t require wormings and of course no growth supplements in our conditions.

PURE BLOODLINES - The Castle Nugent herd is directly descended from the Longford-Wall herd of N’Dama/Senepol. The Senepol of that herd were directly acquired here on St. Croix from the original Bromley-Nelthropp herd.

SAME MANAGEMENT SINCE 1962 - Castle Nugent Farms has never been bought or sold. The Gasperis have been running the ranch and selecting the best pedigrees, generation to generation, since 1962.

Mauro Gasperi, son of Caroline and Dr. Mario Gasperi, and Enrico “Kiko” Gasperi (Mario’s brother) in 1991. Castle Nugent Farms Senepol ranch is a family operation.

OPEN BOOKS SINCE 1960 - You are welcome to trace any CN Senepol cow or bull back to its origins in the 1960s at Nugent. We are proud of our record books. Our cattle are also registered with the Senepol Cattle Breeders Association.

“At Castle Nugent, meticulous genetic selection and free range have kept the breed's qualities at their highest level through the years. Selection and improvement are a constant active goal on our ranch to always reach for the top in fertility, performance and conformation,” says ranch owner Caroline Gasperi.

Even with strict selection for these traits, we still maintain standards of practicality. Our cows are bred to produce consistently healthy, large calves. Our genetic selection is designed to produce cattle for commercial ranches - consistent high quality.

“Even if the lineage looks good and the cow or bull is beautiful to the eye, the animal must have good performance,” says manager Kiko Gasperi. He looks at the total picture of each animal - not just EPDs or any other single factor, but the overall commercial value of the animal.

At time of photo, CN1514 has calved 14 calves in 15 years without complication. Four of her daughters are breeding cows. Two of her sons became breeding bulls.

Over the years, Castle Nugent Farms has strived to develop an easily managed, docile cowherd producing as close as possible to one-half of the cow's weight in a live, growthy calf with no assistance, yearly. These ideals have resulted in the successful Senepol herd found at Nugent.

Cows are feminine, productive, good natured and excellent mothers. Bulls are masculine and aggressive breeders. Calves are sound with good conformation and growthiness.

Cattle are selected at Nugent with little bias for color. They range in coloration from a light, golden tan to dark red.

The older, proven cows have embryos available from some of the more elite Senepol bulls in the breed.

Our genetic selection process has ignored some of the passing fads with the breed, such as oversized framing. We prefer a healthy, functional animal.

For more information about Senepol cattle or to request a brochure, call or send address to:

Castle Nugent Farms
Phone/Fax (340) 773-1508
POB 969
Christiansted St.Croix VI 00821

...or visit us in America's Paradise, and see for yourself!

Castle Nugent Guest House