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Beef Cattle Teaching Farm FINCA MONTAÑA |
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Montaña Beef Cattle Teaching Farm is located in the northeast region of Puerto Rico. The farm has a total area of 1,043 acres of which 437 acres are in native forest and 120 acres of arable land with deep dark soils that have irrigation. The rest, approximately 486 acres, are natural and improved pastures used for grazing and hay production (Fig. 1). Most of the topography consists of rolling hills that can be mechanized. |
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From 1943 to 1973 the farm was part of the Ramey Air Force Base (United States Air Force). Then, in 1981 it was donated to the University of Puerto Rico with the sole purpose of dedicating the farm to education and research in animal production and agriculture. Thus far, it is the operational center of the beef cattle project of the Department of Animal Industry, College of Agricultural Science, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. |
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Beef Cattle Project
To this date there are approximately 550 head of cattle that include 430 breeding cows, 60 heifers at the Isabela Research Station and 60 young bulls at the Corozal Research Station.
Breeding Herd
The breeding of beef cattle is the main activity conducted at the farm. Annually an average of 400 beef cows are bred, of this total 150 are registered purebred Senepol cows and |