Beef Cattle Breeds Identification & Characteristics

Beef Cattle Breeds
Identification & Characteristics
Angus
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Origin – Scotland
Color – Black
P/H – Polled
Characteristics
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2nd most popular,
Resistant to pink eye
Superior carcass
Not as rugged as others
Barzona
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Origin – US - Arizona
Color – Red
P/H – either
Characteristics
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(1/4) Africander, Hereford,
Shorthorn, & Angus
Good fertility, rate of gain,
mothering, hardiness,
resistant to pink eye
Medium size, long head
Beefalo
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Origin –
Color – variety
P/H –
Characteristics
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cross of (3/8) bison/buffalo
& (5/8) any breed of cattle
Hardiness, calving ease,
meat quality (buffalo)
Fertility, milking ability,
handling ease (beef)
Beef Master
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Origin – US (TX)
Color – red, variety
P/H – polled
Characteristics
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Hereford, Brahman,
Shorthorn
Belted Galloway
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Origin – Scotland
Color – Black Grey, white
belt
P/H – polled
Characteristics
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Similar to the Galloway
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Larger
More milk
Grow more rapidly
Blonde D’Aquitaine
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Origin – France
Color – blonde, light
yellow
P/H – horned
Characteristics
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Used as draft
Use for meat and milk
Brahman
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Origin – India
Color – variety
P/H – horned
Characteristics
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Sacred cattle of India
Large drooping ears
Excess skin
Brahman Crosses
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Braford
Brahmousine
Braler
Brangus
Charbray
Simbrah
Gelbray
Brangus
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Origin – US
Color – black
P/H – polled
Characteristics
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Resistant to pink eye
Good milkers
Good carcass
Brown Swiss
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Origin – Switzerland
Color – chocolate
P/H – horned
Characteristics
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Dosile
Raised for milk & beef
Crossed with Angus
Charolais
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Origin – France
Color – white, cream
P/H – Horned
Characteristics
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Long bodied
Good milkers
3rd most popular
Larger in size
Muscular
Chianina
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Origin: Italy
Color: white to steel gray
P/H: horned
Characteristics:
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One of the oldest breeds of
cattle
Tallest breed of beef cattle
Short hair
Terminal breed
Low milk production
Corriente
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Origin – Spain
Color – any except pure
white
P/H – horned
Characteristics
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Milk, draft, meat
Hardy
Devon
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Origin – England
Color – rich red, dark red
preferred
P/H – horned
Characteristics
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Adequate milk production
Genetic Tool
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Fertility
Calving ease
Docility
Hardiness
Adapt to temperature extremes
Galloway
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Origin – Scotland
Color – dark
P/H – polled
Characteristics
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Wavy hair
Hardy
Easy calvers
Docile
Courageous
Gelbvieh
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Origin – Germany
Color – red/red spotted
P/H – horned
Characteristics
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Strong skin pigmentation
Superior fertility, calving
ease, mothering ability
Hays Converter
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Origin – Canada by Senator Hays
Color – Black w/ white
face & underline
P/H – Horned
Characteristics
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Hardiness –cold winters
Fast fleshing ability
Calving ease
Large milk production
Hardiness – cold climates
Excellent carcass
Sound feet & legs
Hereford
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Origin: Hereford, England
Color: Red w/ white head,
legs, and underline
P/H: Horned
Characteristics:
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Early maturing
“Mothering” breed
Meat: trimmer, less fat, more
red meat
Limousin
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Origin – France
Color – golden red
P/H – horned
Characteristics
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Larger
Rough coat
Hardy
Lincoln Red
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Origin – United Kingdom
Color – deep red
P/H – either
Characteristics
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Early maturing
Easy calvers
Not prone to eye cancer
or sunburn
Large frame or rapid
growth
Longhorn (Texas)
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Origin – North America –
survival of the fittest
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Color –
P/H – horned
Characteristics
 Developed entirely by
nature in North America
 High fertility
 Hardy, aggressive,
adaptable
 Easy calving
Maine Anjou
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Origin: France
Color: Dark red with white
markings or black
P/H: Horned
Characteristics:
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Cross: Mancelle & Shorthorn
Well muscled
Easy fattening
Marchigiana
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Origin: Italy
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Color: white to steel
gray
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P/H: horned
Characteristics
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Large, muscular
Mature early
High feed efficiency
Murray Grey
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Origin: Australia
Color: silver – grey, grey
P/H: polled
Characteristics:
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Mothering ability
Low birth weight
Efficient growth rate
Meat: high cutability
Normande
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Origin – France
Color – mahogany &
white or black & white
P/H – ?
Characteristics
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Rings around eyes
Dual purpose breeds
Clean fronted, strong
topline
Norwegian Red
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Origin: Norway
Color: rust red and white
P/H: horned
Characteristics:
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Abundant milk production
Excellent feed conversion
Good carcass
Piedmontese
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Origin – Italy
Color – white to pale grey
P/H – ?
Characteristics
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Most popular breed in Italy
Tender, lean beef
80% double muscled
Calving ease
Good milk yield
Docile
Pinzgauer
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Origin: Austria
Color: chestnut red w/
white markings
P/H: either
Characteristics:
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Pigmented skin
Maternal instinct
High fertility
Polled Hereford
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Origin: Iowa by Warren Gammon
Color: Red with white face,
legs and underline
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P/H: polled
Characteristics
 Mutation of Hereford
 Similar traits to Hereford
Red Angus
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Origin – US
Color – Red
P/H – Polled
Characteristics
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Similar to Angus
Deep fronted
Red Poll
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Origin – England
Color – red
P/H – polled
Characteristics
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Dual purposes
Well muscled
Salers
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Origin – France
Color – deep cherry,
white switch
P/H – horned
Characteristics
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Fastest growing breed in
the United States
Most genetically pure of
European breeds
Santa Gertrudis
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Origin – King Ranch - TX
Color –
P/H –
Characteristics
 descendants of the bull,
Monkey
 Cross: 5/8 shorthorn
cows and 3/8 Brahman
bulls
Shorthorn
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Origin: England
Color: Red, white, roan
P/H: Horned
Characteristics:
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Originally used as a dual
purpose breed for meat and
milk (Milking Shorthorn)
Short & refined
Inward curving horns
Simmental
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Origin – Switzerland
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Color – Orange/Yellow
and white to black
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P/H –
Characteristics
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Oldest breed of cattle in
the world
Large, powerful breed
South Devon
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Origin – England
Color – light brown to
red
P/H – horned
Characteristics
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Largest of British breeds
Heavy milkers
Tarentaise
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Origin – France
Color – cherry to dark
blonde
P/H – horned
Characteristics
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Larger breed
Thick neck
White Park
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Origin – England
Color – white, black/red
pigmentation; black ears,
eyes, nose, feet, tail
P/H – horned
Characteristics
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excellent milking ability