What Is the Most Common Breed of Beef Cattle

Reading Time: 7 minutes

Every beef cattle breed has pluses and minuses, and what might exist a plus for one farmer could be a drawback in some other situation. For example, a breed that does well in a hot climate may not practise well in a common cold one, and vice versa. Some breeds are better than others for finishing on grass. If you take a pocket-sized farm and your kids are helping handle the cattle, you lot want a breed with a gentle disposition. Information technology'due south of import to cull a breed that fits your goals and purposes. Here are descriptions of most of the breeds you'll encounter, merely you tin find more details on their websites.

Breeds in North America include British breeds like Angus, Hereford, and Shorthorn; continental (European) breeds like Charolais, Simmental, Salers,
Limousin, Gelbieh, Braunvieh, Tarentaise, Chianina, Maine Anjou, Blonde d'Aquitaine, Piemontese, Romagnola; American breeds that were created
past mixing British and/or continental breeds with Brahman to produce better hot-climate cattle (Brangus, Braford, Charbray, Santa Gertrudis, Beefmaster, etc.), or the Texas Longhorn descended from feral Spanish cattle in the Southwest; and breeds from other continents such as Watusi, Wagyu, Murray Grey, etc. Various breeds can be crossed to add traits that yous might want in your beefiness animals or brood cows.

Angus

Angus are black and genetically polled (no horns). Brood traits include fast growth, marbled meat (flecks of fat, making information technology tender and juicy), and maternal power (aggressive, protective mothers that produce a lot of milk for their calves).

A carve up breed of Scarlet Angus was created by selecting Angus with a recessive red cistron. Angus and Angus-cross calves are popular with
feedlot buyers because of their excellent carcass traits.

Angus cows are popular with many ranchers because they are good mothers and require very little care at calving. They are not e'er the all-time choice for beginners considering of their hot-headed nature, though there are some mellow individuals. If you want to exist up close and personal with your cows, choose a brood with a calmer disposition or detect a breeder who has selected mellow Angus for easy-treatment.

Herefords

Herefords are large-framed and heavy-boned with a carmine body and white confront, feet, abdomen, and tail switch, and horns. Today there are also polled Herefords, created in the early 1900s past selectively breeding a few mutant
Herefords that had no horns. Nigh Herefords are docile and mellow, which makes them first-class for beef cattle farming for beginners.

Shorthorns

Shorthorns originated every bit dual-purpose cattle (meat and milk). They are red, white, roan or spotted, and horned. Calves are minor at birth (easy calving) simply grow fast. Today in the U.S., at that place are two registries — for milking Shorthorns and beef Shorthorns. Milking ability, fast growth, and tractability make this breed a good selection for small farmers who desire to enhance beefiness.

Simmentals

Simmentals originated in Switzerland every bit a dairy cow brood. Xanthous-brown with white markings, these cattle are noted for rapid growth, large frame, and milk production. They became popular for crossbreeding to create larger, fast-growing cattle. They are slower to mature than British breeds, taking longer to reach finish weight. Beginning stockmen desiring to use this breed should keep disposition in mind and select carefully since some individuals are flighty and hot-headed.

beef-cattle-breeds — Austrian Simmental.

Charolais

Charolais are big, white, heavy-muscled cattle that originated in
French republic as draft animals. They are noted for feed efficiency, heavy
weaning weights, and extensive muscling. Many stockmen use Charolais bulls on cows of other breeds for a terminal cantankerous (selling all offspring as beef) to produce fast-gaining large calves that exercise well in the feedlot. One
of the biggest drawbacks to the breed has been calving difficulty because calves are large and thick at birth. Some breeders take selected for lower birthweights to get away from this problem.

Limousin

Limousin is an old brood from western France. Red-gold and well-muscled, these cattle are finer boned than Charolais (less calving issues) but grow equally speedily. Some breeders have created a black, polled version. Like other
continental breeds, Limousin has been crossed with other breeds to increment size and weaning weight. The calves grow faster and larger
than British breeds, but are slower maturing and do not terminate equally quickly. Disposition should be taken into consideration when selecting stock for a small farm.

Gelbvieh

Gelbvieh are tan/gold and originated in Austria/Germany equally multi-purpose cattle (meat, milk, and draft). They are fast-growing and mature quicker than some other European breeds. They are noted for loftier fertility, calving
ease, and mothering ability. Every bit in all continental breeds, selection for disposition is important, since some are less easy to handle than others.

Salers

Salers are night red cattle from French republic and popular for crossbreeding because of calving ease, hardiness, good milking power, and fertility. Some
breeders in America are now producing black, polled Salers.
This breed has a bad reputation for disposition, and though there are some mellow family lines, the hot-headed flightiness of some of these cattle can make them a poor choice for beginners.

Tarentaise

Tarentaise originated in the French Alps as dual-purpose (meat and milk) animals, related to Chocolate-brown Swiss. Cherry crimson with darker ears, nose, and feet, they are moderate size (one of the smaller continental breeds), highly
fertile, and early on maturing. Due to their origins in the rugged Alps, these cattle are hardier than most European breeds, and as well have less calving and fertility bug than some of the larger cattle. They piece of work well in crossbreeding programs or where cattle must use marginal grazing state.

Chianina

Chianina are white Italian cattle originally used as draft animals. They are the largest cattle; mature bulls stand up more six feet tall at the shoulder and may weigh 4,000 pounds. This beefiness cattle breed is well-muscled and long-legged. In America, they are primarily used for crossbreeding — as a concluding cross with all calves marketed as beef (no females kept). Since they
are high-strung and huge, they are non a good choice for beginners.

American Brahman

American Brahman cattle were developed from several strains of Indian cattle, including some from Brazil. Calves are small-scale at birth, grow fast, merely do not become sexually mature equally rapidly as British breeds. Heat-tolerant and resistant to ticks and insects, these large cattle have loose floppy peel
on dewlap, brisket, and abdomen, big droopy ears, horns that curve upward and back, and can be any color. In a hot climate, they exercise well. Shy and flighty, they are non a good choice for beginners unless handled carefully. With selection and proper handling, all the same, they tin become very docile.

Beefmaster

Beefmaster is an American beef cattle brood produced by crossing Brahman with Shorthorn and Hereford to create a estrus-tolerant animal with practiced beef production. Beefmaster cattle today are slightly less than half Brahman and slightly more than ¼ Hereford and ¼ Shorthorn. They can be any colour or spotted. Rigid alternative in range weather condition, based on hardiness, disposition, fertility, growth, conformation, and milk production has created a superior beef animal that needs no pampering.

Santa Gertrudis

Santa Gertrudis were created on the Rex Ranch in Texas by crossing Brahman with Shorthorn. These red cattle are heat-tolerant, with good beefiness production. They are approximately 5/8 Shorthorn and 3/8 Brahman, known for piece of cake calving, good mothering ability, and improved beefiness quality over the Brahman. They proceeds weight nicely on grass, and outperform British and continental breeds in hot climates, but they may be besides flighty for an inexperienced stockman.

Murray Grey

Murray Grey are moderate-sized, silver-grayness beef cattle breed descended from one Shorthorn cow in Australia who produced 12 grayness calves when bred to Angus bulls. These polled cattle accept easy-born, fast-growing calves. They have high-quality meat, good milk and mothering ability, and better dispositions than nearly Angus cattle — traits that make them attractive to the small-scale farmer.

Scotch Highland

Scotch Highland cattle originated in Scotland, surviving in the highlands on sparse, coarse native fodder. They take impressive horns and long hair. Most are red but may range from tan to black — with an occasional white or dun. As one of the hardiest breeds, they survive in poor conditions where other cattle perish. Calves are born small but grow rapidly. Mature animals are small compared to well-nigh beefiness breeds. Due to ease of calving, hardiness, and dramatic hybrid vigor when crossed with other cattle, they are sometimes used in crossbreeding programs to produce efficient, hardy range cattle.

Galloways

Galloways, some other Scottish brood, are polled, blackness (though a few are red, white, or dun), and sturdy, with long shaggy hair that sheds in summertime. They handle severe winter weather condition and keep foraging in deep snow. Calves are born small-scale and hardy and gain rapidly. These cattle are efficient and tin can do well on grass, without grain, producing a trim carcass with a high per centum of meat.

Devon Cattle

Devon cattle originated in southwestern England as draft animals and were later selected for beef traits, producing flavorful meat on native grasses. This is a popular brood for people who raise grass-finished beefiness.

Ruby-red Poll

Red Poll originated in England as dual-purpose animals. Cows are highly fertile, and calves are minor just grow fast. Since this breed is not closely related to other beef breeds, it can be utilized in a crossbreeding program to obtain infrequent hybrid vigor. This breed has been used primarily for grass finishing, reaching market weight at a young age, and excels in meat quality (marbling and tenderness) without grain.

Welsh Blackness

Welsh Black cattle originated along the coast of Wales. They have excellent disposition; they were historically raised and tended by women. Harsh weather and poor grazing adult an power to go past on minimal forage and they handle cold weather improve than virtually breeds. Originally bred for milk as well as meat, the cows raise fast-growing calves. The cows are adept
mothers, fertile, and long-lived.

Dexters

The smallest beef cattle breed is the Dexter, originating in southern Ireland, bred by farmers with pocket-size holdings in the mountains. The cattle foraged in rough country side by side to lilliputian farms. These small, gentle cattle demand less feed than other breeds and thrive in a variety of climates. Calves are born easily and grow fast, maturing by 12 to 18 months of age every bit finished beef.

Wagyu

Wagyu cattle originated in Nihon and are known for highly-marbled, tasty meat — which volition be the highest-priced meat on the card at a good restaurant. Small farmers who raise Wagyu often process and sell the meat directly to consumers. The breed you choose volition depend on your goals and purposes — and how you want to raise and market them.

What is your favorite beef cattle brood? Nosotros would love to hear from you in the comments below.

Originally published in the Jan/Feb 2021 upshot of Countryside & Small Stock Periodical and regularly vetted for accuracy.

flemingpontliatich.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.iamcountryside.com/cattle/best-beef-cattle-breeds/