Beef Cattle

In the United States there

are more than 80 recognized breeds of beef cattle.

A breed is a group of animals of

common descent, possessing distinctive characteristics that distinguish them from other

groups within the same species.

When you examine the

characteristics of any breed there are always some advantages and some

disadvantages.

AdvantagesDisadvantagesLow birth weight Lower growth rate High fertilityModerate milk productionModerate frame size

British Breeds:Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn

AdvantagesDisadvantagesHigh growth rate Increased dystociaLarger frame size Increased maintenance High milk production

European Breeds:Charolais, Gelbvieh, Maine-Anjou,

Pinzgauer, Simmental, South Devon,Tarentaise

Beef Cattle Breeds

ShorthornPROFILE From England ColorRed, red and white, or roan SizeMature Bulls: 1,000-1,300 lbsMature Cows: 800-1,200 lbs Popularity FactorsDual purpose breed for milk and meat.

GelbviehPROFILE From Germany ColorRed SizeMature Bulls: 1,000-1,300 lbsMature Cows: 800-1,200 lbs Popularity FactorsFleshy under the throat. Good motherswho have a calf a year.

CharolaisPROFILE From France ColorWhite SizeMature Bulls: 2,800-3,300 lbsMature Cows: 1,400-2,500 lbs Popularity FactorsLong bodied large cattle. Heavily muscled.

BrahmanPROFILE From India ColorWhite to grey, red to black. SizeMature Bulls: 2,800-3,300 lbsMature Cows: 1,400-2,500 lbs Popularity FactorsInsect and heat resistant, ableto survive on little, poor feed. Has sweat glands.

Texas LonghornPROFILE From North America ColorDiverse coloring SizeMature Bulls: 2,800-3,300 lbsMature Cows: 1,400-2,500 lbs Popularity FactorsCan eat very poor vegetation. Lean beef…and really cool horns.

PopularBeef Cattle Breeds

in Utah

Hereford

Black and Red Angus

Simmental

HerefordPROFILE From Hereford, England ColorRed or Black with white head, legs, and underline. SizeMature Bulls: 2,000-2,500 lbsMature Cows: 1,00-1600 lbs Popularity FactorsExcellent mothers. Very adaptable to any environment, juicy tender meat. Very easy to handle.

AngusPROFILE From Scotland ColorBlack hair and skin or red hair and skin. SizeMature Bulls: 1,000-1,300 lbsMature Cows: 800-1,200 lbs Popularity FactorsExcellent mothers. Naturally no horns, and natural marbling for tasty, tender beef. Very easy to handle.

SimmentalPROFILE From Switzerland, came to the United States in 1971 Colorpale yellow-gold all the way to very dark red or black SizeMature Bulls: 2,200-2,800 lbsMature Cows: 1,100-1,500 lbs Popularity FactorsGentle and large with heavy milk production. Very lean meat. Very easy to handle.

Additional Beef Cattle Information

There are approximately 250 breeds of cattle recognized throughout the world, and several hundreds of breeds that are not recognized. The exact count is impossible to determine because other breeds continue to be imported, and crossing existing breeds continuously creates new breeds.

Breeds of Beef Cattle

The major characteristics for beef producers: Mature body size Milk production Age at puberty Environmental adaptability Rate and efficiency of gain Muscle expression Cutability Marbling

Breed Characteristics

Mature cows weigh less than mature bulls.Larger mature size results in: Heifers being older and/or heavier at puberty Heavier birth weights (often associated with

difficult calving) Faster rate of gain Heavier weaning weights

Mature Body Size:If various sizes of cattle are fed for the same length of time, cattle with a larger body size will have faster, more efficient

gains, lower marbling, less fat, and improved cutablity.

The Main reason for increasing milk production in beef cattle is to increase weaning weights of calves.Heavy milk production can be bad— Heavy milking cows often produce milk at the

expense of their body functions (they get skinny) Thin females are less likely to come into heat and

have a harder time getting pregnant Heavy milkers are slow to cycle which lengthens

breeding interval and reduces general reproductive efficiency.

Milk Production

Leaner meat means more muscle Most breeds that are ranked above average in

muscle expression are also above average in size.

One concern with beef producers is that muscularity appears to affect reproductive efficiency (calving difficulties with bigger calves).

Muscle Expression

Age at puberty is important because cattle that

reach puberty at an earlier age conceive at an earlier age. These cattle have the potential to have a long productive life (economically important to cattle producers)

Age at puberty is linked to body size, milking potential, genetic classification, and environmental factors.

Smaller cattle with higher milk yield have been known to mature earlier.

Cattle exposed to harsh environmental conditions, whose nutritional requirements are not being met, reach puberty later.

Age at Puberty

Cutability is the percent of lean in a slaughter

animal and is directly affected by an animal’s muscle structure and directly related to nutrition.

Marbling (intramuscular fat) is often referred to as taste fat.

Cattle that mature early and have high milk yields are usually high in marbling.

Cutablity and Marbling