Breeds of LivestockBeef Cattle

English Breeds

• Angus

• Hereford

• Short Horn

French Breeds

• Charolais

• Limousin

• Maine-Anjou

Continental Breeds

• Beefmaster

• Brangus

• Bradford

• Santa Gerturdis

Angus

• Origin: Aberdeen and Angus, Scotland

• Imported to US: 1873

• Color: Black w/ smooth hair

• Polled: Yes

• Desirable Qualities:– Small frame that produces a desirable carcass of

high quality, well-marbled meat.• Marble= fat within the meat tissue that provides taste,

juiciness, and tenderness

– Known as an alert and vigorous breed.

Angus

Hereford

• Origin: England• Color: Red body, White face and belly

– Face has curly hair

• Polled: No• Desirable Qualities:

– Docile and easy handling– Superior foraging ability, vigor and hardiness– Produces more calves under adverse

conditions than other breeds

Hereford

Polled Hereford• Polled Herefords represent the development of an idea - an idea spawned

in the minds of a small number of Midwestern Hereford breeders in the late 1890s who realized that it was both possible and practical to develop "modern Herefords minus horns." These breeders were motivated by the promising prospect of developing Herefords with outstanding beef-producing characteristics, but with the added desirable trait of being naturally hornless. They planted the seed from which grew a new giant in the American and world beef cattle industry

• Polled Herefords were developed from the horned Hereford breed which was founded in the mid-18th century by the farmers of Hereford County, England.

• They have red bodies with white faces except for the polled trait.

• They are known for their foraging ability, vigor, hardiness, and quiet dispositions.

Polled Hereford

Shorthorn

Shorthorn

• Origin: Durham and York England (Northeast Coast

• Color: Red, Roan

• Polled: Yes

• Desirable Qualities:– Desirable carcass– Good Milk Producers

Charolais

• Origin: France• Imported to US: 1936 to King Ranch in Texas• Color: White to light straw with pink skin• Polled: Yes• Desirable Qualities:

– Hard, heavy muscling, particularly in the round and loin

– High feed efficiency– Large frame animal

Charolais

Limousin

• Origin: West Central France about 7000 years ago.

• Imported to US:1968• Color: light yellow hair with lighter circles

around the eyes and muzzle • Polled: no• Desirable Qualities: Short broad head with

small neck. Carcass leanness and large loin

Limousin

Maine Anjou

• Origin: France in 1840

• Imported to US: 1970

• Color: Dark red and white and roan

• Polled: no

• Desirable Qualities: Work animal, Excellent beef producers, Docile, easy to handle, Fast growth weight, well marbled

Maine Anjou

Beefmaster

• Origin: Texas in 1931

• Imported to US: 1931

• Color: Reds and dun

• Polled: Horned

• Desirable Qualities: Cross between Hereford, Shorthorn, Brahman. Good disposition, fertility, gain, conformation, hardiness, and milk production

Beefmaster

Brahman

• Origin: India and British Colonies • Imported to US: Conflicting Reports (1849) • Color: Light gray or red to almost black• Polled: Horned• Desirable Qualities: Hardiness, climate, early

maturity, High heat tolerance, resistant to disease and insects, good mothers, forage on poor range, gain rapidly, quality carcass, Unpredictable disposition.

Brahman

Brahman

Brangus3/8 Brahman and 5/8 Angus

• Origin: Jeanerette, Louisiana 1912

• Imported to US: 1912

• Color: Black

• Polled: Yes

• Desirable Qualities: Adaptable, Good mothers, feed efficiency, desirable carcass

Brangus

Brangus

Santa Gertrudis3/8 Brahman and 5/8 Shorthorn

• Origin: Texas 1920

• Imported to US: 1920

• Color: Cherry Red

• Polled: Horned

• Desirable Qualities: Efficient in feedlots, desirable carcass, Resistant to disease and insects

Santa Gertrudis

Santa Gertrudis

Simmental

• Origin: western Switzerland • Imported to US: Reported as early as 1887, no

influence until 1960’s• Color: red and white animals • Polled: Horned• Desirable Qualities:

– rapid growth development; – outstanding production of milk, butter, and cheese; – and for their use as draft animals.

Simmental

Simmental

Chianina

• Origin: Ancient Italy (Rome)

• Imported to US: 1971-1972

• Color: White to gray

• Polled: short horns

• Desirable Qualities:– Well defined muscling – Long legs– Terminal breed

Chianina

Texas Longhorn

• Origin: Imported to North America 500 Years ago

• Imported to US: 1500’s• Color: varies• Polled: horned• Desirable Qualities:

– Adapted to US – Foraging Ability– Large, Lean Carcass

Texas Longhorn

Gelbvieh (Gelp-fee)• Gelbvieh originated in Bavaria, in southern Germany.

• It is believed to have been developed in the late 18th and early 19th century from self-colored Bernese and Swiss Brown cattle used on the local red or red spotted cattle. Like most European breeds the Gelbvieh was originally selected for meat, milk and work.

• The breed was introduced into the United States by Carnation Genetics through the importations of semen from Germany, starting in July of 1971.

• The breed is red in color, with strong skin pigmentation, and horned. Polled cattle have developed in the United States from the use of naturally hornless foundation females. Proponents of the breed claim the breed has superior fertility, calving ease, mothering ability, and growth rate of the calves.

Gelbvieh

• http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/