Breeds of LivestockFall 2009

Breed Animals of common origin having

characteristics that distinguish them other groups within the same species.

Most breeds were developed to fit a set of environmental constraints

-climate, forage, supply, specific, production goals

Utility of Breeds Cattle

-British-Continental-Bos Indicus

General-Sire breed-Maternal breed-Dual Purpose breed

Ranking Breeds Sire Breed: fast growing, muscular,

late maturing, low milking Maternal Breed: early maturing

sexually, inherently fertile, moderate to heavy milking, small to moderate size

Dual Purpose breed

Why use Crossbreeding? Heterosis (hybrid vigor): ability of

offspring to out perform the average of the parents breed

Complimentary of traits: take advantage of parent’s desirable traits

British Breeds

Angus (Scotland) Black, naturally polled, moderate size Excellent marbling, early compositional

maturity Excellent maternal breed, easy fleshing,

good milk production Early maturing sexually Largest number of annual registrations

in the USA Recessive gene: Red Angus

Angus

Red Angus

Hereford (England) Red with white face, also white on

underline, switch, etc. Moderate size, adaptable to many

environments, good disposition Poorest marbling of the British breeds U.S. registry Assn. of Hereford and

Polled Hereford; merged in 1995 2nd Largest in annual registrations in

the U.S.

Hereford

Bos Indicus Breeds

Brahman (India) American Brahman is a cross of three Indian

breeds Both red and gray strains of Brahmans exist,

both have black pigmentation, horned Noted for heat tolerance, disease and insect

resistance, and crossing ability Poor marbling ability, and slow sexual

maturity Brahman composites: Brangus, Santa

Gertrudis, Beefmaster, Braford, Simbrah, etc.

Brahman

Brangus (United States) 5/8 Angus and 3/8 Brahman, black and

naturally polled Excellent mothering ability, early

sexual maturing, heat tolerance and forage ability result from crossbreeding

Most “widespread” composite breed in the U.S.

Brangus

Santa Gertrudis (United States)

5/8 Shorthorn and 3/8 Brahman, dark red, both polled and horned

Developed on the King Ranch in Kingsville by founder Robert J. Kleberg

Breed traces back to single sire Noted for maternal ability, productivity

under hot, adverse conditions

Santa Gertrudis

Beefmaster (United States) Developed by Tom Lasater in the 1930’s in

Texas 50% Brahman, 25% Shorthorn, 25%

Hereford, composite breed No set color pattern Developed on the 6 essentials: weight,

conformation, fertility, hardiness, disposition, and milking ability

Noted for longevity, hardiness, rapid growth, and maternal ability

Beefmaster

Continental or European (Exotic) Breeds

Charolais (France) White/Off White, cream coloration Extremely fast growing, muscular

breed Large framed with relatively heavy

birth weights and large mature size Produce lean, muscular carcasses Below average maternally, problems

with dystocia

Charolais

Chianina (Italy) White coat with black skin pigmentation One of the world’s oldest breeds Extremely large framed, late maturing

that is fast growing Tremendous impact on the “show steer”

industry Produce lean, muscular carcasses,

marbling in suspect, “out of the box” Not considered a maternal breed

Chianina

Limousin (France) Reddish gold in color Moderate size Below average maternally, lack in milk

production Produce extremely lean, muscular

carcasses Fastest growing breed in the country (%

increase in registrations) 3rd in annual U.S. registrations

Limousin

Texas Longhorn (Texas, were of Spain Origin)

Long, distinctive horns Lived as feral cattle for approx. 300 years from 1550-

1850, then we began to drive cattle north for slaughter (ex. Lonesome Dove

In the 1800s, began to improve Longhorns with British bulls, by the early 1900s the Longhorn was diluted nearly to extinction

1927: Dept. of Interior paid $3000 to buy a purebred Longhorns to be maintained in Oklahoma.

Maintained as a hobby breed Light muscled breed, low birth weight, excellent

hardiness and known for longevity and ability to utilize forage

Texas Longhorn

Dairy Cattle

Holstein-Friesian (Netherlands)

Dominant breed of dairy cattle (over 90% of all commercial dairy cattle)

Black and white color pattern (red and white do exist), large frame, easy going nature

Unparalleled milk production ability (20,121 lbs. of milk average in 305 days)

Lowest percentage in butterfat. Butterfat: solids that are used for cheese,

butter, and non-fat dry milk

Holstein

Jersey (Isle of Jersey) Small, refined animal as surpassed

femininity (big brown eyes) Light tan to dark brown shades. Highest percentage of butterfat Many herd in Texas (Bluebell) Very heat tolerant than other dairy

breeds, thus popular in the south Very fertile and early maturing sexually

Jersey

Swine Breeds

Chester White (USA) White hair with drooping ears Noted for large ears, excellent

mothering ability

Landrace (Denmark) White in color with huge drooping ears Most prolific swine breed that is longer

than other breeds because of an extra vertebrae

More confinement adaptable than many other breeds

Landrace

Yorkshire (England) “Mother breed”, white erect ears, large

and white Noted for large litters, relatively lean

carcasses and good feed conversion

Yorkshire

Duroc (USA) Reddish brown (range from light red to

dark red) with drooping ears Excellent growth rate and feed

efficiency, generally considered a sire breed

Tends to be fatter than Hampshire sired pigs

Duroc

Hampshire (USA) Black with a white belt around

shoulders, erect ears Known for lean, muscular carcasses,

primarily a sire breed

Pietrain (Belgium) Black and white spotted with erect ears Extreme muscularity and leanness Normally stress positive Terminal sire breed

Sheep Breeds

Sheep Breeding Dual Purpose

-Dorset-Columbia-Corriedale

Important traits: Meat/Wool Sire/Dam breeds

Fine Wool Species

Merino (Spain) Most dominant breed in the world wide

sheep industry Very fine fleeces Merinos are typically smaller than

other wool breeds and slower growing Very hardy, long lived sheep with

excellent flocking instinct White face breed

Merino

Rambouillet (France) Descended from the Spain Merino, but

larger and faster growing Louis XVI purchased 366 Spanish Merinos

from the King of Spain and developed the Rambouillet at the King’s estate in Rambouillet, France

Dominant range ewe in Western U.S and Texas

White faced breed that is not extremely prolific under range conditions

Rambouillet

Crossbred Wool Breeds

Columbia (USA) Developed at the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station

in Dubios, Idaho Crossbred of Lincoln rams and Rambouillet ewes Largest of the crossbred breeds Coarser wool than rambouillet Ewes are relatively prolific and productive (10-

16#’s of wool/year) Lambs are faster growing than Rambouillets &

Merinos White faced, polled

Columbia

Medium WoolMeat Breeds

Dorset (England) Horned and polled strains Known for ability to breed out of

season, very prolific, and high milking ability

Hampshire (England) Sire breed noted for rapid growth and

muscularity Face, legs, and ears are dark brown to

black. Should possess a wool cap on their head

Hampshire and Suffolk are the two most popular sire breeds in the commercial sheep industry

Hampshire

Finnsheep (Finland) Most noted for their incredible

prolificacy (mature ewes produce 3+ lambs)

Noted for milk production, and easy lambing

Very poor fleeces and slow growing/light muscled

Require intensive management

Finnsheep

Southdown (England) One of the oldest sheep breeds,

imported into the U.S. in 1803 Medium to small sized with light brown

face and legs Farm flock breed used to produce meat Low maintenance breed with average

prolificacy and milk production

Southdown

Suffolk (England) Very old breed used as a sire breed in

commercial production Free of wool on the head and legs

(black) Alert, active sheep that grow fast with

lean carcasses Ewes are prolific and heavy milking but

produce very poor fleeces

Suffolk

Goat Breeds

Angora (Turkey) Produces mohair, a luxurious fiber that

commands a higher price than wool Sheared twice a year Over 90% of the nations Angora goats

reside in Texas, primarily in the Edward’s Plateau

Finest hair ( the world’s most valuable) is produced by the kid goats with the hair getting coarser as the goat gets older

Angora

South African Boer Goat (South Africa)

Hardy, fast growing meat-type goat Medium size with prominent horns and

broad drooping ears Good meat type confirmation with

superior spring of rib, body length, and muscling

Boer

Spanish Goat (Spain) Term Spanish goat is used in the U.S. to

refer to goats of mixed breed origin Kept largely for meat production Very prolific and hardy, utilize a great

deal of browse, thus used to clear brush and clean up re-growth in cleared areas

Spanish Goat

Nubian (Africa) Most popular registered dairy breed in

the U.S. Noted for high butterfat Long drooping ears and “Roman Nose”

Poultry

Leghorn (Mediterranean) Single comb, white leghorn is the most

prolific egg laying breed

White Plymouth Rock (USA) Used as the female line in broiler

production Lays brown eggs, are large, relatively

fast growing chickens

White Cornish (England) Sire line in broiler production Large, fast growing chickens that are

marginal egg producers Broad breasted, heavily muscled Tougher meat and stronger connective

tissue

Broad Breasted White Turkey (USA)

Birds are so heavy and muscular they are no longer capable of natural reproduction, also have problems with leg structure

Breeds Quiz 1. Which breed of cattle is ranked 3rd in

the annual registration? 2. Which breed of swine is more prolific

because of an extra vertebrae? 3. What two ovine breeds are fine wool

species: 4. Which breed of sheep is the most

prolific breed? 5. Which breed has the higher butterfat &

which breed has the higher milk volume?

Breeds Quiz 6. What is the most popular breed of

dairy goat in the USA? 7. What percentage of our nation’s

Angora goats reside in Texas? 8. What are 4 of the 6 essentials

described for a Beefmaster? 9. Which bovine breed has a recessive

red gene? 10. Which Texas bovine breed

originated from Spain?

Breeds Quiz 11. Which poultry breed is the most

prolific egg laying breed? 12. Which breed of poultry is so heavy &

muscular they are no longer capable of natural reproduction?

13. Which breed of swine is called the “mother breed”?

14. Which breed of cattle was developed on the King Ranch by Robert J. Kleberg?

15. Which bovine species has the largest number of annual registrations in the U.S.?

Breeds Quiz 16. Which breed of medium wool breeds

has a wool cap? 17. Which breed of swine is normally stress

positive? 18. Which bovine breed has poor marbling

ability but is offset by their ability to thrive in hot, humid environments, disease/insect resistant, and crossability.

19. Name two sire breeds & two maternal breeds.

20. What livestock would you raise and why?