Overview of Various Beef Cattle Breeds

Beefmaster

Developed in Texas. 1st composite breed. Dual purpose. Result from crosses from: Hereford 25%, Shorthorn 25%, Brahmans 50%. Color: Red, Dun. Horned or polled. Good disposition, fertility, weight gain, conformation, hardiness and milk production, excellent mothering ability.

Belmont Red

Tropical beef breed. Result from crosses from: Hereford 25%, Shorthorn 25%, Africander 50%. Developed in an attempt to improve the Bos indicus fertility while retaining the characteristics of heat and tick tolerance. High carcass yield, docility, fertility, adaptability. Predominantly Red in color but some color differences are occasionally evident.

Belted Galloway

Temperate beef breed. Origin: Scotland. Color: Black and white belt around the middle of the entire body. Larger than Galloway. Naturally polled, double coat of long hair. Bull: 815-955 kg Cow: 400-600 kg. More beef conformation, lean and flavorful meat. Calves: hybrid vigor, grow rapidly.

Beefalo

Result from crosses from: Buffalo ⅜, Domestic Cattle (of any breed) 5/8. Modern Beefalo Cross: Buffalo ⅜, Charolais ⅜, Hereford ¼. Large frame, docile, hard in extreme cold and extreme heat. Quality tasty healthier meat. Efficient, non-selective grazers. Easy calvers. Low birth weight, excellent rate of gain, high weaning rates.

Brahman

Beef type. Grey to red to almost black. Mothering ability is rated high. Tolerate drought conditions, tendency to later maturity, tick and heat tolerant. Intelligent, inquisitive, shy.

Humper

High dressing percentage, good "cutout", minimum outside fat. Medium size, Bull: 700-900 kg Cow: 450-635 kg.

Charolais

Temperate beef breed. Origin: Charolles, France. Color: White or Cream, Golden Wheat or Straw. Characteristics: Flesh to pink color of skin and mucous membranes stoutly built and large size wavy hair coat. Efficient feedlot gains and carcass cutout values (tremendous muscling and conformity). Ease of calving. Easy to manage in terms of temperament.

Chianina

Temperate beef breed. Origin: Chiana Valley in Italy. Color: Porcelain white hair, pigmented skin (Black tongue, palate, nose, eye area, and switch). Dark Skinned. Largest breed and oldest of cattle breeds in the world. Bull: 1,800 kg Cow: 800-1,000 kg. Very late maturer. Calves are dropped as reddish brown. Excellent lean but marbled beef.

Devon

Temperate beef breed, previously dual purpose. Origin: Country of Devon, England. Descended from Bos lonqifrons. Color: Red, rich "Ruby red" being most popular. Characteristics: Yellow skin, creamy white horns with black tips. Cows: horns curved upwards. Bulls: straight to curving outwards and downwards. Good walkers and excellent rustlers and grazers.

Galloway

Temperate beef breed. Origin: Galloway, Scotland. Color: Black, brownish, or reddish tint amongst black is acceptable. Polled, long, curly hair, shorter legs and longer bodies compared to Angus. Insulating hair coat, no excessive outside fat, high omega-3 content. Courageous, docile. Good maternal breed, easy calvers, good milk supply. Bull: 770-1,000 kg Cow: 450-680 kg.

Hereford

Hereford, England. 1st English cattle to be recognized as a true breed. Dark red to red-yellow, white faces, crest, dewlap, underline, flanks, below knees and hocks. Horned, short thick horns, curve down at the side of the head. Docile, easily-handled. Superior foraging ability, vigor, hardiness, higher % of calf crops. Low-set, rectangular bodies with thick hair coats.

Limousin

Temperate beef breed. Origin: an ancient breed of France. Color: light brown with a range from apricot to dark red and black; calves born as light fawn or brown → deep black at fully mature age.

Indu-Brazil

Origin: India-US by way of Brazil and Mexico. Color: Light to silver gray to red. Prominent forehead and long droopy ears, symmetrical horns which draw upward and to the rear prominent hump over the shoulders with loose, pendulous skin under throat and along the dew lap.

Maine Anjou

Temperate beef breed. Origin: Western France. Dual-purpose (beef and milk). Color: Dark red with white underlines, roans are also possible. Largest of the French breeds but has more emphasis on the beef type frequently used for crossbreeding. Rapid growth, weight gain, late maturing, well marbled muscle with minimum fat cover. Bull: 990-1300 kg Cow: 680-860 kg.

Marchigiana

Also called Del Cubante. Origin: Marche and surrounding provinces of Italy (rough terrain and poor feed quality). Resembles Chianina (light gray to almost white) in color and conformation. Skin is pigmented and tongue, muzzle and external opening are black, tail, switch, and eyes are dark. Polled or horned. Short-haired.

Red Poll

Temperate beef breed, sometimes dual-purpose. Origin: Norfolk and Suffolk England. Color: Deep red with good eye and udder pigmentation. Polled; longer body compared to other beef breeds but more flesh than dairy. Easy to handle, easy calving, excellent mothers, adapt to extensive and intensive systems. Milk has small fat globules, next best to goat's milk.

Santa Gertrudis

Tropical beef breed developed in Kingsville, Texas. Result from crosses from: Shorthorn ⅝ and Brahman ⅜. Cherry red in color, horned, Bos indicus x Bos taurus attributes. Short, straight slick coat, loose and moveable skin with red pigmentation. Horned or polled. Bulls: 900 kg Cows: 750 kg. Average Daily Gain: 1.5kg/day. Outstanding foraging ability, can thrive in harshest conditions.

Shorthorned

Also known as 'Durham'. England. Dual purpose breed. Color: Red, white, roan. Short horns that curved inward, blocky conformation, Polled shorthorns from Minnesota. Easily-handled, good disposition. Excellent crossing ability with other breeds, bulls are active aggressive breeders. Good mothers with excellent ability. Desirable carcass.

Simmental

Origin: Simmental Valley, Switzerland. Old Breed (Middle Ages). Most popular breed in Europe. Initially dual type, but now it is beef type. Color: Red (varies from dark red to almost yellow) and white, some have almost solid color. Have white face. Well muscled and heavy boned with a good temperament. Cows are good milkers.

Simmbrah

Beef breed. Purebreed Simmbrah= ⅝ Simmental and ⅜ Brahman. Developed in the Gulf Coast Area= Texas to Florida. Color: Solid red to yellow and white face or black with a bit of white on the face. Slight hump above the neck, larger ears than European beef breeds. Excellent maternal traits, rapid growth, hybrid vigor, heat tolerance, lean high quality beef.

Senepol

Caribbean breed of beef cattle. Result from crosses from: Red Poll and N'Dama. Color: Red. Medium sized, naturally polled cattle. Good conformation which produces a good carcass. Maternal efficiency and early maturity. Longevity- 15-20 years productivity. Being utilized in the Philippines and other tropical countries.

Sussex

Developed in Southeast England - initially a draught breed but now a beef breed (Ancient Breed). Size: medium-sized, dark red coats and white switch. In winter- the coat is curly. Adopts well to hot climates and resists tick-borne diseases. Easy calving, early maturity, heat tolerant, efficient foragers.

Texas Longhorn

Horns curved upward and spread to four feet or more. Long legs and shoulders large and high. Short neck and stocky. Slow maturing, high fertility. Resistant to many disease and parasites and well-adapted to harsh environments. Easily calving ability, hardiness and longevity.