Overview of Cattle and Other Livestock Breeds

Type

Standard of perfection combining all qualities contributing to an animal's usefulness for a specific purpose

Breed

Animals with a common origin and distinguishing characteristics from others of the same species

Beef Type Cattle

Bred/used specifically for meat production

Shorthorn

White/red/roan; high milk, good temperament, efficient roughage use; ➖ Coarse, low-quality carcass

Sussex

Red color

Hereford

Red body; white face, breast, belly, legs

Aberdeen Angus

Black, hornless; cold-tolerant, good mothers, early maturity; ➖ Small size

Galloway

Smaller, black, polled, long thick coat; ➖ Not heat tolerant

West Highland

Small; red/black/brindle; long coarse hair, long horns

Zebu Types

Hardy under PH climate, lower carcass quality

Brahman

Silver-gray; heat and tick resistant, good mothering; ➖ Not cold tolerant, late maturity, low fertility

Nellore

White; bulls: dark gray on head/neck/hump

Hariana

White or gray with black skin

Bhagnari / Nari / Kacchi

White/gray with a white dorsal line

Indu-Brazil

Gray or red; Guzerat, Gir, Nellore descent

Sta. Gertrudis

Cherry red; excellent beef conformation, heavy hindquarters, heat/disease/insect resistant; ➖ Nervous, low reproduction, late maturity

Beef Master

Red; thick/beefy, heat/disease tolerant, good mothers; ➖ Bad disposition, thin hindquarters

Brangus

Black, polled; Angus × Brahman

Charbay

Cream white; rapid growth, parasite resistant; ➖ Long, shallow body, long legs

Braford

Hereford markings; tick resistant

Batangas Ox

Red; thick and short horns

Large Ilocos Ox

Red/brown; long, slender horns

Small Ilocos Ox

Red with white facial spots

Iloilo Ox

Usually black; short horns

Charolais

White; excellent muscling, cold/heat tolerant; ➖ Calving difficulty, breed variation

Africander

Red; long-horned Zebu descendant

Bali

Chocolate brown

Brahman (Stabilized Breeds)

Guzerat × Nellore × Krishna Valley × Gir

Gertrudis

5/8 Shorthorn × 3/8 Brahman

Red Brangus

5/8 Red Angus × 3/8 Brahman

Drought Master

3/4 to 7/8 Shorthorn × 1/4 to 1/8 Brahman

Murrah Grey

Angus bull × Roan Shorthorn cow

Belmont Red

1/2 Africander × 1/4 Hereford × 1/4 Shorthorn

Mandalong Special

Charolais × Chianina × Poll Shorthorn × British White × Brahman

Simford

1/2 Simmental × 1/2 Hereford

Simbrah

3/8 Simmental × 1/4 Brahman (not over 3/8 other breeds)

Purebred Simbrah

5/8 Simmental × 3/8 Brahman

Beefalo

3/8 Bison × 3/8 Charolais × 1/4 Hereford

Dairy Type Cattle

Bred/used for milk production

Holstein Friesian

Black/white; highest milk, low fat, fast growth; ➖ Not heat tolerant

Jersey

Cream/brown; high fat, yellow milk; ➖ Yellow body fat

Polled Jersey

Hornless Jersey

Guernsey

Brown with white limb/udder; docile, high solids; ➖ Small, not heat tolerant

Ayrshire

Red/brown/white; strong udder, nervous

Brown Swiss

Brown; hardy, docile, high milk & fat; ➖ Stubborn

Canadian

Bull: black + gray muzzle; Cow: black/dark brown

Dutch Belted

Black with broad white belt

Kerry & Dexter

Black with udder spots; Dexter = offshoot

Illawara Shorthorn

Red

Red Sindhi

Red with white patches

Tharparkar

White/gray; dual: milk + working

Milking Shorthorn

Used for both milk and meat

Devon

Used for both milk and meat

Red Poll

Used for both milk and meat

Sahiwal

Used for both milk and meat

Carabao / Water Buffalo

Includes River Type and Swamp Type

River Type

Milk-oriented

Swamp Type

Work-oriented

Chromosome Numbers

Swamp: 2n = 48; River: 2n = 50; Hybrid: 2n = 49

Mohair Type (Fiber)

Angora (Turkey) - White; small; 1.02 litter average

Chevon Type (Meat)

Philippine Native - Black with patches; small, horned

Jumnapari

Mixed color; Roman nose, long drooping ears; 5-6% milk fat

Boer

White w/ red head; Roman nose; 3 kiddings every 2 years

Milch Type (Milk)

Includes Anglo-Nubian, French Alpine, La Mancha, Saanen, Toggenburg

Fine Wool Type (Wool production)

Includes American Merino, Delaine Merino, Rambouillet

Medium Wool / Mutton Type

Includes Southdown, Oxford Down, Hampshire Down, Shropshire, Dorset Horn, Cheviot, Corriedale, Suffolk, Fat-Tailed Sheep

Philippine Sheep

Origin: Merino (Spanish era) + recent US/AUS imports

Long Wool Type

Includes Cotswold, Leicester, Romney, Black-Faced Highland

Fur Type

Karakul - Asia; black/brown face; coarse, wiry wool

New Sheep Breeds

Includes Columbia, Romeldale, Targhee, Panama, Debouillet, Montadale, Laguna