Livestock and Poultry Breeds and Types

CATTLE BREEDS

• Adaptable to different climates and feed conditions.
• Selection based on preference, environment, adaptability, reproductive efficiency, and other traits.
• Modern beef breeds originated in Europe.
• Newer breeds developed in the 20th century in the United States.
• Exotic breeds introduced to the US from Europe in the late 1960s and 70s.

Cattle Breed Examples

• AMERICAN POLLED HEREFORD:

  • Originated in Iowa.
  • Modern Herefords without horns; white faces and red bodies.
  • Superior foraging ability, vigor, and hardiness.

• SIMMENTAL:

  • Originated in the Simmen Valley of Switzerland.
  • White to light straw faces with red to dark red, spotted bodies.
  • Large-bodied, docile, thickly muscled.
  • Adaptable to various climates.

• ANGUS:

  • Originated in Scotland.
  • Black, smooth hair coat, polled.
  • Produces high-quality, well-marbled meat.

• BRAHMAN:

  • $Bos indicus$ cattle.
  • Oily secretion repels insects.
  • Gray or red color.
  • Horns curve upward.

• CHAROLAIS:

  • French breed.
  • White to light straw color, pink skin.
  • Heavily muscled.
  • Adapted to many areas for crossbreeding.

• LIMOUSIN:

  • From France.
  • Light yellow hair, lighter circles around eyes and muzzle.
  • Noted for carcass leanness.

• AYSHIRE:

  • Originated in Scotland.
  • Cherry red, mahogany, brown, or white mixed.
  • Strong, excellent grazing ability.
  • High milk production.

• BROWN SWISS:

  • Originated in Switzerland.
  • Solid brown, light to dark.
  • Docile temperament, long-lived, high heat tolerance.

• GUERNSEY:

  • Originated in the Isle of Guernsey, France.
  • Fawn with white markings.
  • Early maturing, adaptable, gentle behavior.
  • Produces golden milk.

• HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN:

  • Originated in Netherlands.
  • Black and white.
  • Largest dairy breed, excellent grazing ability.

• JERSEY:

  • Originated in Jersey, France.
  • Cream to light fawn to almost black.
  • Smallest dairy breed, excellent udders.

• SANTA GERTRUDIS:

  • Developed in Texas.
  • Cross of Brahman and Shorthorn.
  • Red color, heat and tick resistance.
  • Good mothering ability.

• CHIANINA:

  • White with black tail switch.
  • Largest cattle breed.
  • Rapid growth, well-marbled meat.

• MILKING SHORTHORN:

  • Originated in Northern England.
  • Dual-purpose breed.
  • Angular build.

SHEEP BREEDS

• Classified by wool type: fine wool, medium wool, long wool, crossbred wool, carpet wool, and fur sheep.

Fine Wool Breeds

• RAMBOUILLET:

  • Originated in France, from Spanish Merino.
  • White color, large body.

• AFRINO:

  • 80% meat, 20% wool.
  • Merino-type wool, 19-22 microns.
  • South Africa, Australia.

• DELAINE MERINO:

  • North America.

  • Medium size, smooth body.

  • Type A: heavy, wrinkly hide, angular.

  • Type B: heavy fleece, fair mutton form.

  • Type C (Delaine): practical, adapted to range production.

• DEBOUILLET:

  • Southwestern United States.
  • Medium-sized, white hair on face and legs.
  • Hardy, adaptable.

Medium Wool Breeds

• CHEVIOT:

  • White-faced, wool-free head and legs, pricked ears.
  • Less husbandry needed, worm resistance.

• DORSET:

  • Southern England.
  • Medium size, blocky body, white.

• HAMPSHIRE:

  • Southern England.
  • Large, blocky body, black face and legs.
  • Good milkers, lambs ready for market at weaning.

• POLYPAY:

  • Developed in Idaho.
  • Superior reproduction (twins and triplets).

• SUFFOLK:

  • Southern England.
  • Large, blocky, muscular, black face and legs.
  • Rapid growth, lean carcasses.

• MONTADALE:

  • Developed in the United States from Cheviot and Columbia crosses
  • good meat type, dual- purpose animal, considered a dual-purpose breed.

• OXFORD:

  • breed was the result of crossing Cotswolds and Hampshires.
  • In the U.K., it is a specialist breed to cross with commercial crossbred ewes for meat production.

• SHROPSHIRE:

  • medium to large in size, with dark faces and wool on the legs
  • Called the "Ideal Farm Sheep."

• TUNIS:

  • one of the oldest sheep breeds
  • a unique looking breed with an unusual color of reddish tan hair

Long Wool Breeds

• BADGER FACE WELSH MOUNTAIN:

  • a color variation of the Welsh Mountain.
  • Torddu variation have a distinctive broad striped face with a black band from jaw to belly and extending to the underside of the tail.

• LEICESTER:

  • a big sheep with a heavy fleece of curly, lustrous wool that is even in length and fiber diameter.
  • classified as a "rare" breed

• LINCOLN:

  • one of the world's largest breeds
  • fleece is the heaviest, longest-stapled and most lustrous of any breed in the world.

• ROMNEY:

  • the ability to produce quality meat and wool under diverse climate conditions and management systems.
  • Romney sheep developed some specific breed characteristics which include hooves which are resistant to footrot and fleeces which remain heavy in harsh weather.

Crossbred Wool Breeds

• COLUMBIA:

  • US origin, Lincoln rams x Rambouillet ewes.
  • Large, blocky, white.

• CORRIEDALE:

  • Merino-Lincoln cross (Australia, New Zealand).
  • Dual-purpose.

• PANAMA
  began as a cross between Rambouillet rams and Lincoln ewes
  a hardy breed that is highly adapted to range areas with ample feed conditions.

• TARGHEE:

  • US origin, Rambouillet, Columbia, and Corriedale crosses.
  • Dual-purpose.

Carpet Wool Breeds

Fur Sheep Breed

• KARAKUL:
  • Oldest domesticated sheep breed.
  • Fat broad tail for fat storage.
  • Raised for pelt production from young lambs.

BLACK-FACED HIGHLAND

• Blackface ewes are excellent mothers
  -The breed developed in the border area of Scotland and England.