What Is the Best Beef Breed
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Every beefiness cattle breed has pluses and minuses, and what might be a plus for 1 farmer could exist a drawback in another situation. For instance, a breed that does well in a hot climate may not do well in a cold ane, and vice versa. Some breeds are better than others for finishing on grass. If you have a pocket-size farm and your kids are helping handle the cattle, yous want a breed with a gentle disposition. It'southward of import to choose a breed that fits your goals and purposes. Here are descriptions of most of the breeds you lot'll encounter, but you can notice more details on their websites.
Breeds in North America include British breeds like Angus, Hereford, and Shorthorn; continental (European) breeds like Charolais, Simmental, Salers,
Limousin, Gelbieh, Braunvieh, Tarentaise, Chianina, Maine Anjou, Blonde d'Aquitaine, Piedmontese, Romagnola; American breeds that were created
by mixing British and/or continental breeds with Brahman to produce better hot-climate cattle (Brangus, Braford, Charbray, Santa Gertrudis, Beefmaster, etc.), or the Texas Longhorn descended from feral Spanish cattle in the Southwest; and breeds from other continents such every bit Watusi, Wagyu, Murray Grey, etc. Various breeds can be crossed to add traits that you might want in your beef animals or breed cows.
Angus
Angus are blackness and genetically polled (no horns). Breed traits include fast growth, marbled meat (flecks of fatty, making it tender and juicy), and maternal power (aggressive, protective mothers that produce a lot of milk for their calves).
A dissever breed of Red Angus was created by selecting Angus with a recessive red factor. Angus and Angus-cantankerous calves are pop with
feedlot buyers considering of their excellent carcass traits.
Angus cows are popular with many ranchers because they are good mothers and require very little care at calving. They are not always the best choice for beginners because of their hot-headed nature, though in that location are some mellow individuals. If y'all want to be up close and personal with your cows, choose a breed with a calmer disposition or discover a breeder who has selected mellow Angus for easy-treatment.
Herefords
Herefords are large-framed and heavy-boned with a red body and white face, anxiety, abdomen, and tail switch, and horns. Today in that location are also polled Herefords, created in the early 1900s past selectively breeding a few mutant
Herefords that had no horns. Most Herefords are docile and mellow, which makes them excellent for beef cattle farming for beginners.
Shorthorns
Shorthorns originated as dual-purpose cattle (meat and milk). They are carmine, white, roan or spotted, and horned. Calves are pocket-size at nativity (easy calving) but grow fast. Today in the U.Due south., there are 2 registries — for milking Shorthorns and beef Shorthorns. Milking power, fast growth, and tractability make this brood a practiced choice for small farmers who desire to raise beefiness.
Simmentals
Simmentals originated in Switzerland as a dairy moo-cow brood. Yellow-chocolate-brown with white markings, these cattle are noted for rapid growth, large frame, and milk production. They became pop for crossbreeding to create larger, fast-growing cattle. They are slower to mature than British breeds, taking longer to attain finish weight. Outset stockmen desiring to utilize this breed should keep disposition in heed and select carefully since some individuals are flighty and hot-headed.
Charolais
Charolais are large, white, heavy-muscled cattle that originated in
French republic every bit draft animals. They are noted for feed efficiency, heavy
weaning weights, and extensive muscling. Many stockmen use Charolais bulls on cows of other breeds for a concluding cantankerous (selling all offspring every bit beef) to produce fast-gaining large calves that exercise well in the feedlot. One
of the biggest drawbacks to the breed has been calving difficulty because calves are big and thick at birth. Some breeders have selected for lower birthweights to get away from this problem.
Limousin
Limousin is an old brood from western French republic. Ruddy-golden and well-muscled, these cattle are effectively boned than Charolais (less calving problems) but grow every bit rapidly. Some breeders have created a black, polled version. Similar other
continental breeds, Limousin has been crossed with other breeds to increment size and weaning weight. The calves abound faster and larger
than British breeds, but are slower maturing and exercise not cease as chop-chop. Disposition should be taken into consideration when selecting stock for a small farm.
Gelbvieh
Gelbvieh are tan/gold and originated in Austria/Deutschland as multi-purpose cattle (meat, milk, and draft). They are fast-growing and mature quicker than some other European breeds. They are noted for loftier fertility, calving
ease, and mothering power. As in all continental breeds, selection for disposition is important, since some are less piece of cake to handle than others.
Salers
Salers are dark ruddy cattle from French republic and popular for crossbreeding because of calving ease, hardiness, practiced milking ability, and fertility. Some
breeders in America are at present producing blackness, polled Salers.
This breed has a bad reputation for disposition, and though in that location are some mellow family unit lines, the hot-headed flightiness of some of these cattle can make them a poor choice for beginners.
Tarentaise
Tarentaise originated in the French Alps as dual-purpose (meat and milk) animals, related to Brown Swiss. Crimson reddish with darker ears, nose, and feet, they are moderate size (one of the smaller continental breeds), highly
fertile, and early maturing. Due to their origins in the rugged Alps, these cattle are hardier than most European breeds, and too have less calving and fertility issues than some of the larger cattle. They piece of work well in crossbreeding programs or where cattle must utilize marginal grazing land.
Chianina
Chianina are white Italian cattle originally used as draft animals. They are the largest cattle; mature bulls stand more than half-dozen anxiety tall at the shoulder and may counterbalance 4,000 pounds. This beef cattle brood is well-muscled and long-legged. In America, they are primarily used for crossbreeding — as a terminal cross with all calves marketed as beef (no females kept). Since they
are choked and huge, they are not a adept choice for beginners.
American Brahman
American Brahman cattle were developed from several strains of Indian cattle, including some from Brazil. Calves are small-scale at nativity, abound fast, but do not become sexually mature as speedily as British breeds. Heat-tolerant and resistant to ticks and insects, these large cattle have loose floppy peel
on dewlap, brisket, and belly, big droopy ears, horns that bend up and back, and tin be whatever color. In a hot climate, they do well. Shy and flighty, they are not a good choice for beginners unless handled carefully. With selection and proper handling, however, they can become very docile.
Beefmaster
Beefmaster is an American beef cattle brood produced by crossing Brahman with Shorthorn and Hereford to create a oestrus-tolerant animal with good beef production. Beefmaster cattle today are slightly less than half Brahman and slightly more ¼ Hereford and ¼ Shorthorn. They tin be any color or spotted. Rigid culling in range conditions, based on hardiness, disposition, fertility, growth, conformation, and milk production has created a superior beef animal that needs no pampering.
Santa Gertrudis
Santa Gertrudis were created on the Male monarch Ranch in Texas by crossing Brahman with Shorthorn. These scarlet cattle are oestrus-tolerant, with expert beefiness production. They are approximately 5/8 Shorthorn and 3/8 Brahman, known for easy calving, good mothering ability, and improved beefiness quality over the Brahman. They gain weight nicely on grass, and outperform British and continental breeds in hot climates, but they may be too flighty for an inexperienced stockman.
Murray Grey
Murray Grayness are moderate-sized, silver-grayness beef cattle breed descended from i Shorthorn cow in Australia who produced 12 gray calves when bred to Angus bulls. These polled cattle have easy-born, fast-growing calves. They have high-quality meat, good milk and mothering ability, and ameliorate dispositions than nearly Angus cattle — traits that make them bonny to the small farmer.
Scotch Highland
Scotch Highland cattle originated in Scotland, surviving in the highlands on sparse, coarse native provender. They have impressive horns and long pilus. Near are red but may range from tan to black — with an occasional white or dun. As i of the hardiest breeds, they survive in poor conditions where other cattle perish. Calves are born small but grow apace. Mature animals are small compared to most beef breeds. Due to ease of calving, hardiness, and dramatic hybrid vigor when crossed with other cattle, they are sometimes used in crossbreeding programs to produce efficient, hardy range cattle.
Galloways
Galloways, some other Scottish breed, are polled, black (though a few are red, white, or dun), and sturdy, with long shaggy pilus that sheds in summertime. They handle severe wintertime weather and keep foraging in deep snow. Calves are built-in minor and hardy and gain rapidly. These cattle are efficient and can do well on grass, without grain, producing a trim carcass with a high percentage of meat.
Devon Cattle
Devon cattle originated in southwestern England equally draft animals and were later selected for beef traits, producing flavorful meat on native grasses. This is a popular breed for people who raise grass-finished beefiness.
Red Poll
Red Poll originated in England as dual-purpose animals. Cows are highly fertile, and calves are small but abound fast. Since this breed is non closely related to other beef breeds, it tin can be utilized in a crossbreeding programme to obtain exceptional hybrid vigor. This brood has been used primarily for grass finishing, reaching marketplace weight at a immature age, and excels in meat quality (marbling and tenderness) without grain.
Welsh Black
Welsh Black cattle originated along the declension of Wales. They have excellent disposition; they were historically raised and tended by women. Harsh weather and poor grazing developed an ability to go by on minimal forage and they handle cold conditions better than most breeds. Originally bred for milk besides as meat, the cows raise fast-growing calves. The cows are proficient
mothers, fertile, and long-lived.
Dexters
The smallest beefiness cattle breed is the Dexter, originating in southern Republic of ireland, bred past farmers with small holdings in the mountains. The cattle foraged in crude land adjacent to lilliputian farms. These small, gentle cattle need less feed than other breeds and thrive in a multifariousness of climates. Calves are born easily and grow fast, maturing by 12 to 18 months of age as finished beef.
Wagyu
Wagyu cattle originated in Nihon and are known for highly-marbled, tasty meat — which volition exist the highest-priced meat on the menu at a practiced eating house. Pocket-sized farmers who raise Wagyu often procedure and sell the meat straight to consumers. The breed you choose volition depend on your goals and purposes — and how you want to raise and market place them.
What is your favorite beef cattle breed? Nosotros would love to hear from you in the comments below.
Originally published in the January/February 2021 issue of Countryside & Small-scale Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.
Source: https://www.iamcountryside.com/cattle/best-beef-cattle-breeds/
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