BEEF CATTLE BREEDS

Brahman

The Brahman breed (also known as Brahma) originated from Bos indicus cattle from India, the "sacred cattle of India".
Brahman are characterised by a large hump over the top of the shoulder and neck.
Brahmans vary in colour from very light grey or red to almost black. A majority of the breed are light to medium grey. Mature bulls are normally darker than cows and usually have dark areas on the neck, shoulders and lower thighs.
They have short, thick, glossy hair which reflects much of the suns rays and black pigmented skin, making it able to graze in the midday sun without suffering. Their horns curve upwards and sometimes tilt to the rear plus they have pendulous ears.

Brahman have an abundance of loose skin which is thought to contribute to its ability to withstand warm weather by increasing the body surface area exposed to cooling.
Another feature of this breed is the increased number of sweat glands and the ability to sweat freely, Bos indicus cattle also produce an oily secretion from the sebaceous glands which has a distinctive odour and is reported to assist in repelling insects.

Characteristic

Brahmans are intermediate in size among beef breeds. Bulls will generally weigh from 1600 to 2200 pounds and cows from 1000 to 1400 pounds in average condition. The calves are small at birth, weighing 60 to 65 pounds, but grow very rapidly and wean at weights comparable to other breeds.

Brahmans are intelligent, inquisitive and shy. They are unusually thrifty, hardy and adaptable to a wide range of feed and climate. However, these characteristics also suggest careful, kind handling methods. Brahmans like affection and can become very docile. They quickly respond to handling they receive, good or bad. Well bred, wisely selected and properly treated Brahmans are as easily handled as other breeds.

They are also good mothers and produce a very satisfactory milk flow under conditions that are adverse for best performance of the European breeds.
Cancer eye is almost unknown in the breed. They have established a considerable reputation for a high dressing percentage, and their carcasses have a very good "cutout" value with minimum of outside fat.

Statistics
• Quick growth
• Early finish
• Abundant muscle
• Ideal formation
• Sexual precocity
• Regular calving
• Tameness






Droughtmaster

Droughtmaster was the name originally coined by a group of astute cattlemen in North Queensland for the breed of cattle which they developed through crossing Bos taurus and Bos indicus breeds to overcome the perennial problems of drought, cattle ticks, heat, eye cancer and many other problems that reduced production and profitability.

Characteristic


The Droughtmaster is a medium sized breed, tan to red in colour. It has a short sleek coat with loose skin to enable it to lose heat in the sun.
The cows have a range of qualities such as calving ease with Bos indicus pelvic structure traits and low weight calves, strong maternal instincts, high milk production and the females mature early - some in calf at 14 months.
The bulls are docile, virile and mature early making a longer working life possible. The important breed characteristics of low birth weights and calf shape are passed on by Droughtmaster bulls, and can be very advantageous in crossbreeding or joining to heifers.

Statistic
• Adaptability
• Heat tolerance
• Parasite resistant
• Digestive efficiency
• Docility
• Calving ease
• Quality carcass



Hereford

The origin of the Hereford has been lost over time but it is generally agreed that it was founded on the draught ox descended from the small red cattle of Roman Briton and from a large Welsh breed once numerous along the border of England and Wales. Herefords have taken their name from the county Herefordshire, an historic agricultural region of England where this breed has evolved.

Characteristic

The modern Hereford is coloured dark red to red-yellow, with a white face, crest, dewlap, and underline. Herefords with white flanks and white markings below the knees and hocks are also common. Most animals have short thick horns that typically curve down at the sides of the head, but there is a polled strain in North America and UK (Polled Hereford).

Mature males may weigh up to 1,800 pounds, while mature females may weigh around 1,200. They are muscular, moderate to long in length of side, adequate in length of leg, large in size, trim, and smooth. They are also well developed in the regions of valuable cuts - the back, loin, and hind quarters or round.

These cattle are known for their vigor and foraging ability and for their longevity; many females live and produce calves beyond the age of 15 years. Bulls are capable of remaining profitable at stud to the age of 12 or more. Many breeders keep their elderly cattle until they die of natural causes.

Herefords will stand out in the arctic snows of Finland, endure the heat of Northern Transvaal, withstand the tough climate and rough grazing of northern Uruguay or the sub-tropical zones of Brazil and continue to thrive.

Herefords are generally docile and fast growing cattle with good beef quality.

Statistics

• Greater weight for age and rate of gain either at pasture or on yard feeding
• The ability to command top prices in the markets as finished beef or as store cattle
• A higher selling price for breeding stock
• Greater economy of gain in feeding
• High percentage of calf crops
• Lower wintering costs
• Docility and ease of management
• Lower labour costs
• Early maturity and longevity



Charolais

The Charolais originated in west-central to southeastern France, in the old French provinces of Charolles and neighboring Nievre. The exact origins of the Charolais are not known but it must have been developed from cattle found in the area. Legend has it that white cattle were first noticed in the region as early as 878 A.D., and by the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were popular in French markets, especially at Lyon and Villefranche. Selection developed a white breed of cattle which, like other cattle of continental Europe, were used for draft, milk and meat.


Characteristics

The typical Charolais is white in colour with a pink muzzle and pale hooves, horned, long bodied, and good milkers with a general coarseness to the animal not being uncommon. There are now Charolais cattle being bred black and red in colour.

Charolais are medium to large framed beef cattle with a very deep and broad body. They have a short, broad head and heavily muscled loins and haunches. Charolais have demonstrated growth ability, efficient feedlot gains and in carcass cut-out values. With excellent meat conformation, especially of the valuable parts and relative late maturity they are well suited to fattening for high finished weight. They are well suited to all purpose cross breeding.

Statistics

• Charolais are good for growth and uniformity
• They have superior natural liveweight gain for age
• Tremendous muscling and conformity
• Easy to manage in terms of temperament
• Ease of calving
• The ability to fit into any system – grass based or intensive
• Charolais delivers a distinct colour code, Charolais cross calves have dominant colour markings which provides a guarantee of their parentage


Limousin

Limousin originated in the West of the Massif Central between Central and South West France, a rather rainy region with harsh climatic conditions and poor granite soil. Consequently, the growing of field crops was very difficult at best and emphasis was placed on animal agriculture.

As a result of their environment Limousin cattle evolved into a breed of unusual sturdiness, health and adaptability. This lack of natural resources also enabled the region to remain relatively isolated and the farmers free to develop their cattle with little outside genetic interference.

Characteristic

The Limousin is large, fine and has a strong boned frame. Mature Limousin females should average 650 kilos and mature males 1000 kilos. The head is small and short with a broad forehead, and the neck is short with a broad muzzle.
Coat colour is golden-red and a lighter colour under the stomach, inside the thighs, around the eyes and muzzle, and around the anus and end of the tail. The skin is free of pigmentation.

Limousins with black genetics show a variation in colour. Calves can be light fawn or brown in colour graduating through different ages to a deep black at a fully mature age. Mature black animals can often display black coats fully tinged with brown hairs.

Horns are yellow at the base and darken towards the tips; they are at first horizontal, then curve forwards and upwards.

Statistics

An early-maturing breed, Limousins naturally produce young, but mature, lean beef in the medium weight range demanded by supermarkets and for intervention supply.
The Limousin has built a reputation for being The Carcase Breed. It produces beef with a low proportion of bone and fat, a top killing-out percentage and a high yield of saleable meat (73.3%). Half and three-quarter-bred carcases have excellent conformation well-suited to the market, which demands a consistent, lean beef product. A Reading University study into beef production highlighted the fact that suckled three-quarter-bred Limousin calves produce 98% of carcases classified -U or better. The meat quality of the Limousin carcase remains high whatever the animal's age at slaughter.

Limousins guarantee excellent productivity at a low cost. The bulls are extremely fertile and their good conformation is passed on to all progeny, whatever the dams' breeding, while their lighter frame ensures ease of calving.

The Limousin is a profitable converter of all feeds. Commercial producers around the UK testify that Limousins cross-breds demonstrate a higher live weight gain per kilo of food consumed than those of any other breed. Beef producers rearing Limousin cattle can expect bulls and cross-bred cows to do well on marginal land and their progeny to finish faster. In an age where profit margins are determined by production costs, this trait is of tremendous benefit.

Limousin cross Holstein Friesian suckler cows play a dominant role in commercial beef production. When crossed back to Limousin bulls, their three-quarter progeny produce carcases of similar quality and conformation to pure-breds.

Pure-bred Limousin females are top class suckler cows and provide a viable commercial option for producers with a closed herd policy. They demonstrate high fertility, a good milking ability, high conception rates and ease of calving. Use of the breed guarantees vigorous calves stamped with Limousin quality and home-bred replacements ensure total traceability from birth to slaughter.



Simmental

Simmental is a breed of cattle whose history dates back to the Middle Ages. Early records indicate that Simmental cattle were the result of a cross between large German cattle and a smaller breed indigenous to Switzerland. The name Simmental is derived from the name of the area where the cattle were first bred - the Simme Valley which is situated in the Berner Oberland in Switzerland.

Characteristic

Simmental colour varies from gold to red with white, and may be evenly distributed or clearly defined in patches on a white background. The head is white and often a white band appears over the shoulders like the photos above. The majority have pigment around the eyes, helping to reduce eye problems which occur from bright sunlight.

American Simmentals are coloured differently being predominantly black or red like the example photos below, the lighter colours are referred to as Fleckvieh.
Simmental can be horned or polled, if horned horns are up turned, another distinguishing feature is that they have a heavy dewlap. They have a large frame with good muscling with cows at approximately 135-150cm tall and the bulls at 150-160cm. Their weight can vary on the use of their use but cows can weigh around 700-900kgs and bulls 1300kgs.

Generations of selective breeding, with the objective of maximizing milk and beef production at minimum cost, have created a balanced hereditary proponent that is highly adaptable, heavily muscled, fine lined, and well conformed. Docility and good mothering traits are other characteristics of the breed.

The breed adapts easily to the most varied conditions from rural small-holder to large extensive ranching operations.

Simmentals are bred all over the world for their high beef yields. In breeding however it allows variations in emphasis from mothering ability to beefing qualities. The heavy muscling, length and overall size and weight of the animal are combined to produce a well fleshed carcass of solid red meat with a minimum of waste fat.

In crossbreeding, the Simmental has proved very successful. It provides good growth, a large frame and thus a better beef yield to its crossbred progeny. It improves the quality of the meat with white fat and excellent marbling. It improves the milk yield, resulting in strong development of the calves in suckler herds.

Statistics

• High, long term fertility
• Longevity
• Calving ease
• Short intervals between calving
• Excellent mothering ability
• Good grazing ability
• Early maturity
• Good growth rates
• Easy to handle
• Feed conversion and efficiency
• Uniformity in type & colour