Breeds of Beef Cattle

Bos Indicus

BRAHMAN• Origin: developed in U.S. but descendant

of cattle from India

• Color: predominately gray and red

• Distinctive Characteristics:– Horned– Large hump over shoulders– Large drooping ears– Loose skin in the throat and dewlap– Heat tolerant, disease & insect resistant– Poor marbling ability

NELORE

• Origin: Brazil

• Color: white or light gray

• Distinctive Characteristics:– Horned and polled varieties– Prominent hump over shoulders– Known for hardiness and heat & insect

resistance– docile

Breeds of Beef Cattle

Crossbreeds

BEEFALO

• Origin: largest breakthrough in 1960s• Color: depends on the bovine breed used• Composite: 3/8 Bison, 5/8 bovine

(generally a beef breed)• Distinctive Characteristics:

– Combines superior hardiness, foraging ability, calving ease and meat quality of bison with fertility, milking ability, and handling ease of bovine

BRAFORD

• Origin: Florida; 1947

• Color: red, with Hereford color pattern

• Composite: 3/8 Brahman, 5/8 Hereford

• Distinctive Characteristics:– Superior maternal ability– Fast growth– Attain high weaning weights without

supplemental feeding

Tiger Stripe

½ Hereford, ½ Brahman

BRANGUS

• Origin: Louisiana

• Color: black

• Composite: 3/8 Brahman, 5/8 Angus

• Distinctive Characteristics:– Hardiness & heat tolerance of the Brahman– Maternal traits & carcass quality of the Angus– Polled– Adaptable to many climates

RED BRANGUS

• Origin: Texas• Color: red• Composite: no requirements; Brahman &

Angus• Distinctive Characteristics:

– Grey Brahman bulls x Black Angus cows– Grow quickly– Smaller at birth– Good carcass quality– Polled

GELBRAY

• Origin: U.S.

• Composite: Max ¾ Gelbvieh, Min. ¼ Gelbvieh; Max ½ Red Angus, Min. 0 Red Angus; Max 3/8 Brahman, Min. 1/8 Brahman

• Distinctive Characteristics:– Smaller calves at birth = calving ease– Maternal breed– Able to produce suitable calves for slaughter

SIMBRAH

• Origin: Gulf Coast Region of U.S.

• Color: black or red

• Composite: 5/8 Simmental, 3/8 Brahman

• Distinctive Characteristics:– Adaptable to many climates– Maternal or terminal breed– Produce lean, high quality beef

CHARBRAY

• Origin: U.S.• Color: Creamy white• Composite: 5/8 Charolais, 3/8 Brahman• Distinctive Characteristics:

– Almost no hump– Large & heavily muscled– Excellent performance in the feedlot– Fast growing– Resistance to heat, humidity, parasites &

disease

BEEFMASTER• Origin: Texas• Color: variety; red and dun more common• Composite: slightly less than ½ Brahman,

slightly more than ¼ Hereford and ¼ Shorthorn

• Distinctive Characteristics:– Six Essentials = Weight, Conformation,

Milking Ability, Fertility, Hardiness, & Disposition

– Good producers under severe range conditions

– Polled or horned

SANTA GERTRUDIS

• Origin: King Ranch• Color: deep cherry-red• Composite: ~ 5/8 Shorthorn, 3/8 Brahman• Distinctive Characteristics:

– High degree of heat and tick resistance– Ease of calving– Good mothering ability– Improved beef quality of most purebred

Brahmans– Show very little evidence of a hump

SANTA CRUZ• Origin: King Ranch• Color: light red or honey to Santa

Gertrudis cherry red• Composite: ½ Santa Gertrudis, ¼ Red

Angus, ¼ Gelbvieh• Distinctive Characteristics:

– Polled or horned– Very heat resistant and adaptable– Docile– Good mothering ability– Perform extremely well in the feedyard

HAYS CONVERTER

• Origin: Canada

• Color: usually black with white face; can be red or red with white face

• Composite: Hereford, Brown Swiss, & Holstein

• Distinctive Characteristics:– Increased milk production– Hardy– Good growth