The Major Beef Cattle Breeds  Their Pros and Cons

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    Utilizing The Major Beef Cattle Breeds

 Although there are over 60 beef cattle breeds within the US, barely 20 of these breeds have the genetics most often desired in the production of marketable beef production. However when one speaks of beef, the breed that most often comes to mind to Americans is either the Black Angus or the Red Angus.

  The Angus is a British breed, and is highly prized among cattle breeders. Though not as well recognized as the Black or Red Angus, the Angus “family” also has the Shorthorn Angus, which is a result of crossbreeding between the Angus and the Shorthorn breed. They gain weight very quickly and thus reach the compulsory weight for the abbatoir faster than most other breeds such as the Horned or Polled Hereford.

  They are adaptable, undemanding, good-natured, and are highly resistant to harsh climates. They mature particularly early and have a high carcass yield consisting of very nicely marbled meat. Angus Cattle are especially renowned for their carcass meat. Also, they are valuable to use as crossbreeders, as it will improve weight gain, carcass quality, and even milking ability. The Angus cows calve without difficulty and have excellent calf rearing ability. Further they are highly useful as a genetic dehorner because the polled gene is a dominant characteristic that is passed on, meaning that the cattle have no horns. The majority of cattle breeders are especially fond of this attribute since they need not dehorn the cattle so that it makes them safer to work around in and about cattle yards.

  The Brahman is also known as the sacred cow of India. Its extraordinary features such as its distinct hefty hump; large floppy ears, and its very large dewlap make it highly identifiable even to those who know nothing about cattle. They are a docile and intelligent breed. Unlike many other cattle, they have the ability to withstand tremendous heat that would wither another breed. This attribute exists because they have the ability to sweat through their smooth coat. Interestingly enough this breed can also repel most cattle pests because of their oily skin thereby keeping away most insects and disease that afflicts other cattle. A good cross has been established by crossbreeding Brahman with Angus, thereby creating what’s known as the Brangus.

  Emanating from Herefordshire, the Hereford breed of cattle is also very well known and undoubtedly will occupy one of the premier spots in the beef cattle industry for years to come. The Hereford breed originally comes from England where Benjamin Tomkins, a local breeder, began it. The goals of the successive breeders were to produce cattle that was economical to feed, and that had a natural aptitude to mature and gain weight from grass and grain. Further they wanted a breed that could be handled easily, and one that would be hardy. Added to those traits, they demanded early maturity and prolificacy. All of those traits are still of the highest importance today in the cattle breeding world. Hereford cattle are capable of thriving in the snow, extreme heat and many other exceedingly tough climates, thus they are one of the mainstays of the beef commerce throughout the world. This breed is considered to be the cornerstone of the beef industry as their qualities are easily passed on from father to son. Records of the breed are known to have been kept by a Mr. Price of Ryall in the 1800s. The purity of the breed has remained intact for over 100 years. It is startling to realize that it is estimated that more than five million (5,000,000) pedigree Herefords inhabit over 50 countries. Today the Hereford has been crossbred by crossing a Galloway bull with a horned Hereford cow which has resulted in a Hereford that is hornless known as polled Herefords. Even today, no other breed can exceed the Hereford in being able to quickly turn foraged grass into prime beef.

  Simmentals are an ancient breed originally coming from the Simme Valley in Switzerland. They have an unusual ability to adapt to whatever environment it finds itself in. They are very influential in the cattle markets from around the world. Developed at a time when cattle were considered multipurpose creatures, Simmentals were not just raised for their meat, but also for their ability to put out a tremendous amount of milk and even for draft use. Today, they are also renowned for their docility.

  There are various kinds of Simmentals, ranging from the Pie Rouge from France, known for its excellent beef, the Montbeliarde which is renowned for its milk-giving abilities, the Abondance which sports a smaller frame and thus is lighter boned, and the Fleckviehs which has advanced fleshing capabilities and is a trouble-free calver. There are even Simmentals in Italy, known as Peseta Rosa, or rose coins which no doubt refers to the Simmentals marketability.

  A very ancient breed known as the Galloway comes from the lower portions of Scotland. The cattle are polled (without horns) and have a coarse heavy coat on the outside that gives way to a soft undercoat. This not only provides insulation against the cold, but also protects the animal and even waterproofs it, making it an ideal breed for climes where the weather switches quickly from cold to rain and back again, although they also can fare quite well in warmer climates. They are generally considered very docile, though they greatly dislike wild dogs. It browses and grazes though coarse grass, weeds and brush making it a breed highly sought after since corn feeding is only used to “finish” the fattening process. Often the Galloway is used where the environment is rugged and there are limited resources for food. Cattle breeders even say that when Galloways are pastured with other breeds in the cold winters, the Galloways are the last to arrive for hay feedings and surprisingly are the first to depart, thereby consuming a lot less of expensive feeds that are needed for other cattle. Further, many tests have shown that the Galloway crosses place it at the very top of the charts for juiciness, tenderness and more importantly, flavor.
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