Cattle have various commercial application. They are the primary source for meat and mostly raise for dairy products. In the United States, there are many beef cattle breeds. Here are many numbers of cattle breeds available. Some of the popular breeds are Angus and Hereford which are most suitable for beef purpose, Simmental is much more adaptable, Holstein and Jersey are most prolific dairy purpose cattle breeds and there are versatile breeds which can be used for both purpose. Shorthorn is one of the versatile breeds. In US ground, there are numerous cattle breeds and mainly American cattle breeds, are popular all over the world. Here is the finest list of cattle that farm in the US all the year round. Most of the beef cattle breeds have become so popular. The next list is most suitable. Beef purpose cattle are very important for meet production. In this list, there are mainly beef cattle breeds: Angus, Hereford, Simmental, and many more, Holstein and Jersey mainly produce milk and many American cattle breeds like Guernsey is Beef and dairy breeds.
Beef Cattle Breeds: Angus
Angus cattle are possibly the greatest and most recognised beef cattle. These cows are well known for their well-coloured black, and medium-horned beef-type cattle. The first Angus cattle came from Spain and, eventually, they found their way from England, ultimately landing in Scotland. The Scottish name Angus comes from the region of northeast Scotland called Angus. Angus cattle are polled, which means they do not have horns, which make them easy to handle. Angus beef is marbled, which means it is tasty and tender. Because of its quality, it is considered an expensive beef. It is considered better than any other type of meat. Angus beef has a premium label and is rated above the prized Waygu beef that comes from Japan.
The maternal qualities of the breed are also downright outstanding, with cows that calf easily and are prolific mothers. Their tolerance of inclement weather and low management needs make the Angus one of the most popular beef cattle breeds in the US, no matter their size. Whether small or large cattle breeds, Angus rule the roost when it comes to providing beef. The range of beef types and qualities that the Angus supports holds appeal for anyone seeking a Nellie from the ‘Cow Parade’.
Dairy Cattle Breeds: Holstein
If you live in the United States, you have almost certainly seen a Holstein cow. This dairy cattle breed is among the most recognisable, and arguably the most common in America. Native to Europe, Holsteins originally hail from the Netherlands where they are known as Holsteiner. They are characterised by their black and white colouring, which gives them an instantly recognisable appearance. Holsteins often lead the industry in volume and efficiency of production, and are in many ways the ‘backbone’ of the dairy industry as they produce large amounts of high-quality milk, heavy with protein and butterfat. They adapt well to their environment and can be raised in almost any venue. They are typically large cattle, but are known for being gentle.
Dairy Cattle Breeds: Jersey
Another notable dairy breed is the Jersey, a cattle type known for a small frame and brown- and white-coloured coat. The total number of Jerseys in 2012 amounted to more than 940,000 and this breed has actually grown in total numbers over the years. Originating on the British Channel Island of Jersey, this breed is used for dairy purposes due to the high butterfat content of its milk, ideal for production of cheese and butter, especially. Jerseys, despite their small frame, are relatively high milk producers, a quality that favours the breed for use in dairy farming. They are also known to be ‘quiet-natured’ and easy to manage. Their hardiness in the face of many climates also makes them adaptable for a variety of farming conditions.
Dual Purpose Cattle Breeds: Shorthorn
The shorthorn is a dual-purpose breed, made famous for its use in both beef and dairy cattle production, and originated in the Northeast region of England. Over the years, the breed has been bred for optimal performance in both beef and dairy production. Coloured in red, white and roan, shorthorns stand out as a unique cattle breed not only because of their dual-purpose trait but also their unique colouring. On the dairy side, shorthorns yield a large volume of milk with nice protein and butterfat ratio for milk products. On the beef side, shorthorns are noted for their superior quality of meat which are tender and tasty. Shorthorns have an aura of neatness and docility around them; they are easily handled and managed. Shorthorns also thrive in a variety of climates and grazing situations, which make them a favourable breed of cattle for farmers seeking efficiency and productivity.
American Cattle Breeds: Overview
Let’s begin with some good news. The US has been a major source of diversity -there are dozens of American cattle breeds developed to meet needs of the agricultural economy. Three stand out for our purposes. First, there is the Texas Longhorn, with its infamous long, sculptured horns and native hardiness, and its ability to deal with the harsh conditions of the US Southwest. Next to the Longhorn are the popular Beefmaster cattle, a three-way cross (composite cattle) of Brahman, Hereford and Shorthorn cattle, and so endowed with excellent heat-tolerance, growth-rate, and maternal abilities. The Texas-bred Santa Gertrudis (another three-way cross) is also popular among live cattle breeds. Santa Gertrudis are noted for their strength and beef quality. The Brangus is still successfully being bred in both the US and overseas, where it has a loyal following But perhaps it was the Brangus, one of the very first successful hybrids, created here by the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal Improvement Center in Beltsville, Maryland, that was a meaningful innovation in American cattle farming. It was derived from the attempts to cross two different and unadaptive breeds – the Brahman, famous for heat-tolerance, and the Angus, famous for excellent meat quality.
Popular Beef Cattle Breeds
There are quite a few popular beef cattle breeds today both for their characteristics and and unique role in beef industry.
These Herefords (although usually red and white, not black and white) are descended from an English breed popular for beef, and they suit a range of environmental conditions, with an easy going nature and strong maternal instincts.
The French Charolais breed of cattle, known for their massive size and white or cream coats, is another signature strain. Charolais cows are prized for their quick growth and good muscling, which results in excellent marbling of the meat. Among pigs, the Duroc is the favoured breed. Another type of pig, the Hampshire hog, is known for its docile temperament and pink skin and fat.
The Simmental, part of the Swiss two-horn breeds and a hybrid of dairy and beef, is another versatile breed known for its golden-yellow or red and white coat and its ability to produce flavourful and tender meat. The success of each of these specialised strains is but one of the factors that lead us to the dinner table.
Hereford: Detailed Profile of Hereford Breed
Hereford cattle, from the county of Herefordshire in England, are one of the world’s most familiar and admired beef cattle breeds. You recognise Herefords immediately: red-bodied with white faces, underbellies, and tails. When you hear the word ‘beef’, it’s not uncommon to think of Herefords. They are famous for their hardiness and ability to be raised in diverse environments, from temperate climates to tundra. Their hardiness is only one of the reasons Herefords have been raised and bred across the globe.
Herefords are sturdy, and eat with efficiency, spreading out to utilise roughage, and converting grass to quality beef. Their meat is trim and lean, tender and flavourful. It is well-marbled, which adds taste and food appeal. Herefords are strong mothers with highest calf survivability and repeat breeding rates, and they are calm to handle, all factors contributing to their continued popularity among cattlemen.
Simmental: Detailed Profile of Simmental Breed
Simmental cattle, one of the world’s oldest and most widely distributed of all cattle breeds, originate from the Simme Valley of Switzerland. Distinctive for their deep red and white or golden-yellow and white appearance, Simmentals excel as dual-purpose animals who produce both milk and beef. They are valued for their large frame, fast growth rates, and good muscling, characteristics that allow them to produce a type of high-quality beef. Also, Simmentals yield a good deal of milk that is rich in protein and fat content, thus making it suitable for cheese production.
Besides their productive qualities, Simmentals have a hardy constitution and are able to live in different climatic zones, going from the cold regions of Europe to the warmer climates. They produce good calves, displays good maternal behaviour, have good fertility, and a good temperament and fixed characteristics, and they are easily handled and managed.Simmental cattle remain a beneficial and reliable option for farmers in different parts of the world. They offer the benefits of a productive breed without the need for a specialised environment and the reduction of livestock diversity.
Shorthorn: Detailed Profile of Shorthorn Breed
Shorthorn cattle are one of the oldest breeds of cattle originating from north-east England and owe their name to their short, fine hair. They come in different body types as well as coat colours, which can be red, white or roan. Because of their dual purpose, Shorthorn cows are well-suited for beef as well as dairy production. Their well-balanced frame and good muscle development make them ideal for high-quality beef production, while the milk they produce has an average, good balance of butterfat and protein. Therefore, it is pretty well suited for the production of all dairy products you can think of. Shorthorn cattle are also known for their docile temperament and ease of handling, but also because they have good maternal instincts and high fertility rates. All these reasons make Shorthorn cattle very popular among farmers. They are known for their adaptability to a multitude of climatic conditions and forage types. Thus, Shorthorn cattle are an ideal stock for cattle farmers all over the world and a mainstay in both beef and dairy industry because of their versatility and productivity.
Lesser Known Breeds
Belted Galloway: Detailed Profile of Belted Galloway Breed
The gorgeous Belted Galloway, colloquially known as ‘Belties’, is a relatively unknown but striking Scottish cattle breed. Characterised by a pure white belt encircling a body that is predominantly black, dun or red, Belted Galloways are a purebred breed, suitable for beef production. Resembling their beefy British shorthorn brethren, Belties are known for their weather tolerance and are ideal for marginate, difficult climates. As with most horned breeds, belted galloways typically have a double coat with an underdun to insulate from cold and wet climates. Producing lean, flavourful beef, this breed is suitable for small-acreage and grass-fed beef farming operations focused on consistency and quality with minimal fuss. Documented to date all the way back to 4000BCE, the belted galloway breed is known for its docility, milk production and maternal instincts, leading to high calf survivability and manageability throughout their lifespan. Suitable for the smallest of acreages, this breed excels on underproductive pasture to provide a reliable, quality finished product without high input demands.
Gelbvieh: Detailed Profile of Gelbvieh Breed
Gelbvieh cattle originally came from the Bavarian region of Germany, and they are productive in both beef and dairy herds. Gelbvieh cattle are reddish-gold to russet in colour and are well-muscled, medium frame animals. They are fast-growing and efficient in beef production. They are efficient in their utilisation of feed, they have high growth rates, and the meat they produce is tender and flavorful.
Along with beef, one of the main benefits attributed to Gelbvieh cows is their maternal attributes. These include superior fertility rates, calving ease, and maternal instincts, which all lead to healthier calf growth. They produce milk with excellent fat to protein ratios, ideal for dairy products.
Gelbvieh perform well in a variety of climates and management systems, from grass-based to intensive feeding operations. Gelbvieh are easy to handle – an important trait for farmers. This dual-purpose breed produces high-quality beef and abundant milk to the herd, thereby enhancing farm profitability and efficiency. Photos courtesy Gelbvieh USA.
Beefmaster: Detailed Profile of Beefmaster Breed
The Beefmasters breed, developed in the US in the early 20th century, is an example of how, by taking particular combinations of cattle for breeding, certain meat-producing goals can be better optimised than not. Derived from crossing three different breeds – Herefords, Shorthorns and Brahman – Beefmasters are best known for their fusion of traits from each parent. They can be brown, black or white, but they always have a remarkably beefy look, with broad shoulders and a beefy frame perfectly suited to what they were bred for. They have a reputation for rapid growth rates, high fertility, and exceptional hardiness, being well-adapted to different environments.
They do so while having good feed efficiency and producing high-quality, lean beef for today’s markets. But Beefmasters also have a reputation for being docile, easy- handing and very maternal. Their natural resistance to heat, drought and disease is also part of their appeal to beef producers. When you combine adaptability to environmental and production challenges with outstanding productivity, you are left with a very valuable member of today’s beef industry.
Limousin: Detailed Profile of Limousin Breed
Limousin (Limousin cattle, from the Limousin region of France), is a breed of beef cattle from the Limousin region of France. This breed is very popular for its high beef production. The breed is famous for its golden-red coat and muscular body. In addition their high carcass and dressing percentage, they are known for their high yield of lean meat that leaves very little fat. Their muscular build and feed efficiency makes them one of the more economical type of breed.
But apart from all this, Limousins are strong, hardy cattle and adaptable to any type of climate and terrain. Their fertility is good and their calving ease produces a high percentage of live calves. Limousins have a quiet disposition that enables easy handling and management.
The fact that the breed produces carcasses of high-quality, tender beef, which consumers enjoy, only helps to justify this dominant position. By producing more quality beef and more muscle while using fewer resources, and by being versatile and adapting well to different environments, the Limousin cattle become nearly indispensable to beef producers everywhere.
Factors Influencing Cattle Breed Selection
Factors all play an important role in this farmer’s decision as to which cattle breed to select. The primary factor is always what the intention of the cattle is in the herd. Will it be a beef producing farm or a dairy farm? From this general intention of the herd, the breed can be selected for its adaptation to certain goals. For example, Holsteins are excellent at milk production with high milk yield, whereas Angus or Belted Galloway are breeds with high quality beef. Other important factors include the climatic adaptations (a Belted Galloway will do well in cold weather climates), economic factors (getting the most for you money, such as a Jersey cattle with high feed to product ratio), reproductive traits (make sure the breed produces a high rate of fertility and ease of calving, such as Belted Galloway calves), the temperment (nervous cows are bad for work stress, such as Simmental and Shorthorn breeds).
Cattle Breeds’ Impact on Farming
The choice of breeds of cattle is perhaps one of the most important decisions a farm can make with regards to the efficiency, productivity and sustainability of the operation. Different breeds have different key traits: Holstein is the breed synonymous with the production of vast amounts of milk, and this can significantly increase the output from a dairy farm – milk, cheese, butter – on an endless list of items that a bulk of Holstein milk can produce. On the other hand, beef cattle breeds such as Angus and Belted Galloway produce quality beef, and this quality in the food produced means high in demand in areas that serve growing communities. Other breeds, such as the Jersey, have key traits regarding the quality of their milk (highly prized in making cheeses for example, or butter), which can significantly increase the quality of the milk produced and in turn increase the value of that sale.
But adaptability to local climatic conditions also plays an important role (and certainly there have been breeds that have been particularly well suited to various climates and climatic zones) and so there are further economic benefits accruing to the farm from having fewer requirements for supplemental inputs, higher survivability and less need for input-intensive treatments and management. Breeds such as the Shorthorn, which have typically measured up well for docility and desirable maternal traits, will have been used in part because of above-average motherability and calf survivability. In this case, ease of management and animal comfort, combined with improved farm productivity involving ever-lessening labour inputs, explain the selection of one breed over another.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What should be given priority when choosing cattle breed for milk production?
If you’re looking for a dairy production breed, factors to consider could include the total amount of milk produced and the fat and protein content of the milk, in addition to adaptability to the climate in which the animal was raised, feed efficiency and temperament. Take the Holstein for example, which has a higher milk production level than many other breeds. Another popular dairy production breed is the Jersey with higher butter fat content.
How does climate affect cattle breed selection?
Choice of breed is clearly important in relation to climate. Belted Galloway cattle are suited to very cold, harsh climates, whereas Brahman is adapted for hot, arid areas. It is difficult to keep the Brahman in a cold New England climate and, just as difficult, to keep a Belted Galloway in a swampy, hot environment. Thus, choosing the right breed for a particular climate not only reduces stress on the animal but also maximises productivity.
What makes certain cattle breeds better for beef production?
Fast growth rates, high feed conversion, muscling and favourable carcass traits can be characteristics that make beef production more profitable.Breeds that produce beef with superior beef eating quality and also show greater feed efficiency and lean meat yield are of interest to farmers and processors – Angus and Limousin are some examples.
Why is temperament an important consideration in cattle breed selection?
A breed’s temperament influences handling ease and safety in many ways related to overall farm safety. For instance, docile breeds such as Simmental and Shorthorn make management easier with less risk of injury to both people and the animals. Moreover, quiet cattle are less stressed, which improves general health and productivity.
How do reproductive traits influence cattle breed selection?
Heritable traits associated with reproduction, such as fertility, rate of calving and maternal instincts, are important in terms of the sustainability and expandability of the herd. For example, breeds with high fertility and ease of calving, such as Limousin and Beefmaster, increase predictable replenishment of the herd with little need for intensive intervention during calving.
What are the economic benefits of choosing a particular breed of cattle for a farming operation?
Choosing the right breed can improve production and reduce costs: highly efficient feed converters, such as Jersey cattle, require less feed for the same output, resulting in reduced feeding costs. Local breeds can be adept to local climates, ensuring high productivity with less maintenance costs (a key determinant of farm sustainability and profitability).
Conclusion
I hope that this guide has given you to all-round insight about the multiple factors that affects the selection of cattle breeds, and how they influence the business of man. Knowing that different breeds are unique, and are placable in different environment, enables farmers to take the right decision for their greatest welfare. The right breed selection will increase the productivity and efficiency, as well as help the farmer reserve water and feed requirement for necessary activity either lush pasture or dairy cows. Choosing milk yiled, meat quality, reproduction trait aganong their disease resistant, plus efficiency and temperament breed trait will help the farmer towards a resilient and profitable agriculture business. Strategies breed selection is able to promote farmer longevity in the industry, as well as to stay up with the change in the farming practice.
