Breeds of Cattle

One of the first consideration people starting out in the cattle business are going to have to decide upon is what breeds of cattle they are going to choose.  Most people are very surprised to find that there are over 200 breeds of cattle and over 50 of them are commonly used in the Unites States for various niches of the cattle business.  To narrow things down a bit, here are some of the more popular breeds and the main characteristics of them.

Angus Cattle

Angus gets it origins as an English breed of cattle and is widely considered to be ‘the breed’ for raising cattle.  The status of Angus beef is widely known and it is often used in cross breeding to get the traits that the beef is famous for into other breeds.  It is probably most famous for the marbling texture and phenomenal taste.  The Angus Beef Program was actually created for the consumer to create a consistent experience every time that they selected Angus beef for consumption.  This program has created a huge drive to get Angus cattle into stock.

Angus has many characteristics that make it very desirable for cattle breeders.  When used in breeding, the calves are virtually assured of little to no calving problems.  The dark color of the breed also serves as a form of natural sun protection to alleviate the possibility of any type of sun damage being experienced by the animal.  There is hardly a negative in choosing Angus as your stock breed and you wil consistently find it to be the breed of highest demand.

Brahman Cattle

Brahman Cattle are typical of a cattle that is used to take advantage of regionally specific conditions that can limit the production of certain other types of cattle.  The Southern United States will usually see very dry and harsh summers that can make breeding cattle very difficult.  While most breeds cannot survive in these conditions, the Brahman flourish.  Their ability to exist in these conditions goes back to their roots of being developed in India.  The cattle had to be able to survive for long periods of time between grazing and water and it was literally survival of the fittest.  Over time, the superior Brahman cattle breed that we have today is a direct result of this. The Brahman cattle are easily recognized by the large hump that is over their shoulders.  These are also very popular is cross breading for the very characteristic that they are famous for, their ability to thrive in extreme conditions.

Limousin Cattle

Limousin Cattle are probably one of the oldest breeds off cattle around as their history dates back thousands of years.  This brand of cattle is known for its lean mass and is very sought after for that very reason.  They have a very high yield and are often bred with Angus to combine with the wonderful marbling texture that is natural to that breed.  They are also used to introduce the same traits into several other breeds of cattle.

Now these are only 3 breeds of cattle, but they are among the most popular.  There are still many popular breeds to consider like: Balancer, Charolais, Club Calf, Shorthorn, Texas Longhorn and many more.  Each has their own distinct characteristics or may be a cross breed of several of the main breeds to adapt the main characteristics of the breeds.

You will find that many of these breeds were put together to take advantage of the climates that they being raised under.  Some of the breeds would never have survived on their own if they did not have the traits of say the Brahman.

In order to pick the right cattle for your business, you will have to research the exact characteristics of the types of cattle that you are interested in breeding to make sure that you will be able to allow them to flourish year round in the conditions of your region.  If there is not a pure breed that is available, there is more than likely some form of cross breed, like a Balancer Cattle, that may be right for your cattle breeding facility.