Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
and like the Angus breed, they are another premier carcass breeds. The Hereford breed was
developed in England.
Charolais:
Charolais cattle are white- to cream-colored cattle. The breed is used in cross-
breeding programs as they are heavily muscled with great carcass quality. This breed matures
later than other breeds of cattle and is typically fattened to larger weights. The Charolais
breed was developed in France.
Belgian Blue:
The Belgian Blue was developed in Belgium. This breed is unique as it is one
of the few double-muscled breeds (increased muscle mass compared to other cattle). Because
of the double muscling, they have a high-yielding carcass, but the mothers have difficulty de-
livering their calves. Frequently, a cesarean section will be needed to successfully deliver a
live calf. They are generally bluish white.
Brahman:
The Brahman is distinctly different from other breeds of cattle as they have a
hump on the back and long floppy ears. The breed comes from India and is adaptable to hot
weather and insects. They do not yield as much meat as the other breeds, but because of the
ability to withstand heat, they are sometimes used in Southern states. The Brahman is usually
red or gray colored.
Galloway:
The Galloway is typically a black animal with long, thick, wavy hair. They also
can be light brown to yellow-gray. They are a polled breed of cattle and have good-quality
meat that is well marbled with fat between the muscles. Because of their thick coat, they can
withstand harsh winter weather.
Gelbvieh:
The Gelbvieh has the distinction of producing more pounds of weaned calf per
cow among cattle. This breed is usually one of three colors: red, black, or yellow. It was deve-
loped in Bavaria and is a recent import to the United States; they arrived in the country in the
early 1970s. It has a good carcass yield and grows quickly in the feedlot.
Limousin:
The Limousin breed is an ancient French breed. They have high carcass yields and
efficiently convert feed to muscle. They are not as heavily marbled as other breeds, so they
have less fat interlaced throughout the meat. They are generally red or yellow.
Shorthorn:
As the name suggests, the Shorthorn breed was named because of their short
horns. This breed was developed in England. They are typically red, white, or roan (a mixture
of red of white). They have a good carcass yield and produce good-quality meat.
