Cattle Breeds - Red Angus

Red Angus

History

The Red Angus breed has the exact same origins of the Aberdeen Angus. Originally it was brought in by the Vikings from Europe and introduced to England and Scotland, these cattle were small, dun-coloured and polled. The new breed of cattle were then interbred with the local black horned Celtic cattle of Scotland which produced the ancestor of the black Aberdeen Angus of today.

A breeder of Red Angus cattle, Eric L.C. Pentecost, explains a possible reason for the introduction of the red colouration into the Aberdeen Angus breed. In the eighteenth century, the black Scottish cattle were too light to provide sufficiently large draught oxen, so larger English longhorns, predominantly red in colour, were brought in and crossed with the black native polled breed. The resultant offspring were all black polled animals, since black is a dominant colour, and red a recessive one. However, all carried the red gene. Subsequent interbreeding produced an average of one red calf in four, in accordance with Mendel's law of heredity.

Early in the development of the Aberdeen Angus, Hugh Watson of Keillor, Scotland arbitrarily decided that black was the proper colour for the breed, and thereby started a fashion. He might well have chosen red instead. Leon J. Cole and Sara V. H. Jones of the University of Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station published a pamphlet in 1920 on "The Occurrence of Red Calves in Black Breeds of Cattle" which contained this pertinent paragraph:

"One more point should be emphasised, namely that the red individuals appearing in such stock (Aberdeen Angus)...are just as truly 'purebred' as their black relatives, and there is no reason why, in all respects save colour, they should not be fully as valuable. The fact that they are discarded while the blacks are retained is simply due to the turn of fortune that black rather than red became established fashion for the Aberdeen Angus breed. Had red been the chosen colour, there would never have been any trouble with the appearance of blacks as off-colour individuals, since red-to-red breeds true."

When the first Aberdeen Angus Herdbook was created in 1862 in Scotland, although black was the predominant colour reds were registered without discrimination. Angus was taken to America and increased in popularity, here in 1917 it was decided that to assure a pure black strain reds and other colours would not be allowed to register. This bias towards the black Angus inspired cattlemen who believed in the qualities of the red to start selecting the best red calves from the black Angus. In 1954 a new herdbook and Association specifically for the reds was started, Red Angus was launched in its own right.

Characteristics

The Red Angus is similar in conformation to the Aberdeen Angus, medium in size with a beefy carcase. It is red in colour with pigmented skin and naturally polled, when crossed the red coat colour is passed on to the calves.
Red Angus females reach puberty at a young age, are highly fertile and are renowned for their longevity in the herd. Red Angus females have excellent milk production and have a strong maternal instinct.
Red Angus cattle are considered by breeders to be gentle natured and easy cattle to work.
This breed produces a highly desired carcase with the meat being of excellent quality, this is due to the intra muscular marbling.

Statistics

Excellent maternal traits

Quiet, easy going dispositions

Quality carcase, intra muscular marbling

Heterosis

Large scrotal size in bulls, greater semen production

Longevity

Distribution

Today, Red Angus are seeing unparalleled popularity both in the U.S. and internationally. In fact, the growing notoriety of the breed is bringing worldwide demand for breeding stock from South Africa, Australia and South America, where the majority of the cattle are red in colour. This has led Red Angus to become the leading U.S. beef breed in semen exports. In the U.S., the number of Red Angus has tripled from the mid-1980’s through the mid-1990’s. In Canada, where red and black Angus cattle are registered together (which is the case in most countries), the number of red cattle registered is approximately the same as the black strain.

Cattle Breeds -Zebu

 Zebu

History

Zebu cattle originated in Southwest Asia and that their descendants were non-humped, they have evolved from three breeds of Indian cattle. The Guzerat, Nelore and the Gir had most influence over Zebu breeding. Zebu cattle are humped and belong to the Bos primigenius species of cattle. They were taken to Africa at an early date and within the last 100 years, have been exported to Brazil and the US.

It started off with small groups of this breed being taken to Brazil in the 17^th and 18^th Centuries where they were crossed with Brazilian cattle. These importations slowly spiked interest in cattle breeders which increased the number larger importations. From 1890 to 1921 over 5000 Zebu cattle were exported to Brazil from India, a Rinderpest outbreak occurred which then saw a ban on importation of Indian cattle for 9 years.

During this time cross breeding of these cattle went on, Brazilian farmers that were unsure of pure bred Indian cattle used characteristics such as large ears, loose skin, the presence of a hump as an indicator of purity, both of which were common to the Gir and Guzerat not the Nelore. This cross breed were originally called Indu-Uberaba as it was developed in the region of Uberaba in the state of Minas Gerais but was then changed to Indu-Brazil. The Rinderpest was slowly eradicated and imports were resumed and the new imports of Gir, Guzerat and Nelore were used to create pure strains of the Zebu breed.

They are thought to be the worlds oldest domesticated cattle. The name Zebu today can be used as a direct name for that breed of cattle but it is also used as a general name for breeds such as Brahman, Gir, Guzera and Nelore.

Many other breeds have been created through cross breeding and selection using the Zebu such as the Sanga and Canchim.

Characteristics

Zebu cattle are usually red or grey in colour, are horned, have loose skin, large ears and have a hump above their shoulders.

This breed is used for its milk, meat and as draft animals. In India they are sacred and are only used for draft and milk.
In Brazil and other meat producing countries they are produced largely for their beef as they cope better than european breeds in sub-tropical environments.

Statistics

Heat tolerant

Parasite and disease resistance

Hardy

Milk, Meat and Draft

Distribution

Today the Zebu is present on all continents, mainly in India and Brazil, which has the largest commercial herd in the world, with 155 million head.

India has over 270 million Zebu and the United States has over 2 million Zebu.

Cattle Breeds

Brahman

History

The Brahman breed (also known as Brahma) originated from Bos indicus cattle from India, the "sacred cattle of India". Through centuries of exposure to inadequate food supplies, insect pests, parasites, diseases and the weather extremes of tropical India, the native cattle developed some remarkable adaptations for survival which cattle producers in the USA found useful and advantageous.

Three principal strains of Indian cattle were brought to the United States and used in the development of the Brahman breed; the Guzerat, the Nelore and Gir. The Krishna Valley strain was also introduced and used but to a lesser extent. The general similarity of the Guzerat strain to the cattle selected and developed in the USA would indicate that cattlemen working with the breed have generally preferred this type.

It is said that during the period from 1910 to 1920, many cattle in the south-western part of Texas and the coastal country along the Gulf of Mexico showed considerable evidence of Bos indicus breeding. Naturally, many of the bulls that were used were the result of crosses with other breeds. Some breeders attempted to keep the stock pure, but they were in the minority.
Since there are records of less than 300 imported Brahmans (most of which were bulls), it must be assumed that other breeds supplied the foundation animals for the breed.
The bulls were used on cows of the European breeds and on the descendants of these crosses. By the fifth generation (31/32) the offspring carried not only a preponderance of Bos indicus breeding but selection pressure had permitted the development of an animal generally regarded as superior to the original imports for beef production.

Today, its use in crossbreeding has become a great tool for the production of steers for various purposes. Its meat is highly appreciated in the five continents.
The Brahman has become so essential in the tropics that many British and Continental breeds have been "adapted" to such zones by incorporating a relevant percentage of Brahman blood. Synthetic breeds have resulted from such crossings: Brangus - Braford - SimBrah - ChaBray - BeefMaster. These are just a few examples of Brahman popularity.

Characteristics

All Bos indicus cattle including the Brahman are characterised by a large hump over the top of the shoulder and neck.
Brahmans vary in colour from very light grey or red to almost black. A majority of the breed are light to medium grey. Mature bulls are normally darker than cows and usually have dark areas on the neck, shoulders and lower thighs.
They have short, thick, glossy hair which reflects much of the suns rays and black pigmented skin, making it able to graze in the midday sun without suffering. Their horns curve upwards and sometimes tilt to the rear plus they have pendulous ears.

Brahman have an abundance of loose skin which is thought to contribute to its ability to withstand warm weather by increasing the body surface area exposed to cooling.
Another feature of this breed is the increased number of sweat glands and the ability to sweat freely, Bos indicus cattle also produce an oily secretion from the sebaceous glands which has a distinctive odour and is reported to assist in repelling insects.

Brahmans are intermediate in size among beef breeds. Bulls will generally weigh from 1600 to 2200 pounds and cows from 1000 to 1400 pounds in average condition. The calves are small at birth, weighing 60 to 65 pounds, but grow very rapidly and wean at weights comparable to other breeds.

Brahmans are intelligent, inquisitive and shy. They are unusually thrifty, hardy and adaptable to a wide range of feed and climate. However, these characteristics also suggest careful, kind handling methods. Brahmans like affection and can become very docile. They quickly respond to handling they receive, good or bad. Well bred, wisely selected and properly treated Brahmans are as easily handled as other breeds.

They are also good mothers and produce a very satisfactory milk flow under conditions that are adverse for best performance of the European breeds.
Cancer eye is almost unknown in the breed. They have established a considerable reputation for a high dressing percentage,
and their carcasses have a very good "cutout" value with minimum of outside fat.

Statistics

Quick growth

Early finish

Abundant muscle

Ideal formation

Sexual precocity

Regular calving

Tameness

Comparative

Studies at the University of Missouri found that Brahman and European cattle thrive equally well at temperatures down to 8° F. They found that European cattle begin to suffer adversely as the air temperature goes above 70° F, showing an increase in body temperature and a decline in appetite and milk production as 75° F, is passed. Brahmans, on the other hand, show little effect from temperatures up to and beyond 105° F. Although heat tolerance is only one factor in environmental adaptation of cattle, it is considered the most important.

Another factor contributing to the great heat tolerance of Brahmans, discovered in the Missouri studies, is that they produce less internal body heat in warm weather than do cattle of European breeds. Waste heat is produced from feed at the expense of growth and milk production.

Distribution

The Brahman is very popular and has been exported from the USA to many beef cattle producing countries including Argentina, Paraguay, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa and Australia

Friesian

Cattle Breeds -Friesian

Friesian

History

The exact origins of the breed are difficult to determine but it is known that in the 18^th century, herds of small black-and-white cattle were brought into northern Holland and Friesland from northern Jutland to replace animals that had fallen victim to disease and flooding.
These animals were crossed with the existing Dutch cattle and formed the basis of the Friesian.

Before the establishment of the Netherlands herdbook in 1873 and the Friesland herdbook in 1879, both black-pied and red-pied animals were maintained separately. The preference for black-pied cattle, particularly in the United States, led to the further segregation of red-pied animals and presently this colour variation only exists in small number in the Netherlands.

Production levels of this breed declined during the 1950's when excessive emphasis was placed on correct colour pattern. During the 1970's Holsteins were imported from the United States and used to improved the milk production. This resulted in larger animals with a more pronounced dairy characteristics. The mixing of these two breeds is such that now many Friesians are 25% to 75% Holstein.

The modern Friesian is pre-eminently a grazing animal, well able to sustain itself over many lactations, on both low lying and upland grassland, being developed by selective breeding over the last 100 years. Some outstanding examples of the breed have 12 to 15 lactations to their credit, emphasising their inherent natural fecundity. In response to demand, protein percentages have been raised across the breed and herd protein levels of 3.4% to 3.5% are not uncommon.

As the Friesian is mainly a dairy breed, surplus male animals are highly regarded, as they are producers of high quality lean meat, whether crossed with a beef breed or not. Beef cross heifers have long been sought after as the ideal suckler dam replacement.

Characteristics

The Friesian can be one of two coat colour types, white with black patches (the common colour) or white with red patches. They are very similar in size and confirmation to the Holstein.
The Friesian is a renowned dairy breed with some outstanding examples of the breed having 12 to 15 lactations to their credit, emphasising their inherent natural fecundity. In response to demand, protein percentages have been raised across the breed and herd protein levels of 3.4% to 3.5% are not uncommon. 
One of the great strengths of the British Friesian is the ability of the male calf to finish and grade satisfactorily, either in intensive systems, or as steers, extensively.

Statistics

1) Calve more frequently
2) Calve more often in their lifetime
3) Need less replacements
4) Provide valuable male calves
5) Have lower cell counts
6) Have higher fat and protein percent

They are also known for their:

Versatility

Quality milk

High lifetime yields

High quality lean meat

Distribution

This breed is generally found in the Netherlands, USA and the UK, although semen exports are on the increase to grass based systems of milk production

Cattle Breeds -Sahiwal

 Sahiwal

 

History

The Sahiwal originated in the dry Punjab region which lies along the Indian-Pakistani border. They were once kept in large herds by professional herdsmen called "Junglies". With the introduction of irrigation systems to the region they began to be kept in smaller numbers by the farmers of the region, who used them as draft and dairy animals.

Today the Sahiwal is one of the best dairy breeds in India and Pakistan. Due to their heat tolerance and high milk production they have been exported to other Asian countries as well as Africa and the Caribbean.

The Sahiwal was exported to Australia via New Guinea in the early 1950’s. In Australia, the Sahiwal was initially selected as a dual-purpose breed. It played a valuable role in the development of the two Australian tropical dairy breeds, the Australian Milking Zebu and the Australian Fresian Sahiwal. Sahiwals are now predominately used in Australia for beef production, as crossing high grade Sahiwal sires with Bos taurus animals produced a carcass of lean quality with desirable fat cover.

Characteristics

Their colour can range from reddish brown through to the more predominant red, with varying amounts of white on the neck, and the underline. In males the colour darkens towards the extremities, such as the head, legs and tail.

It is tick-resistant, heat-tolerant and noted for its high resistance to parasites, both internal and external. Cows average 2270kg of milk during a lactation while suckling a calf and much higher milk yields have been recorded. They are generally docile and lethargic, making them more useful for slow work.

The Sahiwal is the heaviest milker of all Zebu breeds and display a well developed udder. Sahiwals demonstrate the ability to sire small, fast-growing calves and are noted for their hardiness under unfavorable climatic conditions.

Statistics

High milk yields

Tick and parasite resistance

Heat tolerant

Ease of calving

Longevity, reproducing for upto 20yrs

Drought resistant

Bloat tolerant

Good temperament

Lean meat with even fat cover

Distribution

The Sahiwal is bred in Pakistan for its milking ability and in Australia for its beefing qualities but it has also been exported to Africa, the Carribean, India and other parts of Asia.

Sahiwal Pets Show

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