5 Common Beef Breeds

When I was little I thought only black and brown cattle were raised for meat. Plot twist! Any breed is edible…. Poor little innocent me never looked at a holstein the same way again. Beef breeds vary by farm. Some farms stick to one breed while others take whatever they can get.

The most known beef breeds would be Angus. Their big, beautiful, black coats seem to be the signature of the beef world and showing community. Their expensive meat cuts and rich flavor put them high on the list of customer demand. Along with that being said this hardy breed can withstand harsh weather conditions, terrain, and lower maintenance. “Angus cattle require little maintenance during calving season, are good mothers and are very feed efficient.”

Another hardy breed are Charolais. Their white and cream coats make them quite the flashy breed and pleasing to the eye. “Charolais cattle, (pronounced “char-lay”) originated from France and were brought to the U.S. in the mid-1930s. They are used in many crossbreeding programs to increase the amount of lean muscle on an animal because they are large-bodied, heavier cattle.”

Hereford are another hardy beef cow. With ancestry reaching back over 250+ years to England it's clear that this breed has been carefully crafted into the prime livestock it is today. “That trait continues to be a boon for ranchers today as Herefords are widely used worldwide. Their popularity is due in part to their resilience in difficult climates, high reproductive performance and low maintenance costs.”

Texas Longhorn with their jaw dropping horns and body conformation are quite the sight! “They don’t need help birthing their young, which is a huge plus to small farmers. Their meat is extremely lean and considered a delicacy by many. Longhorns are often used to breed with other cattle, and people will pay for your bull to breed their cattle; bull semen from Longhorns has a strong market in North America.”

PC: Jaksen Curtin

Holsteins, even though a breed more on the dairy side are also commonly used for beef, especially the steers. “Calf-fed Holsteins are more uniform than native cattle breeds. They consistently grade choice or better. Their yield grade is usually a two or a three. (They have a lower dressing percent than native cattle.) A dairy-type ribeye is smaller and has less external fat than a beef-type ribeye. Otherwise, they are very similar in eating quality.”

Personally, I’m in love with the naughty and too-smart-for-their-own-good Jerseys! Yes, I love them and their big eyes and smooth, colored bodies. Let me know what your favorite breed is!

-Jaksen Curtin

Resources:

Welch, B. (2013, June 24). Top 5 Beef Cattle Breeds. Retrieved September 07, 2017, from https://www.americancowboy.com/ranch-life-archive/top-5-beef-cattle-breeds-24440

What Are the Popular Cattle Breeds in the United States? (2016, December 06). Retrieved September 07, 2017, from https://factsaboutbeef.com/2016/12/06/what-are-the-popular-cattle-breeds-in-the-united-states/

Dunn, Z. (n.d.). 4 Beef Cattle Breeds That Will Bring You Big Bucks. Retrieved September 07, 2017, from http://www.offthegridnews.com/how-to-2/4-beef-cattle-breeds-that-will-bring-you-big-bucks/

Says, S., & Says, M. (2015, September 25). Feeding Holstein beef. Retrieved September 07, 2017, from http://countryfolks.com/feeding-holstein-beef/

16 common cattle breeds. (n.d.). Retrieved September 07, 2017, from http://www.livingthecountrylife.com/animals/livestock/16-common-cattle-breeds/?page=3