Beef Cattle Flashcards
What is the origin of beef cattle?
Auroch/ Wild bovids
- several domestication centers
- Middle east (bos taurus)
- India (bos indicus)
What are the four major breed groups?
- bos taurus - continental europe
- bos taurus - great britain
- bos indicus - india
- Crosses
What was the original use for cattle?
work purposes
How is the breed of beef cattle picked on each farm?
by choosing the breed best adapted to that particular region or a similar one
Where did angus cattle originate from?
Aberdeenshire (scotland)
- 1700-1800s
What are the characteristics of angus cattle?
- black, smooth hair, polled
- high-quality carcass
- well-marbled meat
- Perform well in feedlots
- red (recessive gene) -> red angus
Where did Devon and South Devon cattle originate from?
SW england
- Red cattle from normandy
What are Devon and South Devon cattle used for?
dual purpose (south devon) and meat (devon)
Where did Galloway cattle originate from?
old breed from scotland
What are the characteristics of galloway cattle?
- foraging ability
- harsh winters
Where do Hereford cattle originate from? What were they selected for?
County Hereford (england) - selected for high beef yield
What are the characteristics of hereford cattle?
- white faces, red bodies
- docile and easily handled
- used in the ranching system in the western US
Where did highland cattle originate from?
Hebrides Islands (scotland)
What are the characteristics of highland cattle?
- small size
- hardy and good foragers
- popular in crossbreeding
Where did Red poll cattle originate from and what are their characteristics?
NE England (Norfolk and Suffolk)
- polled and dual purpose
- high proportion of lean meat
Where did Shorthorn/Polled Shorthorn cattle originate and what are their characteristics?
N England (Durhams)
- Original dual purpose
- Shorthorns
- Very adaptable
- origin of 30 other different breeds
Where did Charolais cattle originate and what are their characteristics?
Pays de Charolles (france)
- very popular world wide
- white color, pink skin
- large, heavily muscled breed
- high carcass yields
- lean carcass
What are some other continental Europe Beef breeds?
- salers (france)
- Blond d’Aquitaine (france)
- Chianina (italy)
- Gelbvieh (germany)
- Limousin (france)
- Pinzgauer (germany)
- Belgian blue and white (belgium)