Types of beef cattle

[Bobbie]

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I have been deciding what type of beef cattle to get for my small farm. Different breeds for different reasons. This is just a small list as there are many types I am just doing the best known and most available.

ANGUS are red or black and are naturally polled(hornless). They have smaller calves so are a good choice for cross breeding.Fast maturing,good marbeling of meat, and fine mothers. They giver more milk than Herefords but they tend to be aggressive.

DEXTER are are one of the smallest in the world and are used for beef and milk.cows weigh 750 bulls only 1000 pounds but they give rich milk.

GALLOWAY are tough with heavy winter coats that are long lived and productive producing calves until 15-20 years old.Born polled they produce small fast growing calves.

HEREFORD comes either polled or horned. Normally red bodies with white faces these are very laid backed cattle. Big boned and large frames.

SCOTTISH HIGHLAND CATTLE these are tough little scrappers. They are long horned with shaggy coats that are protected from cold and insects. I believe that like texas longhorns they can do decent on substandard pasture.

SHORTHORN cattle are good milk producers for beef cattle. Calves are born small but grow quickly.

CHIANINA are the largest cattle in the world! They are white and are what pioneers used for oxen. They are gentle giants with small calves and very fast grow rate making them a good choice for cross breeding.

CHARLAIS good fro crossbreeding as they are bigger than angus and Herefords.

LIMOUSIN mid sized very lean. small quick growing calves. popular choice.

SIMMENTAL FAST GROWING AND GOOD MILK PRODUCERS.

BRAHMAN known for the hump on kneck and shoulders and large dewlap on chest and big droopy ears.
best for southern parts of USA as they can tolerate high heat and are resistent to ticks and other insects. calves are small but grow fast due to the rich milk the cows give.

TEXAS LONG HORNS I feel these are the best for preppers as they have grown wild over the years and thrived. They are heat tolerent and can browse like goat and deer so do well in most climates. They are fairly calm cattle. I have walked up to a steer that weighed 2500 pounds and pet it like a pup and it didnt even know me. They have small calves that grow well. Bad thing is with the big horns they go for a fly and you are next to them you are collateral damage. The meat is very lean with little marbeling so you do need to use oil when frying.

CROSS BREEDING tends to produce vigourous offspring that is good for meat and milk. They usually do better than parents and cos make great beef cows.

my plans are to have a few diffrents type cows and have a Texas Loghorn bull and possible a Chianian Bull. For the cows I am going to have texas longhorn(bred to the chi)Brahman, Galloway, and a buffalo. A buffalo is also a good forager with lean meat.


I would like to have dairy cows as well but to freshen her I will use the Longhorn to give small calves for easier birth.

[TNap]

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Great info...always wondered this as I pass numerous farms and see different types of cows in the mountains.

Thank you

[RICHFL]

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Points about Buffalo:

1. They can jump a 6 foot barbed wire fence. If they even notice it. A bull at a full run (30mph+)will go through a barbed wire fence like a hot knife goes through butter.

2. Some tolerate humans being around them most do not Remember these are wild beast.

3. Good source of meat very low in fat.

4. Will eat almost anything growing on the ground.

5. Can stand temperatures from -50 to above +120

I looked into breeding them about 20 years ago. At that time a farmer in N. Dakota starting a DNA program on the entire species so that future farmers could get the best buffalo they could ask for. Do not remember his name, but he was the master, when it came to buffalo and herding them.

[Bobbie]

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a few people around here raise them. I do not want a bull buffalo just a cow. If want to breed her with either the chianian bull or texas longhorn for beefalo. Thing is with the longhorn the beeffalo would be very low fat, lean with little marbeling but would be very hard in bad weather and a good grazer forager. Breeding to the chianian would put big size on it but hopefully give it the chianian temperment.

[Oscar Wilde]

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.... bulls only 1000 pounds but they give rich milk.

Bobbie, I'm not a farmer ....

O.W.

[Bobbie]

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you dork lol the whole sentence said cows weigh 750 bulls weigh 1000 pounds i should have put a comma in but you know what I meant.lol I hope you wouldhave tried to milk the cow not the bull.

[Oscar Wilde]

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you dork

....

O.W.

[Nikefan]

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I live in the Alabama and have been looking into cattle also. a friend of mine told me that for my land which is wooded, hilly, not much grass, that I should look at Pineywoods Cattle. They were brought over by the Spaniards and these cattle eat leaves, straw, bark pretty much anything a goat will eat. If anyone has any info on these please let me know.

[myakka]

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I know there are names that are local and might be called something different, but google florida cracker cattle. Might be similar to the pinewoods cattle mentioned above. Very hardy, thrives in situations that would kill other cows.

[Nikefan]

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Thanks, I looked on google and it has pinewoods cows with different names by the families that bred them Alabama is Barnes, Mississippi is Griffen. It said that they are hardy and desease resistant. Can be used for pulling wagons like oxen. I think I see a Barne Cow & Bull in my future.