1. Breeds of Livestock
Fall 2009

2. Breed
Animals of common origin having characteristics that distinguish them other groups within the same species.
Most breeds were developed to fit a set of environmental constraints
-climate, forage, supply, specific, production goals

3. Utility of Breeds Cattle -British -Continental -Bos Indicus General
-Sire breed
-Maternal breed
-Dual Purpose breed

4. Ranking Breeds
Sire Breed: fast growing, muscular, late maturing, low milking
Maternal Breed: early maturing sexually, inherently fertile, moderate to heavy milking, small to moderate size
Dual Purpose breed

5. Why use Crossbreeding?
Heterosis (hybrid vigor): ability of offspring to out perform the average of the parents breed
Complimentary of traits: take advantage of parent’s desirable traits

6. British Breeds

7. Angus (Scotland) Black, naturally polled, moderate size
Excellent marbling, early compositional maturity
Excellent maternal breed, easy fleshing, good milk production
Early maturing sexually
Largest number of annual registrations in the USA
Recessive gene: Red Angus

8. Angus

9. Red Angus

10. Hereford (England)
Red with white face, also white on underline, switch, etc.
Moderate size, adaptable to many environments, good disposition
Poorest marbling of the British breeds
U.S. registry Assn. of Hereford and Polled Hereford; merged in 1995
2nd Largest in annual registrations in the U.S.

11. Hereford

12. Bos Indicus Breeds

13. Brahman (India) American Brahman is a cross of three Indian breeds
Both red and gray strains of Brahmans exist, both have black pigmentation, horned
Noted for heat tolerance, disease and insect resistance, and crossing ability
Poor marbling ability, and slow sexual maturity
Brahman composites: Brangus, Santa Gertrudis, Beefmaster, Braford, Simbrah, etc.

14. Brahman

15. Brangus (United States)
5/8 Angus and 3/8 Brahman, black and naturally polled
Excellent mothering ability, early sexual maturing, heat tolerance and forage ability result from crossbreeding
Most “widespread” composite breed in the U.S.

16. Brangus

17. Santa Gertrudis (United States)
5/8 Shorthorn and 3/8 Brahman, dark red, both polled and horned
Developed on the King Ranch in Kingsville by founder Robert J. Kleberg
Breed traces back to single sire
Noted for maternal ability, productivity under hot, adverse conditions

18. Santa Gertrudis

19. Beefmaster (United States)
Developed by Tom Lasater in the 1930’s in Texas
50% Brahman, 25% Shorthorn, 25% Hereford, composite breed
No set color pattern
Developed on the 6 essentials: weight, conformation, fertility, hardiness, disposition, and milking ability
Noted for longevity, hardiness, rapid growth, and maternal ability

20. Beefmaster

21. Continental or European (Exotic) Breeds

22. Charolais (France) White/Off White, cream coloration
Extremely fast growing, muscular breed
Large framed with relatively heavy birth weights and large mature size
Produce lean, muscular carcasses
Below average maternally, problems with dystocia

23. Charolais

24. Chianina (Italy) White coat with black skin pigmentation
One of the world’s oldest breeds
Extremely large framed, late maturing that is fast growing
Tremendous impact on the “show steer” industry
Produce lean, muscular carcasses, marbling in suspect, “out of the box”
Not considered a maternal breed

25. Chianina

26. Limousin (France) Reddish gold in color Moderate size
Below average maternally, lack in milk production
Produce extremely lean, muscular carcasses
Fastest growing breed in the country (% increase in registrations)
3rd in annual U.S. registrations

27. Limousin

28. Texas Longhorn (Texas, were of Spain Origin)
Long, distinctive horns
Lived as feral cattle for approx. 300 years from , then we began to drive cattle north for slaughter (ex. Lonesome Dove
In the 1800s, began to improve Longhorns with British bulls, by the early 1900s the Longhorn was diluted nearly to extinction
1927: Dept. of Interior paid $3000 to buy a purebred Longhorns to be maintained in Oklahoma.
Maintained as a hobby breed
Light muscled breed, low birth weight, excellent hardiness and known for longevity and ability to utilize forage

29. Texas Longhorn

30. Dairy Cattle

31. Holstein-Friesian (Netherlands)
Dominant breed of dairy cattle (over 90% of all commercial dairy cattle)
Black and white color pattern (red and white do exist), large frame, easy going nature
Unparalleled milk production ability (20,121 lbs. of milk average in 305 days)
Lowest percentage in butterfat.
Butterfat: solids that are used for cheese, butter, and non-fat dry milk

32. Holstein

33. Jersey (Isle of Jersey)
Small, refined animal as surpassed femininity (big brown eyes)
Light tan to dark brown shades.
Highest percentage of butterfat
Many herd in Texas (Bluebell)
Very heat tolerant than other dairy breeds, thus popular in the south
Very fertile and early maturing sexually

34. Jersey

35. Swine Breeds

36. Chester White (USA) White hair with drooping ears
Noted for large ears, excellent mothering ability

37. Landrace (Denmark) White in color with huge drooping ears
Most prolific swine breed that is longer than other breeds because of an extra vertebrae
More confinement adaptable than many other breeds

38. Landrace

39. Yorkshire (England) “Mother breed”, white erect ears, large and white
Noted for large litters, relatively lean carcasses and good feed conversion

40. Yorkshire

41. Duroc (USA)
Reddish brown (range from light red to dark red) with drooping ears
Excellent growth rate and feed efficiency, generally considered a sire breed
Tends to be fatter than Hampshire sired pigs

42. Duroc

43. Hampshire (USA) Black with a white belt around shoulders, erect ears
Known for lean, muscular carcasses, primarily a sire breed

44. Pietrain (Belgium) Black and white spotted with erect ears
Extreme muscularity and leanness
Normally stress positive
Terminal sire breed

45. Sheep Breeds

46. Sheep Breeding Dual Purpose -Dorset -Columbia -Corriedale
Important traits: Meat/Wool
Sire/Dam breeds

47. Fine Wool Species

48. Merino (Spain) Most dominant breed in the world wide sheep industry
Very fine fleeces
Merinos are typically smaller than other wool breeds and slower growing
Very hardy, long lived sheep with excellent flocking instinct
White face breed

49. Merino

50. Rambouillet (France)
Descended from the Spain Merino, but larger and faster growing
Louis XVI purchased 366 Spanish Merinos from the King of Spain and developed the Rambouillet at the King’s estate in Rambouillet, France
Dominant range ewe in Western U.S and Texas
White faced breed that is not extremely prolific under range conditions

51. Rambouillet

52. Crossbred Wool Breeds

53. Columbia (USA)
Developed at the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station in Dubios, Idaho
Crossbred of Lincoln rams and Rambouillet ewes
Largest of the crossbred breeds
Coarser wool than rambouillet
Ewes are relatively prolific and productive (10-16#’s of wool/year)
Lambs are faster growing than Rambouillets & Merinos
White faced, polled

54. Columbia

55. Medium Wool Meat Breeds

56. Dorset (England) Horned and polled strains
Known for ability to breed out of season, very prolific, and high milking ability

57. Hampshire (England) Sire breed noted for rapid growth and muscularity
Face, legs, and ears are dark brown to black. Should possess a wool cap on their head
Hampshire and Suffolk are the two most popular sire breeds in the commercial sheep industry

58. Hampshire

59. Finnsheep (Finland)
Most noted for their incredible prolificacy (mature ewes produce 3+ lambs)
Noted for milk production, and easy lambing
Very poor fleeces and slow growing/light muscled
Require intensive management

60. Finnsheep

61. Southdown (England)
One of the oldest sheep breeds, imported into the U.S. in 1803
Medium to small sized with light brown face and legs
Farm flock breed used to produce meat
Low maintenance breed with average prolificacy and milk production

62. Southdown

63. Suffolk (England)
Very old breed used as a sire breed in commercial production
Free of wool on the head and legs (black)
Alert, active sheep that grow fast with lean carcasses
Ewes are prolific and heavy milking but produce very poor fleeces

64. Suffolk

65. Goat Breeds

66. Angora (Turkey)
Produces mohair, a luxurious fiber that commands a higher price than wool
Sheared twice a year
Over 90% of the nations Angora goats reside in Texas, primarily in the Edward’s Plateau
Finest hair ( the world’s most valuable) is produced by the kid goats with the hair getting coarser as the goat gets older

67. Angora

68. South African Boer Goat (South Africa)
Hardy, fast growing meat-type goat
Medium size with prominent horns and broad drooping ears
Good meat type confirmation with superior spring of rib, body length, and muscling

69. Boer

70. Spanish Goat (Spain)
Term Spanish goat is used in the U.S. to refer to goats of mixed breed origin
Kept largely for meat production
Very prolific and hardy, utilize a great deal of browse, thus used to clear brush and clean up re-growth in cleared areas

71. Spanish Goat

72. Nubian (Africa) Most popular registered dairy breed in the U.S.
Noted for high butterfat
Long drooping ears and “Roman Nose”

73. Poultry

74. Leghorn (Mediterranean)
Single comb, white leghorn is the most prolific egg laying breed

75. White Plymouth Rock (USA)
Used as the female line in broiler production
Lays brown eggs, are large, relatively fast growing chickens

76. White Cornish (England)
Sire line in broiler production
Large, fast growing chickens that are marginal egg producers
Broad breasted, heavily muscled
Tougher meat and stronger connective tissue

77. Broad Breasted White Turkey (USA)
Birds are so heavy and muscular they are no longer capable of natural reproduction, also have problems with leg structure

78. Breeds Quiz
1. Which breed of cattle is ranked 3rd in the annual registration?
2. Which breed of swine is more prolific because of an extra vertebrae?
3. What two ovine breeds are fine wool species:
4. Which breed of sheep is the most prolific breed?
5. Which breed has the higher butterfat & which breed has the higher milk volume?

79. Breeds Quiz
6. What is the most popular breed of dairy goat in the USA?
7. What percentage of our nation’s Angora goats reside in Texas?
8. What are 4 of the 6 essentials described for a Beefmaster?
9. Which bovine breed has a recessive red gene?
10. Which Texas bovine breed originated from Spain?

80. Breeds Quiz
11. Which poultry breed is the most prolific egg laying breed?
12. Which breed of poultry is so heavy & muscular they are no longer capable of natural reproduction?
13. Which breed of swine is called the “mother breed”?
14. Which breed of cattle was developed on the King Ranch by Robert J. Kleberg?
15. Which bovine species has the largest number of annual registrations in the U.S.?

81. Breeds Quiz 16. Which breed of medium wool breeds has a wool cap?
17. Which breed of swine is normally stress positive?
18. Which bovine breed has poor marbling ability but is offset by their ability to thrive in hot, humid environments, disease/insect resistant, and crossability.
19. Name two sire breeds & two maternal breeds.
20. What livestock would you raise and why?