So you want to start a cattle herd, but aren’t sure which breed you want to use. Perhaps you have a few ideas about the type of cattle you like, but you have some certainties as well.
Where do you start? One of the first tenets of cattle breeds is that there are good and bad animals in each breed. In fact, some folks say there are just as many differences among breeds as there are between breeds. To a degree, this does have some truth to it. Still, breed does matter, and there are some important distinctions among the breeds that make some better for a particular operation than others.
Some of the more popular beef breeds are Angus, Hereford, Red Angus, Simmental, Charolais, and Brahman. Many others exist. Angus has emerged as the top breed in the North American beef cattle industry for good reason. The breed is adaptable to many different environments, performs well in the feedlot, and produces a quality product on the rail. Let’s explore some of the things to think about when selecting a breed.
What are your goals?
Do you plan to run a large scale beef operation or just a hobby farm with a few animals to feed your family and friends? If you’re only looking for a few animals and don’t have specific goals in mind that require a certain breed, the choice of breed may not matter at all. In fact, you may be better off finding the best animals available in your area without the limitation of looking for a specific breed. On the other end of the spectrum, if your operation is huge in scale – hundreds of animals – breed probably doesn’t matter as much either. On that type of scale you’re likely more interested in having a herd of functional cattle and bringing in multiple breeds, or not even thinking much about breeds may be a necessity. Somewhere in the middle, though, might have you thinking about breed and its importance to your herd.
What type of environment do you live in?
The best performing cattle are those that are well adapted to their environment. Different breeds are adapted to specific climates based on the areas where they were developed. That’s not to say you can’t raise a breed of livestock in a slightly different climate than it was created for, but you have to be careful not to push the limits.
The British breeds of cattle, primarily Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn and Galloway, were developed in the British Isles where the climate is cool and wet. These animals generally do very well in cold environments. However, the breeds are quite adaptable and can be found in many different places. That’s not to say you’ll find British breeds in the tropics, but Hereford and Angus cattle are commonly found on ranches from Texas to Alberta and from coast to coast.
Breeds like Brahman and Senepol were developed in hot climates and are well adapted to areas where cattle tend to experience heat stress. Cattle with humps or long ears are generally from heat tolerant breeds. While it’s a good idea to incorporate these types of breeds in the south, they don’t do well in very cold harsh northern climates.
To find cattle best adapted to your particular area, concentrating on specific breeds may not be the best answer. Instead I’d recommend finding cattle producers in your area with a long record of success and try to purchase animals from their herd. Those animals have proven to be adapted to your climate and will likely perform better than any specific breed you can select from away.
Who are your customers?
Depending on your market, a particular type or breed of cattle may better suit your needs than others. If you are looking to sell live animals in the commodity market, a large framed, late maturing and fast growing breed (Simmental or Charolais, for instance) that produces high weaning weights may be best. If you’re looking to grass finish and direct market, a smaller framed breed (Angus, Devon, etc) that matures earlier and fattens better may be the top choice. Again, there are many different options both within and among breeds to find the particular type of beef critter that fits your market.
Looking for more information on cattle breeds? Read more from the resources below:
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