Tuesday, May 27, 2014

The Many Breeds Of Beef Cattle Genetics

By Marci Glover


The term cattle refers mainly to a large group of diverse mammals known as ungulates, most of which have cloven hooves. In 2009, beef cattle genetics were fully mapped, the first group of livestock for which this monumental feat was accomplished. These animals are raised as draft animals, for dairy products and for their muscles, which are consumed as meat in a variety of dishes.

The earliest known herd of cattle numbered about 80 in members and dwelt in Turkey. Today, this modest population has mushroomed into 1.3 billion beasts across the globe, about four times the entire population of the United States. In addition to meat, milk, butter and cheese, other products made from these highly useful animals are leather and fuel (derived from dung).

The Angus breed comes from Scotland in the counties of Angus and Aberdeenshire. These animals are polled, which means they do not have horns. They are solid in color, either black or red, and they have red or black udders, although this part of the animal may also be white. Black Angus are the most common breed in the United States. They are raised for their meat, dairy products and they are used as draft animals.

Limousin are highly muscled and come from France. Raised originally as draft creatures, they were eventually discovered for their high quality, tender, lean meat around two hundred years ago. They are a popular breed to raise because their calves tend to be smaller, making them easier for the cows to deliver.

The Wagyu breeds come from Japan. Their meat is intensely marbled with highly desirable unsaturated fat. Such high quality beef attracts a highly desirable price tag to match. Sake and beer are sometimes added to their feed to aid digestion and increase appetite in humid conditions. This does not appear to be reflected in the taste of the beef.

Beefalo are a fertile hybrid between domestic cattle and an American bison, or buffalo. In these pairings, the male is usually the domestic representative while the bison is a female. These animals were bred for their hardiness in harsh winters. Unfortunately, nurturing the beefalo has had a negative effect on efforts to conserve the American bison. There are only four pure buffalo herds left; of these, only one herd is free from a disease called brucellosis. They live in South Dakota.

The Belgian Blue is so named because of its mottled blue/grey hair, although it can vary from black to white. These are a heavily muscled breed. Because they easily convert their feed into lean muscle, their meat is particularly low in fat.

The Brangus breed is a robust cross between Angus and Brahman. England, in the United Kingdom, gave us the Hereford cow, which has migrated to no fewer than 50 countries around the world. Lowline cows come from Australia. These animals are small in nature, without being dwarf specimens. This characteristic makes them perfect for children to display at county fairs and other livestock shows.




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