Domestic Beef Cattle Breeds
Explore domestic cattle breeds and lines selected mainly for meat production. Origins, coat colors, builds and breeding goals vary, and actual growth and production results depend on individuals and husbandry conditions. Do not interpret production traits as guarantees of health or an easy-to-handle temperament.
Published animal profiles
Hanwoo
Hanwoo are domestic cattle conserved and improved from native cattle long used for labor and agriculture on the Korean Peninsula. Hanwoo with a yellow-brown coat are widely recognized.
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Texas Longhorn
The Texas Longhorn is a domestic cattle breed formed as various cattle populations brought to North America mixed and were selected in regional grazing environments. Long horns extending to the sides stand out, but length and direction of curvature vary greatly with individual and age.
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Black Angus
Black Angus are polled beef cattle lines developed in the Aberdeen and Angus regions of Scotland. A black coat, a naturally hornless head and a relatively well-filled body are typical.
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Wagyu
Wagyu refers to Japan’s Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Shorthorn and Japanese Polled breeds and related crosses, rather than a single cattle population with one fixed coat color. The Japanese Black’s black coat is widely recognized, but brown or reddish populations also occur.
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Hereford
The Hereford is a cattle breed improved for beef in the United Kingdom. Horned and polled lines are sometimes registered separately. A red body and white face are typical distinguishing features, with white also on the belly and legs.
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Brahman
The Brahman was improved in the United States from South Asian zebu-derived cattle. It is also widely used in crossing with European-derived beef cattle. A shoulder hump, large drooping ears and loose skin beneath the neck are characteristic.
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Belgian Blue
The Belgian Blue is a beef cattle breed developed in Belgium. Genetic traits related to myostatin influence muscle development. White, blue-gray mottling or black markings occur, and muscles of the hindquarters and shoulders are prominent.
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Santa Gertrudis
The Santa Gertrudis is a beef cattle breed developed at King Ranch in Texas using Shorthorn and Brahman lines. Usually red-coated, with some Brahman-derived skin and body-form features.
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Salers
Salers cattle developed in the Auvergne region of France. Traditionally used for milk and work, they are also used for beef production. A dark reddish-brown coat and horns are typical. Black or polled lines also occur, so do not judge by coat color alone.
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Beefmaster
The Beefmaster is a composite beef breed developed using Brahman, Hereford and Shorthorn. Selection emphasized production traits rather than one coat color. Appearance is highly variable, including red and spotted coats. The extent of a hump or hanging skin also differs.
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Brangus
The Brangus is a beef breed combining Brahman and Angus characteristics. Distinguish the pedigree requirements for the registered breed from ordinary crosses of the two breeds. Usually polled, commonly black-coated; Red Brangus are also described separately.
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Shorthorn
The Shorthorn developed in the northeastern United Kingdom. Later improvement diverged toward beef and dairy populations. Red, white or roan coats mixing hairs of the two colors occur. The name comes from horn form, but polled lines also exist.
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Chianina
The Chianina is a large cattle breed associated with Italy’s Chiana Valley. Its use shifted from working livestock toward beef. Adults generally have white hair and dark skin, with long legs and a large build. Young calves can differ in color from adults.
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Piedmontese
The Piedmontese is a cattle breed developed in northwestern Italy. It is known for myostatin-related characteristics influencing muscle development. Adults are grayish white, while young calves may be fawn. The ratio of muscle to skeletal structure receives important attention in breed descriptions.
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Gelbvieh
Gelbvieh developed from German cattle used for meat, milk and work. It was later widely used in beef breeding. The name means yellow cattle, with yellow-brown shades being traditional. Modern registered populations also include black-coated and polled animals.
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Nelore
The Nelore is zebu-derived beef cattle related to India’s Ongole cattle. It developed into an important breed in South American beef production. White or pale gray coats, a shoulder hump and skin below the neck are common. Ear shape differs from the Brahman’s.
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