Cattle breeds: Shorthorn

The shorthorn having evolved from a race of superior short-horned cattle known to have existed in the area north-eastern part of England since the 16th century. The first real development of the Shorthorn breed took place in the valley of the Tees River. Some shorthorns were developed for optimal milk production, and shorthorn types were divided; today there are milking shorthorns and beef shorthorns.

Shorthorn beef has developed an enviable reputation for its unique flavor, tenderness, consistency and overall eating quality.

Shorthorn is characterized by short horns, blocky conformation, and colour. Shorthorns are a distinctive red, white or roan in color, and can be polled or horned. Red cattle may be solid red or have white markings and they can be horned or polled. They are bigger than their dairy counterparts and are grown specifically for their beef.

Solid red Shorthorn are often used to help maintain solid colors in crosses. The whites and roans can be used on black cattle to get both blues and blacks. The importance of the Shorthorn breed in the development of other cattle breeds is enormous and Shorthorn genetics have been used worldwide in the development of over 40 different breeds.
Cattle breeds: Shorthorn

Bos indicus breeds

Domestic cattle belong to the genus Bos of the order Artiodactyla, suborder Ruminantia, family Bovidae, subfamily Bovinae, tribe Bovini.

Cattle have been divided into two basic classifications, Bos taurus (non-humped) or Bos indicus (humped, also called Zebu).

Bos indicus is a subspecies of cattle of south Asian origin. They are believed to have originated in the Neolithic from the aurochs or wild ox (Bos primigenius). Often known as Zebu, they have prominent humps forward of the shoulder. The Brahman breed is one example in the United States.

Tropical breed cattle or Bos indicus are genetically adapted to tropical environments, excelling in their ability to survive and produce under adverse conditions including heat and poor-quality pastures. Since have special adaptations to tropical environments that may be conveniently used for dairy production.

Bos indicus breeds include:
 Brahman
 Beefmaster
 Brangus
 Santa Gertrudis

Bos indicus is characterized by a pronounced hump, which is present in both sexes but more pronounced in the males; long, wide ears; a large dewlap; and an abdominal skinfold, including a large sheath in males.

Bos indicus tend to have relatively low marbling. Because marbling tends to increase with overall body fatness, comparing types or breeds usually involves a tradeoff between Yield Grade and Quality Grade.
Bos indicus breeds

Gelbvieh breeds

Gelbvieh cattle, also known as German Yellow cattle, originated in the Franconian area of northern Bavaria, which is located in southern Germany.

They were derived from an amalgamation in the early 1900s of four breeds of triple purpose yellow cattle—Yellow Franconian, Limburg, Lahn and Glan-Donnersberg.

The breed has been developed as a triple purpose breed for milk, meat and work, with emphasis placed on beef characteristics and carcass quality. Intensive use of AI led to genetic improvement of both milk and beef traits.

Gelbvieh cattle today range from cream to a reddish yellow, with lighter rings around the muzzle and eyes. Gelbvieh carcass had the best retail yield percentage and one of the highest ratios of inches of rib eye area per hundred pounds of carcass weight.

German Gelbvieh milk cows average about 8,200 lbs in a 300-day lactation. Mature Gelbvieh bulls weigh about 2,700 lbs and mature cows approximately 1,650 lbs.

U.S. Meat Animal Research Center data shows Gelbvieh females have the smallest mature cow size of the four major Continental breeds.
Gelbvieh breeds