Meat breeds of cows: descriptions of the top 12 and their characteristics, where they are bred

Beef cows have been actively raised since the 18th century, and their popularity is growing every year, as high-quality beef is in constant demand. Breeding meat breeds of cows is mainly carried out by large farms, it is more profitable for small private owners to keep meat and dairy cattle. The profitability of the business is high if the animals are properly cared for and kept in proper conditions.

Features of the meat direction

When choosing beef cattle, you need to take into account the characteristics of the breed, due to its purpose and degree of productivity. Meat-oriented cattle are divided into 3 categories:

1. Intensively developing calves. Immediately after birth, they begin to quickly gain body weight. With the introduction of concentrated complementary foods, weight gain accelerates dramatically. Animals are demanding to the conditions of detention. Their meat is of excellent quality.
2. Slowly developing. Animals are not capricious in keeping, they are distinguished by excellent he alth, they survive on pasture. The business does not require significant financial investments. The meat is dietary, contains a minimum of fat.
3. Mixed category that appeared when crossing African and European breeds. Animals are unpretentious, adapted to hot weather. The cow quickly becomes sexually mature.

Beef cows differ from dairy relatives in their massive build, significant muscle mass, and significantly lower milk yield. The mother cow's milk is enough only to feed the calf, although some breeds provide not only high-quality meat, but also milk.

Meat-oriented cattle are intensively fed according to a certain scheme. A newborn calf weighs 30-35 kg, free-range body weight grows rapidly. Calves of 18-20 months of age are slaughtered, 3 months before that they are transferred to stall keeping and intensive feeding. The slaughter yield of early maturing breeds reaches 55%, and for the most well-fed bulls - 60-65%.

Most popular breeds

There are a large number of meat breeds of cattle in the world, it is problematic to choose the right one, since the productivity of all is approximately the same. When choosing, you should focus on the features of keeping animals, breed advantages and disadvantages, and your financial capabilities.

Worldwide

Western European breeders have been the most successful in breeding meat breeds. Each breed meets the requirements of breeders and consumer preferences. So, British cows are early maturing, French are muscular and late maturing, their meat is low in fat.

Zebu-like cows, crossed with African relatives, hardy, adaptable to weather conditions, immune to disease.

Estonian Red

The breed appeared at the end of the 19th century, when Estonian cattle were crossed with German animals, and the resulting offspring were mated with Danish cows. Estonian cattle have a stocky build, bulls weigh up to 900 kg, cows - 500-600 kg. Wool red-brown or light red.

Pros and consendurance;adaptability to cold climatic conditions;annual milk yield, not bad for a meat breed, is up to 4500 l;good taste of milk, fat content up to 4%.I like it I don't like it

Shorthorn

A hybrid obtained by crossing British, Dutch and Scottish breeds. Cows are beautiful, stately, with harmonious muscles, red coat. A bull weighs up to 1000 kg, a cow - up to 500 kg.

Pros and conshigh quality meat;complaisance, meek behavior;rapid weight gain;early maturity;hassle-free birth process.susceptibility to disease;capriciousness in nutrition;low fertility.

The Shorthorn cow did not take root in Russian farms because of its pickiness to feeding and keeping conditions, sensitivity to adverse climatic conditions.

I like it I don't like it

Charolais

French breed, giving dietary meat with a low percentage of fat content. Representatives of the breed are used as draft animals, but the quality of their meat does not deteriorate from many years of physical stress. The bull swings up to 2000 kg, the cow - up to 800 kg. The body is heavy, massive, muscles bulge on the chest, shoulders, hips. The color is white and yellowish.

Pros and consrapid onset of puberty;endurance;possibility of use as draft cattle;lack of capriciousness to the conditions of detention;good annual milk yield, obtaining 3000-4000 liters of quality milk.frightening appearance resulting from genetic modifications;problematic childbirth requiring the presence of a person.I like it I don't like it

Salers

The meat breed was bred in the 19th century in the mountainous French village of Salers. Initially, cows were dairy cows, their milk was used to produce the famous cheese of the same name. But animals were also used as draft power, which affected their muscle strength. An adult bull reaches 1500 kg, swings up to 2 m at the withers. A cow gives up to 60 liters of milk per day.

Pros and consindependent walking;trouble-free reproduction;fertility (a cow gives birth to a calf every year);the possibility of crossing with larger breeds without a negative impact on the generic process;high quality "marble" meat.I like it I don't like it

British

Representatives of the British breed are adapted to the harsh climate, their body is covered with black and white hair 20 cm long with a dense undercoat. The bull weighs 800-900 kg, the cow - 500 kg. The annual milk yield is not higher than 1500 liters, but milk has a high fat content - up to 4%.

Due to the ability to adapt to any climatic conditions, endure temperature fluctuations, British beef bulls are bred in tropical countries and in Russia.

Pros and consthe possibility of year-round grazing;unpretentiousness, adaptability, endurance;high-quality aromatic beef with thin layers of fat.I like it I don't like it

Belgian Blue

A beef breed with a body so muscular it looks unnatural. Adipose tissue under the skin is almost not formed, so animals can be continuously kept on intensive fattening. The bull eats up to 1300 kg of weight, the cow - up to 900 kg. Color white, light blue, black and blue or black.

Pros and conscomplaisance, calm character;early puberty;undemanding to the conditions of detention;high quality meat;high slaughter weight - from 70%.I like it I don't like it

Santa Gertrude

The meat breed was created by crossing Shorthorns and Indian zebu. The second ancestor influenced the body structure of the cow: it has a convex withers, a wide body. A bull weighs up to 1000 kg, a cow - up to 600 kg.

Pros and conslow susceptibility to infectious diseases;unpretentiousness in content, endurance;the possibility of feeding low quality food;immunity to heat.low fertility.I like it I don't like it

Cultivated in Russia

Russian farmers choose for breeding the best meat breeds of cattle, adapted to harsh climatic conditions, giving a high meat gain even when fed with cheap feed. These breeds include the best British Hereford in the world, and unpretentious Kazakh and Kalmyk cows are also popular in Russia.

Hereford

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The most common beef breed. The coat is dense, in the cold months it lengthens by several centimeters. Animals are undersized, with a barrel-shaped body, males weigh up to 1000 kg, females - up to 600 kg. Color solid red or with white spots.

Pros and consunpretentiousness, quick adaptation to environmental conditions;strong immunity, immunity to infectious diseases;high quality juicy beef;high survival rate of calves.low milk yield;the need to feed calves from the first days after birth.I like it I don't like it

Aberdeen Angus

Scottish beef breed created by breeding hornless local animals. The slaughter weight is high, since the representatives of the breed have a thin skeleton, which is no more than 18% of body weight. Adult bulls weigh up to 900-950 kg.

Pros and consrapid achievement of puberty;the possibility of crossing with other breeds while maintaining meat productivity;quick adaptation to environmental conditions;long-term preservation of reproductive ability;high quality meat.

Serious drawback - the ferocity and uncontrollability of adult bulls, the ability to attack people and other animals.

I like it I don't like it

Kazakh Whitehead

Meat breed obtained by crossing Hereford and Kazakh animals. Cows are barrel-shaped, with straight backs and strong skeletons.

Pros and consability to adapt to any climatic conditions;immunity to diseases;endurance;non-capriciousness in nutrition;high quality meat.

Representatives of the Kazakh breed are divided into meat and meat and dairy. The latter give good quality milk.

I like it I don't like it

Kalmyk

Beef Kalmyk cows are adapted to harsh climatic conditions, do not suffer from frost and winds, they have enough food on scarce pastures. Animals are active, hardy, not afraid of long transitions, while not losing body weight. They have a strong skeleton, red coat with a dense undercoat. A bull weighs up to 1000 kg, a cow - 550-600 kg. Annual milk yield does not exceed 1200 l.

Pros and consundemanding to food and climate;the possibility of grazing all year round;high-fat milk - 4.5%.yellowish meat color (aesthetic defect that does not affect the quality of the product);aggressive behavior of a calving cow.I like it I don't like it

Light Aquitaine

Young French breed with a harmonious physique and developed muscles. The coat is yellowish or light brown. A bull eats up to 1300 kg, a cow - up to 900-950 kg.

Pros and conscomplaisant, meek character;rapid increase in body weight;trouble-free childbirth;slaughter weight up to 70%.I like it I don't like it

Selection rules

Meat representatives of cattle are bought for fattening at 6 months of age.The animal must be active, moving normally. The body of a he althy beef cow is elongated, massive, angular, with convex muscles, a wide pelvis, a voluminous and protruding chest. A narrow chest is a sign of defects in the respiratory and circulatory organs.

The head is large, heavy, the neck is shortened, sinewy, strong. The eyes should not be inflamed, covered with a film, watery profusely, with a blurred look. The limbs are short, strong, widely spaced. The udder is medium in size and should not sag.

Subtleties of maintenance and care

Beef cows are generally bred in the same way as dairy cows. There are minor nuances of the content:

1. The basis of nutrition is pasture. It cannot be limited, it provides the main increase in body weight. Otherwise, you will have to use nutritional supplements.
2. A minimum of 2 m² of a stall is required for a young animal, from 10 m for an adult beef bull^2.
3. The barn must be ventilated. The optimum temperature is from +5 to +18 °C.
4. In summer, grazing is used; in the heat, animals are kept under a canopy. In winter, the cows are in the barn.
5. The diet of beef cows includes grass, hay, silage, root crops, concentrated feed, mineral supplements. The grain is given steamed.
6. From the age of 10 months, cattle are transferred to stall growing to increase their weight. Walking time is reduced to 4 hours. Reduce the amount of succulent grass, increase the portion of hay.

Meat bulls can be aggressive, this must be taken into account when buying them for a small private farm. To fatten the animal, it will have to be kept on the leash, which may adversely affect the quality of the meat.

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