An Electronic Field Trip to a Beef Cattle Farm Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service University of Kentucky College of Agriculture

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1 An Electronic Field Trip to a Beef Cattle Farm Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Reading Comprehension - Breeds Just as there are many breeds of dogs and cats, there are more than 200 breeds of cattle in the world. All the modern breeds of cattle were created by humans from the same ancestral cattle that were native to the areas now encompassed by southeastern Europe, the middle East, western Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Humans domesticated these indigenous wild cattle and, over centuries, people in different regions of the world selected and bred their animals for different purposes and traits. As a result, the breeds began to appear, such as the heavy-milking Jersey on the Isle of Jersey, the muscular Limousin from the Limousin region of France, the titanic Chianina from Italy, and the long-eared, loose-skinned Nellore from India. Today, the national cattle herd is close to 100 million strong. Most beef cattle are raised west of the Mississippi River in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain states. The leading beef producing state in America is Texas. Now, turn the page to answer questions about this Introduction.

2 Questions - Introduction 1. There are breeds of cattle in the world. A. 10 B. 50 C. 150 D. >200 E. > The modern breeds of cattle all come from ancestors domesticated in four regions of the world. Which of these regions was NOT in the list? A. Southeastern Europe B. Australia C. Western Asia D. The Middle East E. India 3. Who were the ancestors of the modern cattle breeds? A. Dairy cattle B. Beef cattle C. Indigenous cattle D. Musk ox E. Water buffalo 4. The process of making wild animals into animals we control and use for human purposes is: A. Taming B. Capturing C. Caging D. Breeding E. Domesticating 5. Four example breeds and their places of origin were listed. Which of these places was NOT on the list? A. India B. Texas C. Isle of Jersey D. France E. Italy

3 Dairy Cattle Cattle in America today can be divided into 2 major groups: those raised to produce milk, called dairy cattle, and those raised to produce meat, called beef cattle. Dairy cattle have been selected for very high milk production. As a result, a dairy cow is very thin with little muscle or fat on her body. The bones of her hips (called hook bones) and down her spine are clearly visible. Her rumen (stomach) and abdominal cavity is very large so she can eat and drink tremendous amounts (necessary for milk production) and still have room for a growing fetus. And, she has a very large udder (mammary glands) for maximum milk production. There are 6 breeds of dairy cattle in America today. The large black-and-white Holstein is, by far, the most common and the best milk producer in our country. Holsteins were originally developed in the Netherlands. They produce more milk per cow than any other breed. Other dairy breeds include: C The dainty fawn-colored Jersey which produces milk with the highest level of butterfat (used in the production of butter, cheese, and cream). The Jersey breed originated on the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel between England and France. C The refined gold-and-white Guernsey which originated on the Isle of Guernsey in the English Channel. C The red-and-white Ayrshire from the region around County Ayr in Scotland. C The big, gentle, mousey-grey Brown Swiss from Switzerland. C The burgundy-and-white Milking Shorthorn from Scotland. Dairy cows are extremely productive. A single cow produces 20,000 to 50,000 pounds of milk a year (1 gallon of milk weighs 8 pounds). As a result, there are many fewer dairy cattle in America than beef cattle. There are about 8 million dairy cows in the United States each year. The leading state in dairy cow numbers is California, but the leading dairy producing region called, the Dairy Belt, includes the states around the Great Lakes (Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York). Now, turn the page to answer questions about Dairy Cattle.

4 Questions - Dairy Cattle 1. The primary job of dairy cattle is to: A. Be black and white B. Produce plenty of milk C. Produce plenty of cream D. Be very thin E. Eat and drink massive quantities 2. How many breeds of dairy cattle are in the United States today? A. 2 B. 6 C. 50 D. 150 E. > The most popular dairy breed in the United States is: A. Ayrshire B. Nellore C. Milking Shorthorn D. Jersey E. Holstein 4. What breed produces milk with the highest butterfat content? A. Ayrshire B. Brown Swiss C. Jersey D. Holstein E. Guernsey 5. What breed is from Switzerland? A. Ayrshire B. Brown Swiss C. Jersey D. Holstein E. Guernsey 6. What is the black-and-white dairy breed? A. Holstein B. Ayrshire C. Jersey D. Guernsey E. Brown Swiss 7. True or False There are more milk-producing dairy cattle in the United States than meat-producing beef cattle. 8. The leading state in dairy cow numbers is: A. California B. Texas C. Wisconsin D. New York E. Colorado 9. The American Dairy Belt consists of: A. The mid-western grain-producing states B. The states of the deep South C. The desert southwestern states D. The Great Lakes states E. The states of the Pacific Coast 10. About how many dairy cows are there in America? A B. 100,000 C. 8 million D. 25 million E. 100 billion

5 Beef Cattle The second major group are the beef breeds. These cattle have been bred and selected for meat production, rather than milk production. There are many more breeds of beef cattle than dairy breeds and a much wider variety in the appearances and performance traits of the beef breeds. Beef cattle are usually divided into 3 groups: C The British Breeds C The Continental Breeds C The Bos indicus Breeds The British Breeds These are the traditional American beef breeds. Some came to America with the earliest settlers from Great Britain. Tremendous numbers of these animals of the improved breeds, with their pedigrees and good bloodlines, were brought to the United States from Great Britain in the 1800s until the hostilities of the Civil War brought this period of import to an end. It was British breed bulls that were taken west in the late 1800s and early 1900s to use on the native Longhorn cow herds (the Spaniards brought their ancestors over in the 1400s and 1500s). These were the herds that built the great cattle culture of the American West. Angus - This is the most popular US cattle breed today with the largest number of registered (pedigreed) animals. The Angus, also called the Aberdeen Angus or Black Angus, is a native of Aberdeen, Scotland. Most Angus are solid black, although there s also a registry for Red Angus. Angus are well-muscled and produce high quality beef. The females are good milkers and Angus are very popular in crossbreeding programs. Hereford - These are the second most popular pair of breeds in America. There are actually 2 breeds of Herefords: the older, Horned Hereford breed, which originated in Herefordshire, England, and the younger Polled Hereford breed, which was developed from several mutant Horned Herefords in Iowa. Horns in cattle are a recessive trait. A horned male bred to a horned female will produce horned offspring. However, occasionally a polled (non-horned) offspring will occur, arising from a mutant dominant polled gene. Polled animals bred to horned animals will result in polled offspring. The Polled Hereford breed was the result of mating several mutant polled animals resulting in a true-breeding line of polled animals. Other than the difference in the horn genes, Horned and Polled Herefords look alike and perform similarly. Both are red with white faces, underlines, stocking feet, switches, and a short white stripe down the neck. Herefords are well-muscled and produce good quality carcasses. This breed is known for its ability to forage and remain productive on poor quality pasture and range. Shorthorn - Also known as the Durham Shorthorn, this breed originated in Scotland. Shorthorns are mixtures of deep maroon and white, ranging from solid white to spotted to roan to solid maroon. This is the beefy cousin of the Milking Shorthorn you met in the discussion of dairy breeds. Other British Breeds Devon Galloway Belted Galloway White Park Welsh Black Scotch Highlander South Devon Now, turn the page to answer questions about Dairy Cattle.

6 Questions - British Breeds 1. When did the British Breeds first come to America? A. With the Spanish explorers B. With the earliest British settlers C. With the Irish immigrants D. With the Italian immigrants E. With the Asian immigrants 2. What kind of cattle were British bulls crossed with to make the great cow herds of the American West after the Civil War? A. Angus and Hereford cow herds B. Longhorn cow herds C. Dairy cow herds D. Bos indicus cow herds E. Continental cow herds 3. True or False Cattle are native to North America. 4. True or False Longhorns are descended from cattle brought to the New World by Hispanic explorers, such as Cortez and DeSoto. 5. The breed from Aberdeen, Scotland is: A. Angus B. Hereford C. Shorthorn D. White Park E. Devon 6. Horned Herefords are from: A. England B. Scotland C. Wales D. Ireland E. Channel Isles 7. True or False Polled means the animal is born without horns. 8. The breed that has some animals with roan color patterns is: A. Angus B. Hereford C. Shorthorn D. Devon E. Galloway 9. True or False Beef cattle breeds are usually divided into 4 groups, the meat breeds, milk breeds, clothing breeds, and leather breeds. 10. The solid black breed of beef cattle is: A. Angus B. Hereford C. Shorthorn D. Devon E. Scotch Highlander

7 Continental Breeds These breeds hail from the European continent as compared with the British Isles. As a group, continental breeds are larger than the British breeds and came to the US much later. Significant numbers of most of the Continental breeds didn t appear in the US until the 1960s and 1970s when frozen semen was imported from Europe and American cattlemen began crossing their British and dairy cowherds to the big Continental breed bulls. Charolais - This solid white breed originated in the Charolais region of France. The oldest Continental breed in the US (actually arrived in the 1930s), the Charolais are very large and heavily muscled. They fatten very slowly and are popular in crossbreeding. Limousin - From Limousin, France, this solid reddish-golden breed is also large and heavily muscled. Limousins are one of the most popular US breeds today. Simmental - From the Simme Valley (thal in Swiss) of Switzerland, this big breed is called a dual-purpose breed. That means Simmentals were originally bred and selected to produce both meat and milk. As a result they are big and beefy today, but the females also milk very well. Simmentals are gold and white or red and white. Crossbreeding in the US has also created many brown and white, gray and white, and black and white animals here in America. Although the Simmentals hail from Switzerland, they also have near-relatives from France, called Pie Rouge, and from Germany, called Fleckvieh. Other Continental breeds Chianina Piedmontese Maine Anjou Gelbvieh Belgian Blue Tarentaise Marchigiana Saler Now, turn the page to answer questions about the Continental Breeds.

8 Questions - Continental Breeds 1. True or False These breeds are called Continental breeds because they all originated on the American continent. 2. True or False The Continental breeds came to America after the British breeds. 3. The solid white breed: A. Charolais B. Limousin C. Simmental D. Chianina E. Belgian Blue 4. What does dual purpose mean? A. Another term for Continental breeds B. Crosses between British and dairy breeds C. Cattle bred as pets and milk producers D. Cattle bred for both meat and milk production E. Cattle bred as both Bos taurus and Bos indicus 5. In what language does thal mean valley? A. English B. French C. German D. Swiss E. Italian 6. True or False Simmentals, Pie Rouge, and Fleckviehs are from 3 different countries, but they are of similar breeding.

9 The Bos indicus Breeds The last major group of beef breeds are those which include some Bos indicus blood in their pedigrees. All the breeds we ve discussed so far are genus Bos and species taurus. These breeds ancestors originated in the region that today includes southeastern Europe, parts of the Middle East, and western Asia. The Bos indicus species, on the other hand, developed in India and these animals look and perform quite differently than their Bos taurus relatives. Bos indicus cattle have excessive flesh around their necks and underlines, long floppy ears, and the ability to flick a fly off any square inch of the body with a localized twitch. Bos indicus are very tough animals, resistant to many pests and, diseases, and very tolerant of hot humid weather (not surprising since they ve been selected in India!). There are several pure Bos indicus breeds in India. However, few of those breeds are used in their pure state in America. The most important role of the Bos indicus breeds in the US today is as a contributor to many crossbred breeds, designed to perform well in the hot and steamy climates of the Southeast and the hot, dry, rugged environment of the desert Southwest. The Bos indicus breeds include: Santa Gertrudis - Originated at King Ranch in Texas in the early 1900s; 3/8 Brahman and 5/8 Shorthorn, is cherry red in color, has droopy ears, a hump, and excess flesh. Brahman - Originated in America (a mixture of 4 Indian breeds); is a variety of colors, with gray being predominant; has a hump over top of shoulder, drooping ears, and excess skin in the throat and dewlap. Brangus - Originated in the United States around 1912; is 3/8 Brahman, 5/8 Angus; is usually black and polled; and has large ears, slightly droopy at eye level. Braford - Originated in Florida, are approximately 3/8 Brahman and 5/8 Hereford; are red in color with white face and underline, and have excessive flesh. Beefmaster - Originated in Texas; developed from Brahman, Shorthorn and Hereford cattle; some are horned and some are polled; the colors are various with a majority being red or dun; has loose skin on the underline at the navel, and ears are large and droop slightly, so they are at eye level. Now, turn the page to answer questions about the Bos indicus Breeds.

10 Questions - Bos indicus breeds 1. True or False Bos indicus are the same species as Bos taurus. 2. Bos indicus cattle originated in: A. America B. India C. Middle East D. Southeast Europe E. Western Asia 3. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the Bos indicus breeds? A. Long floppy ears B. Long hair coats C. Excessive flesh on dewlap and underline D. Resistance to pests E. Heat tolerance 4. True or False Most Bos indicus cattle in America are actually crossbreds that are also partially Bos taurus. 5. Which of these states has a very suitable environment for Bos indicus cattle? A. Washington B. Louisiana C. Ohio D. Maine E. Kentucky 6. The breed that originated on the King Ranch in Texas? A. Brahman B. Santa Gertrudis C. Braford D. Brangus E. Beefmaster 7. The oldest crossbred breed is: A. Brahman B. Santa Gertrudis C. Braford D. Brangus E. Beefmaster 8. True or False Brangus are 5/8 Angus and 3/8 Brahman. 9. True or False Brafords are made from a cross of Charolais and Brahmans. 10. Which of these breeds were not used in the creation of the Beefmaster? A. Brahman B. Shorthorn C. Gir D. Hereford 2000 University of Kentucky Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.