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Beef Cattle Breeds

Angus

Angus
Angus

American Angus Association
3201 Frederick Avenue
St. Joseph, MO 64506-2997

  • British breed; originated in Scotland
  • Black color
  • Polled
  • Leads all breeds in numbers of purebred registered cattle
  • Females known for calving ease, fertility, and mothering ability
  • Dark skin pigment provides resistance to pink eye and sun-burned udders
  • Propensity to marble more than any other breed, thus their carcass quality is always high
  • Has the largest branded-beef program, Certified Angus Beef, in the world

Charolais
Charolais

Charolais  

American-International Charolais Association
PO Box 20247
Kansas City, MO 64195

  • French breed
  • White or cream color
  • Horned or Polled
  • Regarded as a thick and heavily muscled breed
  • Impressive in commercial operations as a terminal sire breed
  • Bulls are popular for growth and carcass cutability
  • Cows can perform well under a variety of weather conditions

Hereford
Hereford

Hereford

American Hereford Association
PO Box 014059
Kansas City, MO 64101-0059

  • British breed
  • Red colored body with a white face
  • Horned or polled
  • More commercial Herefords in the United States than any other breed
  • Excellent ability to thrive and reproduce under harsh range conditions
  • Medium sized breed with moderate muscling
  • Calm disposition
  • Prepotent color pattern

Simmental
Simmental

Simmental

American Simmental Association 
1 Simmental Way
Bozeman, MT 59715

  • Swiss breed
  • Color ranges from a black to yellowish brown to red
  • Horned or polled
  • Oldest and second largest breed in the world
  • Dual-purpose breed in the United States
  • Excellent milking ability
  • Known as the "Fleckvieh" in Germany and Austria and as the "Pie Rouge" in France