Beef Cattle Breeds
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
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
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
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