Popular Beef Cattle Breeds in Texas
By Jason Cleere, Extension Beef cattle Specialist
Jim Mazurkiewicz, Professor and Extension Specialist – Leadership Programs, Alpine Director
Stephen Hammack, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist Emeritus
Classifying the breed of a bear witness steer in Texas used to be piece of cake. Simply 3 British breeds were shown. Crossbreeding amongst them was rare and easily recognized, and only Brahman crosses were shown in Texas.
Today, there are as many as sixteen breeds and breed-cross classes in Texas shows, among about 75 breeds of cattle in the United States that could contribute to the genetic makeup of a steer.
To an outsider or novice, placing a steer in a brood form might appear to be relatively elementary. Just read the specifications for a class and then detect an creature that meets the criteria— right? Merely it's a piffling more complicated than that. Consider, for example, the characteristics for a Hereford steer:
• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a purebred
• Carmine trunk with white face, white underline, and white-marked legs
• Plumage neck
• Horned Herefords must be dehorned
Factors that solitary are non disqualifying just may in combination indicate non-Hereford genetics:
• Night red colour
• Red neck
• Solid blood-red or solid white ear; ear size and shape are questionable
• Backlog white on legs
• Excess white higher up the underline
• Eye pigment
• Blackness hair in tail, ear, or on rear end of animate being
• Black spotting/smut, or freckling on the nose
• Line back
• White above switch in tail
• White across rump higher up the twist
Absolute disqualifying factors:
• Diluter color blueprint
• Brindles
• Double muscling
• Whatsoever colour pattern other than cherry or white (birthmarks excluded)
These are all visual factors. So, eligibility for the course is determined only by visual appraisal, as evaluated by classifiers appointed past show management. Registration papers, breeder affidavits, or other paperwork are not considered.
Keep this in mind when selecting prospects. The word or stance of a breeder, seller, adviser, or friend may be useful as a guideline. Fifty-fifty knowing the exact breeding of an animal is no guarantee, because genetics and visual appearance do not always lucifer. The example shows that the grade is non just for Hereford steers but rather for steers that appear to exist Hereford, in the classifiers' judgment. With this background, let'southward expect at the descriptions for the various types and breeds.
British Type
This group includes cattle that appear to be purebred Angus, Hereford, Polled Hereford, Red Angus, and Shorthorn.
Angus
Acceptable Breed Characteristics
• Must physically showroom breed characteristics of a purebred Angus
• Solid black
• Polled
Discriminatory Breed Characteristics
• Continental brood type structure and head
• Bumps where horns would exist on a horned animal
• Birthmarks or white pilus in the switch should be reviewed for the skin color (blackness pare color is acceptable; white or pinkish peel is a disqualification)
• Bos taurus–type ear set (ear size is not to be discriminated against)
Absolute Disqualifications
• White skin resulting in white hair above the underline or in the front of the navel (white on the navel is adequate)
• White skin resulting in white pilus on the leg, foot, or tail
• Horns or scurs
• Brindle
• Diluter colour pattern
• Dehorning scars
• Double muscling
Hereford
Ideal Breed Characteristics
• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a purebred Hereford
• Cherry torso with white face, white underline, and white-marked legs
• Plume neck
• Horned Herefords must exist dehorned
Acceptable Brood Characteristics (but not necessarily desirable; in combination may be discriminating)
• Nighttime blood-red colour
Red cervix
• Solid ruby-red or solid white ear; ear size and shape are questionable
• Excess white on legs
• Backlog white in a higher place the underline
• Eye paint
• Blackness hair in tail, ear, or on rear cease of animal
• Black spotting/smut or freckling on the nose
• Line back
• White above switch in tail
• White across rump above the twist
Discriminatory Brood Characteristics
• Coarse joints, caput, or ribs
• Straight-line white markings on legs
• White above the hocks, on the exterior and back side of rear legs
• Excess pigment or colour around the eyes
• Ruby-red neck in combination with excess white on legs
Absolute Disqualifications
• Diluter color pattern
• Brindles
• Double muscling
• Whatsoever colour blueprint other than red or white (birthmarks excluded)
Polled Hereford
Ideal Breed Characteristics
• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a purebred Polled Hereford
• Crimson body with white face, white underline, and white-marked legs
• Feather cervix
• Must be polled or have loose scurs
Adequate Breed Characteristics (simply not necessarily desirable; in combination may be discriminating)
• Night blood-red color
• Ruddy neck
• Solid blood-red or solid white ear; ear size and shape are questionable
• Excess white on legs
• Excess white above the underline
• Eye pigment
• Blackness hair in tail, ears, or on rear end of animal
• Blackness spotting/smut or freckling on the olfactory organ
• Line dorsum
• White to a higher place switch in tail
• White beyond rump in a higher place the twist
Discriminatory Brood Characteristics
• Coarse joints, head, or ribs
• Straight-line white markings on legs
• White in a higher place the hocks, on the outside and back side of rear legs
• Excess pigment or colour effectually the optics
• Carmine neck in combination with excess white on legs
Absolute Disqualifications
• Diluter color pattern
• Brindles
• Double muscling
• Whatsoever color pattern other than red or white (birthmarks excluded)
Red Angus
Adequate Breed Characteristics
• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a purebred Cerise Angus
• English language/British characteristics
• Solid red
• Polled
• Black pigmentation (animals may have 2 of three areas of black pigmentation on the nose, around the eyes, and on the anus, only not all three)
• A blond, low-cal red, or mixed switch
• Black pilus on the tail, muzzle, face, neck, and shoulder
Discriminatory Breed Characteristics
• Coarse joints or head (big feet, large dewclaws)
• Bumps where horns would be on a horned brute
• Solid white switch
Accented Disqualifications
• Horns or scurs
• White to a higher place the underline or in front of the navel
• White on the leg
• Black pigmentation (having all
three areas of black pigmentation: on the olfactory organ, around the optics, and on the anus)
• Diluter color blueprint
• Dehorning scars or evidence of dehorning
• Solid white tail
• Double muscling
Shorthorn
Acceptable Breed Characteristics
• Must physically exhibit brood characteristics of a purebred Shorthorn
• Solid red; solid white with red hair or crimson pigment on ear, cage,
or tail; or whatever combination of red and white, with the red and white color blueprint bleeding together
Discriminatory Breed Characteristics
• Motley confront or brockle face up
• Orange or light red color
• Blackness nose pigment
• Straight-line white markings across leg
• Coarse head
• Double muscling
Absolute Disqualifications
• Diluter color design, such as yellow or xanthous roan
• Blacks, blue roans, or grays
• Brindle
Brahman Type
This grouping is sometimes called American Breeds. Physical evidence of Brahman background is important (ear length and shape, amount of hide, and, most important, hump placement).
American Breeds Cross
Adequate Breed Characteristics
• Any color or colour pattern
• Progression of importance to include Bos indicus head; eye; and ear of moderate length, slightly drooping and opening downward and forward
• Crest or slick neck
• Sheath score of two or more
Discriminatory Breed Characteristics
• Bos taurus head
• Bos taurus short ear
• Bos taurus eye
• Sheath score of i
Absolute Disqualifications
• A combination of a Bos taurus head, middle, and ear
• Without acceptable Bos indicus head, eye, and ear characteristics, sheath score is irrelevant
Brahman
Acceptable Breed Characteristics
• Must physically showroom breed characteristics of a fifty% purebred Brahman
• A prominent hump beginning in the center of the shoulder and going forrard
• Any color or colour pattern
• Bos indicus ear, head, eye, and sheath
Discriminatory Breed Characteristics
• None
Accented Disqualification
• A crest with the absence of a hump
Brangus
Acceptable Breed Characteristics
• Must physically exhibit brood characteristics of a purebred black Brangus
• Solid blackness
• Sheath hangs at a 45-caste angle and is well controlled
• Influence of a Bos indicus center, ear, and caput
• Slick neck or evidence of a crest
Discriminatory Brood Characteristics
• Scurs or slick spots (scurs must be loose)
• Straight, pendulous sheath
• Absenteeism of Bos indicus–influenced center, ear, and head
Absolute Disqualifications
• Hard horns (fastened)
• Dehorning scars
• White in a higher place the underline or in front of the navel
• White on the legs, feet, or tail
• Whatever brindle (cherry-red or light-colored)
Santa Gertrudis
Acceptable Breed Characteristics
• Must physically showroom brood characteristics of a l% purebred Santa Gertrudis
• Any color or colour pattern
• Moderate crest, no definite hump
• Moderate dewlap evolution
• Moderate length of ear, slightly drooping and opening forward
• Sheath score 2–v
• Not necessary to show predominant Bos indicus characteristics
Discriminatory Breed Characteristic
• Direct, pendulous sheath
Absolute Disqualification
• Absenteeism of any visible Santa Gertrudis characteristics
Simbrah
Acceptable Breed Characteristics
• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a Simbrah
• Must announced to accept a minimum of ¼ both Simmental and Brahman and a maximum of ¾ both Simmental and Brahman
• A sheath score of two or greater
• A Bos indicus eye, ear, and head
• Stocking legs
• Bald, bonfire, or streak face up
• Diluter color pattern
• Solid black, red, calorie-free red, gray, smut, or yellowish, or a combination of white with whatsoever of the previously listed colors
• Brindles
Discriminatory Breed Characteristics
• A sheath score of 1
• A Bos taurus head
• A Bos taurus ear
• A Bos taurus eye
• Mottled face up
Absolute Disqualifications
• A combination of a Bos taurus head, ear, eye, and sheath
• Roans
Continental or Exotic Type
Included hither are Charolais (half-blood and college), Chianina (predominant), Limousin (half or college), Maine-Anjou (half or higher), and Simmental (purebred). At the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo there are dissever classes for these 5 Continentals, likewise as a class for Other Breeds and Crosses, which includes all breeds not already discussed too as steers classified out of any of the above. At Fort Worth, Dallas, and many smaller shows, all Continentals—and any other steer that is not purebred British or American breed or cross—are shown together.
In that location are no specific physical requirements for any of these Continental classes except that they show evidence of the breed in which they are entered. Depending on the breed, information technology can be difficult to classify these classes, because most may comprise at least one-half of any other breed or combination brood.
Charolais
Adequate Breed Characteristics
• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a l% purebred Charolais
• White, yellow gray, or silverish (moderate dappling allowed)
• Expression of diluter gene
• Painting or spotting less than xx%
• Skunk tail, line back, baldy
Discriminatory Breed Characteristics
• Excessive painting or spotting (over xx%)
• Double muscling
• Brindles
• Frail bone piece of work and delicate full general appearance
• Low-cal carmine color
• Short, stubby head
• Overly refined, narrow caput
• Excessive nighttime pigmentation (eyes, olfactory organ, ears, and anus)
• Excessive dappling
Absolute Disqualifications
• Blackness, red, night smuts
• Showing no diluter gene, unless solid white
Chianina
Acceptable Brood Characteristics
• Must showroom Chianina influence in caput (ear, middle, and olfactory organ) and skeleton
• Any shade of black, ruddy, gray, or yellow
• Brindles, baldies, blaze faces, and motleys
Discriminatory Brood Characteristics
• Coarse joints or skeleton
• Excessive spotting in a higher place the underline
Accented Disqualification
• Appears to be a purebred of any other brood
Limousin
General Brood Characteristics
• Head
— Should be wide betwixt the eyes, with a prominent brow (eye socket)
— Should accept a broad poll
— Tendency to be smaller-eared; should have a moderate location (neither too high nor as well low)
— Tendency to be shorter- muzzled
• Muscle conformation
— Tend to be expressive in muscle pattern
• Sheath
— Tend to not exceed a score of ii
— Tend to take a forward angle, with navel in forepart
• Legs/human foot
— Tend to be not heavy-boned
— Tend to be flat boned
— Tend to exist not big-footed
• Tail set
— Can accept a frontwards tail gear up
— Tin can drop from hooks to pins
Acceptable Breed Characteristics
• Must physically showroom brood characteristics of a 50% purebred Limousin
• Solid black, red, low-cal ruddy, charcoal black, yellow, blond
• Bald face
• Smooth joints and skeleton
Discriminatory Breed Characteristics
• Fibroid joints, skeleton, and head
• Stocking legs
• Brindle
• Spotting above the underline
• Roans
Maine Anjou
Acceptable Breed Characteristics
• Must physically exhibit brood characteristics of a 50% purebred Maine Anjou
• Spotted, solid black, or red
• White stocking legs, white underline, and spotting to a higher place the underline and on the face
• Heavy skeletal construction
Discriminatory Breed Characteristics
• Brindle
• Roan
• Diluter colour design
Absolute Disqualification
• Appears to be more than 50% any other breed
Simmental
Adequate Brood Characteristics
• Must physically showroom breed characteristics of a purebred Simmental
• Larger, longer head
• Larger ear, lower set
• Solid black, reddish, low-cal ruby-red, gray, smut, red and white, yellow and white, black and white
• Painting or spotting in a higher place the underline
• Stocking legs
• Bald, blaze, or streak face
• Diluter colour design
Discriminatory Breed Characteristics
• Roans
• Skunk tail
• Double muscling
• 40% or more white above the underline
• Diluter color pattern around the
• Monkey rima oris
Absolute Disqualification
• Brindle
Classification Glossary
American breeds. Breeds created in the United States past interbreeding existing breeds, including at to the lowest degree 1 tropically adapted breed (most oft American Brahman).
Bald face. Appearance when white covers most of the face.
Bonfire or streak face up. A wide strip of white downward the face up to the cage.
Bos indicus (zebu). Subspecies of cattle originating in south asia; has a prominent hump on pinnacle or in front of shoulder.
Bos taurus. Subspecies of cattle; originated in west Asia but is usually chosen European.
Brindle. A streaking of black, brown, or white on the body of the steer (tiger stripe).
British/English language. Cattle originating in the British Isles; Angus, Hereford, and Shorthorn are near numerous in the United States.
Brockle or motley face. Red or black spotting on a white or bald face.
Continental. Breeds originating in Continental Europe; sometimes called European or Exotic.
Diluter gene. A gene that determines color. Cattle that carry both copies of the gene will appear white. Non-diluter cattle volition appear blackness or night ruby-red, whereas those carrying a single diluter factor will appear gray or yellow.
Discriminatory Brood Characteristics.Characteristics that are not reason for absolute disqualification but in combination with other discriminatory visual characteristics could lead to disqualification.
Horned. Horns are solidly attached to the skull, or there is evidence of dehorning.
Painting. Large white markings covering a major portion of the steer.
Pigmentation. Dark skin coloring on the points of the steer (eyes, nose, ears, anus, tail).
Polled. Naturally hornless.
Purebred. Showing visual characteristics of a particular breed and none of whatsoever other breed.
Scurs. Horny tissue or rudimentary horn attached to skin but non the skull.
Sheath score. Scoring system from 1 to 5 based on the length of the sheath (1 = little sheath; 5 = excess sheath).
Smut. Dark gray colour blueprint.
Spotting. White spots on the steer.
Summary
In the commercial beef industry, virtually cattle are sorted by visual characteristics into numerous groups for marketing purposes.Similarly, during livestock shows, participating steers are sorted into breed classes based on visual characteristics. Every bit you tin can meet, in almost classes there are generally few factors that volition absolutely disqualify an creature, and those are usually easily identified. Instead, nearly disqualified animals accept more than than one subjectively evaluated discriminatory feature.
Steers should be selected and shown based merely on their visual appearance because that is how they will be evaluated for classification. Remember that classifiers are asked to do their judgment. If your steer is classified out, information technology doesn't mean that the classifier or anyone else is accusing you of lying, cheating, or being unethical. Nor does it mean that the steer cannot be the breed yous say it is. Look at brood classification as the first stage of judging. Don't be too upset if the classifier makes (or you call up he or she has fabricated) a mistake. It's all a matter of judgment.
Download a printer-friendly version of this publication: Texas Show Steer Breed Nomenclature
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Source: https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/ranching/texas-show-steer-breed-classification/
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