How many breeds are there?

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aj

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How many different breeds are there out there? Genetic diversity is good but how many breeds are needed in the industry? Wouldn't it survive with 3 or 4? Angus,Herford and maybe a terminal breed....Charolais maybe? What breeds have the largest numbers.....I know the Herfies still rank up there quite a ways. Seems like all the breeds are trying to look like Angus right now. Both by composites and the the black hide deal. How will the breeds change or stay the same. What will the color of cattle be in 50 years? Just some things to kick around. Will there be any available ground to run cows on?
 

aj

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I think the Herfords are interesting. No legal appendix program. They have to meet color regs. I wondered how and why they were developed in England or where ever. Where they ever used for milk or draft or were they strictly beef? Is there Shorthorn blood in them?
 

jaimiediamond

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Over 800 breeds of cattle are recognized worldwide, here is the wikipedia link for you to reference. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cattle_breeds

As for your Hereford question, the breed was developed by crossing welsh white cattle with white faced flemish cattle. http://books.google.ca/books?id=F8vRToxlNhUC&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&dq=development+of+the+hereford+cattle&source=bl&ots=0NEry5Wi9m&sig=1p1gQUpir-q-l_Q8d_CouypKqWo&hl=en&ei=CjzITJu8FIXPnAf3-O2nAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=development%20of%20the%20hereford%20cattle&f=false see page 27 for clarification.   
 

oakview

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I hope someone has the foresight to maintain genetic diversity in the cattle industry as a whole and also within each breed.  I have spent nearly 50 years in the business and I've seen the 'ideal type' change from 900 pound belt buckle cattle to 6 feet high, pencil gutted Chianina and everything in between.  I'm sure when each was ideal, there were those who thought there was no use for any other kind of cattle.  We are fortunate not everyone thought that way.  Otherwise, all the cattle in North American might look like Prince Eric of Sunbeam or Ildeno.  Raise what you want if it works for you.
 

aj

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I often wondered why the Charolais didn't dominate more than they did as a terminal breed. I think its because of the damn black hided deal. I know Charolias were hard calving way back when they were first imported in the country. But now they have a handle on calving ease. I think there are some awful good carcass cattle when they are combined with angus or who ever.
 

CAB

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Some of the Char. bloodlines were difficult to hang on to if you know what I mean!!

Same deal with some of the Saler bloodlines!!!
 

garybob

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jaimiediamond said:
Over 800 breeds of cattle are recognized worldwide, here is the wikipedia link for you to reference. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cattle_breeds

As for your Hereford question, the breed was developed by crossing welsh white cattle with white faced flemish cattle. http://books.google.ca/books?id=F8vRToxlNhUC&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&dq=development+of+the+hereford+cattle&source=bl&ots=0NEry5Wi9m&sig=1p1gQUpir-q-l_Q8d_CouypKqWo&hl=en&ei=CjzITJu8FIXPnAf3-O2nAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=development%20of%20the%20hereford%20cattle&f=false see page 27 for clarification.   
What Flemish cattle? Groenigan White-headed?
 

kfacres

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aj said:
I often wondered why the Charolais didn't dominate more than they did as a terminal breed. I think its because of the damn black hided deal. I know Charolias were hard calving way back when they were first imported in the country. But now they have a handle on calving ease. I think there are some awful good carcass cattle when they are combined with angus or who ever.

agree.. IMO you CANNOT beat a Char bull x basic bwf (Ang/ Herf) cow commercially, especially if you are selling on a grid, and demand performance. 
 

aj

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I know Fink has interesting breeding. Angus cattle and Charolais. Kind of a one stop maternal and terminal supplier of seedstock. If the select-choice spread stays close would there be more of this mating? I assume that smoke colored cattle don't qualify for cab?
 

Bradenh

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aj said:
? Wouldn't it survive with 3 or 4? Angus,Herford and maybe a terminal breed....Charolais maybe
agreed and add brahman to that list for us folks down south who cant make it without them
 

Diamond

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aj said:
Wouldn't it survive with 3 or 4? Angus,Herford and maybe a terminal breed....Charolais maybe?

And some people you cant pay enough to raise those breeds, not to mention trends change, there was a time people ballived only a herf. would get the job done, and now its all angus...IMO in time the trend will change again, who knows to what. thats the only garentee in life, not to mention diff. breeds exel in diff. areas.
 

BadgerFan

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Diamond said:
aj said:
Wouldn't it survive with 3 or 4? Angus,Herford and maybe a terminal breed....Charolais maybe?

And some people you cant pay enough to raise those breeds, not to mention trends change, there was a time people ballived only a herf. would get the job done, and now its all angus...IMO in time the trend will change again, who knows to what. thats the only garentee in life, not to mention diff. breeds exel in diff. areas.

"breed" means little anymore.  You can find CH that look like AN and AN that look like CH (besides hide color of course).  More important is the "type". 
 

Silver

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Show stopper 95 said:
agreed and add brahman to that list for us folks down south who cant make it without them
In Idaho brahman  have a hard time with the winters. We do have a few brangus cows that winter alright, but not like the shaggy maine anjous.
 

HAB

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"breed" means little anymore.  You can find CH that look like AN and AN that look like CH (besides hide color of course).  More important is the "type".  
[/quote]





If by "type" you mean conformation, I would agree.  Most of the breeds look alike, and that is our fault.

I remember conversations in the early 1990's of people wanting to import breed "A", horned, multi colored, heavy muscled, and fairly tall, with no guts.  " If we could make these BLACK, POLLED, and MODERATE FRAMED, we would really have something."  I laughed, then realized they were serious, I laughed harder...what was the point?

The many breeds of cattle all were developed for different purposes in different parts of the world.  Many "breeds" have lost their identity completely.  In an effort to keep breed associations a float, many breeds threw out the herd book and registered anything and everything as that breed to keep $$$ coming in.  Breed up programs were good for income, but detrimental many of the breeds. The true fullbloods of many breeds became a thing of the past, if not basically gone.  Producers have to go back to the country of origin, or closed herds to get back some of the qualities and characteristics that made that breed what it was, and what caused people to raise them in the first place.  

Harley
 

PaFFA Proud

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I know a guy that is raising up all black holsteins and getting big bucks selling them as angus. I am sooo tired of the whole Angus meat trend going around. I personally luv herford meat,more flavor. All our steers at our fair or black lol so im going to have a red and white maine.For my dairy beef I showed a Lineback agianst all holsteins..everyone visiting the fair found my steer very intresting and asked questions about his breed.
 

aj

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I kinda disagree with the appendix deal. Say in the Red Angus program you had a strict selection program and selected cattle for the right things I think you could have a valuable herd in 20 years even if the they were 1b registered. There are Herfords I'm sure with maine and simmi in them and they are considered pure.
 
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