Ancient White Park
White Park cattle are an ancient breed. They came to the
U.S. from Britain in the 1940s. The breed is primarily
being used as a beef breed. The breeds most remarkable
traits include high fertility, easy calving, extreme
adaptability, hardiness, and aggressive grazing behavior.
Cows: 1,200-1,300lbs/ Bulls: 1,800-2,000lbs
Ankole-Watusi
Ankole-Watusi cattle, with their long, large horns, are
among the most striking members of the bovine kingdom.
Adaptation to harsh environments, excellent maternal
abilities, high butterfat milk, and lean beef are among its
assets.
Cows: 900-1200lbs/ Bulls: 1,000-1,600lbs
Ayrshire
The Ayrshire is a dairy breed that has an alert and active
disposition. In spite of their bovine beauty, Ayrshires are
best known as hardy, useful cattle, well adapted to cold
climates and rugged environments. The cows are
excellent grazers, able to maintain condition, reproduce
efficiently, and produce up to 20,000 pounds of milk per
year, primarily on a forage diet.
Cows: 1,100lbs(avg)/ Bulls: 1,600lbs(avg)
Belted Galloway
Beneath their flashy appearance, the Belted Galloway is
breed celebrated for their efficiency on rough forage,
maternal abilities, and high quality beef. They are welladapted to cold climates, and will grow a shaggy hair coat
in the winter. In the summer, they shed this coat and
tolerate warm climates better than most other cold
adapted cattle.
Cows: 1,000lbs(avg)/ Bulls: 1,600lbs(avg)
Canadienne
The Canadienne is one of the few historic breeds of
livestock developed in Canada. Primarily known as a
dairy breed, the Canadienne is known for its ability to
produce milk on poor forage and under very challenging
conditions. Few dairy breeds demonstrate this
combination of hardiness and productivity as well as
the Canadienne.
Cows: 1,100lbs(avg)/ Bulls: 1,600lbs(avg)
Devon/Beef Devon
The Pilgrims brought Devon cattle with them to New
England beginning in 1623.The Devon is known for high
quality beef, and the breed’s hardiness and grazing ability
makes it an excellent choice for grass-based
production.The breed’s history as a dual-purpose animal
gives it greater maternal ability than most other beef
breeds.
Cows: 1,100lbs(avg)/ Bulls: 1,600-2,000lbs
Dexter
Dexter cattle are among the smallest breeds of cattle in
the world. The Dexter is a dual-purpose breed that is
hardy, forage-efficient, and has excellent maternal
qualities. As with other dual-purpose breeds, the quantity
of milk produced varies among strains; those strains
selected for dairying produce more milk, while those that
have been selected for beef produce less.
Cows/Bulls: 700-900lbs(avg)
Dutch Belted
The Dutch Belted is a dairy cattle breed named for its
country of origin and its striking color pattern: black with a
bright white belt around its middle. They are gaining
popularity in grass-based dairying. They consistently
demonstrate reproductive efficiency and longevity of
production.
Cows: 900-1,500lbs/ Bulls: range up to 2,000lbs
Florida Cracker
Florida Cracker is one of the oldest breeds of cattle in the
United States, descending from Spanish cattle brought to
the New World in the early 1500s. The breed was shaped
primarily by natural selection in an environment that is
generally hostile to cattle.This has resulted in a breed that
is heat-tolerant, long-lived, resistant to parasites and
diseases, and productive on low quality forage.
Cows: 600-800lbs/ Bulls: 800-1,200lbs
Galloway
In North America, the Galloway stands out for its forage
efficiency, hardiness, maternal qualities, and excellence
of beef. Galloway beef is of great quality and can be
marketed in a variety of specialty niches, such as grass
fed and organic beef. Galloways are also known for
browsing ability, giving them added value in the
management and diversification of grasslands.
Cows: 1,200lbs(avg)/ Bulls:1,200-1,600lbs
Guernsey
The Guernsey breed is a dairy breed originating on the
Isle of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. Cows are noted
for their quiet dispositions. A distinctive characteristic of
the breed is the golden color of its milk, which results from
exceptionally high levels of carotene, a precursor to
Vitamin A.Traditionally the breed was a good grazer, able
to produce on quality pastures, and adaptable to a variety
of climates and conditions.
Cows: 1,400lbs(avg)/ Bulls: 2,000lbs(avg)
Highland
The shaggy haired, long horned Highland is a useful and
productive cattle breed. The breed is best known for its
survival qualities hardiness, maternal abilities,
reproductive efficiency, and longevity. Highland cattle
thrive on rough forage and in cold, wet climates.The
breed is known for the quality of its beef.
Cows: 900-1,300lbs/ Bulls: 1,500-2,000lbs
Kerry
Kerry cattle are indigenous to Ireland and are one of the
oldest European breeds of cattle. They are active grazers
and browsers, hardy and long-lived, often continuing to be
productive milking cattle into their teens. Kerry cows are
robust mothers that have little to no difficulty calving.
Kerry milk is also particularly well suited for cheese
production
Cows: 800lbs(avg)/ Bulls: 1,000lbs(avg)
Milking Devon
Devon cattle come from England, where the breed was
developed over several centuries. Devons were originally
a tri-purpose breed, but as the market multi-purpose
animals dwindled, many began selecting the Devon for
beef qualities. Those that continued selecting for milk,
meat, and draft power led to the development of the
American Milking Devon, unique to the United States.
Cows: 1,100lbs(avg)/ Bulls: 1,600lbs(avg)
Milking Shorthorn - Native
Early in the 1900s, the Shorthorn breed was formally split
into a beef type, called Beef Shorthorn/Shorthorn, and a
dairy type called Milking Shorthorn. Most breeders
favored selection for beef, leading to the decline in
numbers of the Milking Shorthorn. The Milking Shorthorn
performs well for grassbased dairying, as they are forage
efficient, healthy, longlived, and productive, with the
additional value of high quality beef.
Cows: 1,200-1,400lbs/ Bulls: 2,000lbs(avg)
Pineywoods
The Pineywoods is one of the oldest breeds of cattle in
the United States, descending from Spanish cattle
brought to the Americas beginning in the early 1500s. The
Pineywoods breed was shaped primarily by agricultural
and environmental conditions in Alabama, Mississippi,
Georgia, and other parts of the southeastern United
States. The breed is a dual-purpose breed, with various
strains selected more heavily for certain traits.
Cows: 600-800lbs/ Bulls: 800-1,200lbs
Randall or Randall Lineback
The Randall Lineback is a purebred remnant of linebackpatterned cattle once common in New
England.Historically, Linebacks were multi-purpose, used
for dairy, beef, and oxen, and served as an integral part of
rural New England life for several centuries. Today, the
breed is being selected for both beef and dairy qualities.
Red Poll
The Red Poll is a dual-purpose breed developed in
eastern England in the early 1800s.Though their
dual-purpose qualities were valuable, American breeders
have emphasized the beef characteristics of the Red Poll,
especially since the 1960s with the Holstein’s dominance
in the dairy industry. Red Polls have quiet dispositions
and they are an excellent choice for rotational grazing and
other systems where ease of handling is required.
Cows: 1.200lbs(avg)/ Bulls: 1,800lbs(avg)