A free world guide to cattle

Every breed of cattle in the world.

Gir and Holstein, Ankole and Angus, Vechur and Wagyu, the yak and the mithun: what each breed looks like, where it comes from, what it is kept for, the land it lives on, and the fairs, festivals and faiths it belongs to.

Browse the breeds Milk, ghee and more, step by step Surprise me

108: breeds so far
67: products, drawn
108: cattle towns and fairs
441: on our list to write

Breed of the day, Friday 16 OctoberCachenaA small Iberian breed from northern Portugal and Galicia, kept for beef and formerly for draught work.🇵🇹 Portugal and 1 more, small

Ayrshire Braunvieh Aurochs Bargur Marchigiana Gayal Normande Hariana Banteng Alatau Gir Danish Red Tyrol Grey Vechur Nelore Aosta Black Pied Punganur Montbéliarde Hanwoo English Longhorn Estonian native Santa Gertrudis Gaolao Brangus Japanese Brown Kankrej Chianina Malvi Wild yak Hallikar Tauros Japanese Black Shorthorn German Black Pied Belgian Blue Swedish Red-and-White Swedish Red Polled Bestuzhev Deoni Guzerá Sanga cattle Khillari Kangayam Kalmyk Kazakh Whiteheaded Abondance Cachena Malnad Gidda Icelandic Western Finncattle Yak Indian aurochs Canchim Fleckvieh Polish Red Gangatiri Väneko Holstein Friesian Bali cattle Pustertaler Sprinzen Sahiwal Texas Longhorn Ukrainian Grey Amrit Mahal Tux-Zillertal N'Dama Salers Senepol Japanese Polled Brahman Ayrshire Braunvieh Aurochs Bargur Marchigiana Gayal Normande Hariana Banteng Alatau Gir Danish Red Tyrol Grey Vechur Nelore Aosta Black Pied Punganur Montbéliarde Hanwoo English Longhorn Estonian native Santa Gertrudis Gaolao Brangus Japanese Brown Kankrej Chianina Malvi Wild yak Hallikar Tauros Japanese Black Shorthorn German Black Pied Belgian Blue Swedish Red-and-White Swedish Red Polled Bestuzhev Deoni Guzerá Sanga cattle Khillari Kangayam Kalmyk Kazakh Whiteheaded Abondance Cachena Malnad Gidda Icelandic Western Finncattle Yak Indian aurochs Canchim Fleckvieh Polish Red Gangatiri Väneko Holstein Friesian Bali cattle Pustertaler Sprinzen Sahiwal Texas Longhorn Ukrainian Grey Amrit Mahal Tux-Zillertal N'Dama Salers Senepol Japanese Polled Brahman

Live, Friday 16 October

What cattle are kept for

Milk, beef, the plough and cart, the contest ring and the smallholding: pick one to see its breeds.

All purposes

Holstein Friesian, Jersey, Gir, Sahiwal and Red Sindhi: bred first of all for milk. All dairy breeds

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreGir A humped dairy breed from Gujarat, red and white with long drooping ears and a domed foreheadZebu · Dairy · Heat-tolerant

🇲🇳 MongoliaDzoམཛོ་ A yak-cow hybrid from Tibet and Mongolia, bigger than either parentYak · Dairy

🇮🇳 India and 4 moreGayal A semi-domesticated bovine of the Eastern Himalayas, kept for meat, milk and ceremonyMithun · Beef

🇵🇰 Pakistan and 5 moreZebu Humped, heat-tolerant cattle of South Asia, kept for milk, meat, work and ridingZebu · Dairy · Heat-tolerant

🇳🇱 Netherlands and 3 moreHolstein Friesian A black and white dairy breed kept worldwide, with red and white lines tooTaurine · Dairy

🇨🇭 Switzerland and 5 moreBraunvieh A large Alpine brown dairy breed from Switzerland, known for its strength and high milk yield.Taurine · Dairy · Rich milk

On now and next

The cattle calendar

Cattle fairs, pasture descents, harvest festivals, races and shows, with the breeds at the centre of each. Today is also Friday.

The full picture for today

In 2 days, about 18 Oct 2026Fiesta de la TrashumanciaOnce a year, shepherds lead their flocks through central Madrid along the old royal drove road, a reminder of the right of way.

In 4 days, 20 Oct 2026St Wendelin's DayThe feast of the herdsman saint of the Rhineland and the Alps, when cattle and horses are blessed in his processions.

In 9 days, about 25 Oct 2026Bataille de Reines final in AostaThe autumn final of the cow fights of the Aosta Valley, held on a Sunday in October at the Croix-Noire arena. In 16 days, 1 Nov 2026Samhain and the coming down of the herdsThe Gaelic first of November: the end of the grazing year, when cattle came home from the hills for the winter.

By region

Eleven regions of the world, from the zebu of the Indus and the Ankole of the great lakes to the Alpine pastures, the American range and the yak herds of the Himalaya.

All regions

South AsiaGir, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Ongole and Kankrej, the dwarf Vechur and Punganur, and the yaks and mithun of the Himalaya.25 breeds Southeast AsiaBali cattle bred from wild banteng, the racing bulls of Madura, Kedah-Kelantan and the draught cattle of rice country.2 breeds East AsiaWagyu and the native black cattle of Japan, Hanwoo of Korea, the yellow cattle of China, and the herds and yaks of Mongolia.6 breeds Central Asia and the CaucasusKazakh Whiteheaded and Alatau cattle, the small mountain cattle of Georgia, and the herds of the steppe and the Pamirs.5 breeds Middle EastDamascus cattle, the Anatolian Black and the Turkish Grey Steppe, and the hardy zebu herds of Arabia and Iran.0 breeds North AfricaThe Brown Atlas cattle of the Maghreb, Egyptian Baladi, and the Kenana and Butana zebu of the Nile in Sudan.0 breeds Sub-Saharan AfricaAnkole with its great horns, the Boran, Nguni and Afrikaner, the Kuri of Lake Chad and the N'Dama of the West African forest.4 breeds EuropeHolstein Friesian, Jersey, Angus, Hereford, Charolais, Simmental, Highland and Chianina, and hundreds of local breeds.55 breeds North AmericaTexas Longhorn, American Brahman, Santa Gertrudis and Brangus, the Canadienne, and the ranch country of the plains.7 breeds Latin America and the CaribbeanCriollo cattle from the Spanish herds, the Nelore and Gir of Brazil, Romosinuano, Senepol and the Jamaica Hope.4 breeds OceaniaDroughtmaster, Murray Grey and the Australian Milking Zebu, and the grass dairies of New Zealand.0 breeds

Galloway 2 Sindh 2 Tharparkar District 2 Tyrol 2 Uberaba 2 Yorkshire 2 Abondance 1 Addanki 1 Agar 1 Ahmednagar district 1 Albany 1 Aosta 1 Aosta Valley 1 Aquitaine 1 All cattle places

See a few

A different handful every few minutes.

All breeds, A to Z

🇦🇹 Austria and 1 morePinzgauer Chestnut Austrian cattle with a broad white stripe along the back and bellyTaurine · Triple-purpose

🇮🇳 IndiaGangatiri𑂏𑂁𑂏𑂰𑂞𑂱𑂩𑂲 A dual-purpose breed from the Ganga country, with cows that milk fairly wellZebu · Dual-purpose

🇮🇳 IndiaVechur The world's smallest cattle breed from Kerala, kept for efficient milk production.Zebu · Dairy · Thrifty foragers

🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreChianina A massive white Italian breed known for beef production and historic draught work in Tuscany.Taurine · Beef · Heat-tolerant

🇫🇷 France and 3 moreCharolaisCharolaise A large French taurine beef breed from eastern France, white to cream with pink noses and curved horns.Taurine · Beef · Docile

🇨🇭 Switzerland and 5 moreBraunvieh A large Alpine brown dairy breed from Switzerland, known for its strength and high milk yield.Taurine · Dairy · Rich milk

🇺🇸 United StatesTexas Longhorn American beef cattle, once feral on Texas ranges, with horn spreads beyond 2.4 mTaurine · Beef · Heat-tolerant

🇸🇪 SwedenSwedish Red-and-WhiteSvensk röd och vit boskap A red and white Swedish milk breed with horns on cows and bulls alikeTaurine · Dairy

From the cow, step by step

Ghee, butter tea, dahi, clotted cream and dung fuel. Each product is drawn as a ring of its inputs, and made in frames: milk, boil, churn, ferment, serve.

All 67 products

🇮🇳 🇵🇰 🇳🇵 Butter and gheeGheeButter simmered until the water cooks away and the milk solids brown, leaving a clear golden fat that keeps for months.🇮🇳 🇵🇰 🇳🇵 Curd and fermented milkDahi (curd)Milk set overnight with a spoon of yesterday's curd: the everyday soured milk of South Asian homes.🇮🇳 🇵🇰 🇳🇵 Milk sweetsKhoaMilk cooked down in an iron pan to a crumbly or soft paste: the base of barfi, peda and gulab jamun.🇮🇳 🇱🇰 Festival dishesSakkarai pongalRice and lentils boiled over in a new pot with milk, jaggery and ghee at the Tamil harvest festival of Pongal.🇲🇦 🇩🇿 🇹🇳 Curd and fermented milkLbenThe soured buttermilk of the Maghreb, left after butter is churned in a skin, drunk cold with dates or couscous.🇲🇦 🇩🇿 🇹🇳 Butter and gheeSmenSalted butter packed into jars and left to ripen into a pungent cooking fat, spooned into couscous and tagines.🇮🇸 Curd and fermented milkSkyrIceland's thick strained cultured milk, made from skimmed milk since the time of the sagas.🇮🇳 Milk sweetsMathura pedaKhoa roasted to a brown, grainy fudge with sugar and cardamom, the sweet of Krishna's birthplace.

By purpose

Dairy, beef, draught, dual-purpose and the cattle of sport, temple and conservation.

All purposes

Dairy breedsHolstein Friesian, Jersey, Gir, Sahiwal and Red Sindhi: bred first of all for milk.33 Beef breedsAngus, Hereford, Charolais, Wagyu and Nelore: bred for meat and raised on grass and range.49 Draught breedsHallikar, Amrit Mahal, Kangayam and the Podolic grey oxen: cattle for the plough and the cart.25 Dual-purpose breedsSimmental, Brown Swiss, Shorthorn and Normande: milk and meat from the same herd.32 Sport and contestThe Lidia of the bullring, Herens fighting cows, the Kangayam of jallikattu and the racing bulls of Madura.6 Temple and ceremonialTemple cows and Nandi bulls, the mithun of the Naga feasts and the sacred herds of history.2

By lineage

Humpless taurine, humped zebu, African sanga, the yak, the mithun and Bali cattle.

All lineages

Taurine cattleHumpless cattle, Bos taurus, from the aurochs of the Near East: the breeds of Europe, West Africa and East Asia.65 Zebu cattleHumped cattle, Bos indicus, first tamed in the Indus valley: Gir, Ongole, Sahiwal, Nelore and Brahman.26 Sanga and African blendsThe old African mix of taurine and zebu, with a small neck hump: Ankole, Nguni, Afrikaner and Tuli.4 Composite breedsModern breeds crossed from two or more: Brangus, Santa Gertrudis, Bonsmara, Droughtmaster and Karan Fries.13 YakThe domestic yak of the Himalaya, Tibet and Mongolia, and the dzo and other yak and cattle hybrids.3 Mithun (gayal)The mithun or gayal, a domestic form of the gaur, kept in the hills of Northeast India, Myanmar and Bhutan.1

Faith, festivals and the pasture

Gau Mata and Nandi, the herding peoples of Africa, Mattu Pongal and Pola, bride wealth, the summer climb and the autumn descent.

Faith and tradition

Hindu 1 Jain Buddhist 1 Sikh Muslim Jewish Christian Ancient worlds 3 Herders and nomads 3 Other traditions 1

Weddings and bride wealth 1 Festivals 5 Pasture and transhumance 5 Ploughing and harvest Fairs and shows 4 Races and contests 7 Gifts and offerings 4 Everyday work 7

The words

193 cattle terms in plain language.

Concepts

Sanga Brisket Scurs Calf Crossbreeding A2 milk Alpage Paniolo Silage Boma Trypanosomiasis Cud Gau Mata Temple bull

Cattle news

More headlines

Started by a grandfather in 1937, this Florida ranch now covers 50,000 acres, feeds local communities and...Moneycontrol.com, Herding
Kasaragod Kullan set to be Keralam’s third indigenous cattle varietyThe New Indian Express, Breeds
Ancient cattle love affairs: East Asian cattle genomes reveal Tang-Song dynasty mixing and wild bovine introgressionBioengineer.org, History
State announces public comment period for proposed bovine tuberculosis testing areasMichigan Farm News, Health
Northeast 4-H Livestock Show celebrates 91 years of traditionGrand Rapids Herald-Review, Shows
Annual Webster Parish 4-H Livestock Show set to begin next weekMinden Press-Herald, Shows
A Leap Forward in Indigenous Breeding: ICAR–IVRI’s Breakthrough in Producing Sahiwal Calves through Advanced Reproductive TechnologiesIndian Council Of Agricultural Research, Breeds

The world map

Cattle towns, fairs, high pastures, ranch country and sanctuaries, marked on the world.

Open the map

Cattle town Fair or market Pasture Ranch country Sanctuary or reserve City

Newly added

See what is new

🇧🇷 BrazilCanchim A Brazilian beef breed, white to cream, with a small hump, bred from zebu and CharolaisComposite · Beef · Heat-tolerant

🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreMurnau-Werdenfels A long-lived brown dairy breed of the Bavarian uplands, milk and beefTaurine · Dairy · Long-lived

🇮🇳 IndiaGangatiri𑂏𑂁𑂏𑂰𑂞𑂱𑂩𑂲 A dual-purpose breed from the Ganga country, with cows that milk fairly wellZebu · Dual-purpose 🇯🇵 JapanJapanese Brown褐毛和種 A small brown beef breed from Kōchi and Kumamoto, one of the four wagyūTaurine · Beef

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Canchim: Unknown author, CC BY 2.5, source
Cachena: Rosino, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Tux-Zillertal: Böhringer Friedrich, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Braunvieh: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Pinzgauer: Wald1siedel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Brahman: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Aosta Black Pied: Lohen11, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Gangatiri: Pavanaja, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bali cattle: Gsarwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Murnau-Werdenfels: Pippo-b, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Gir: Pavanaja, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Chianina: Monica, CC BY 2.0, source
Sahiwal: Harvinder Chandigarh, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Hérens: Joe Byrne, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Hungarian Grey: The original uploader was Faludi at Hungarian Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Swedish Red-and-White: Tjalve77, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Gayal: Aditya Kabir, Public domain, source
Holstein Friesian: Vista Alegre baserria, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Yak: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Zebu: A. J. T. Johnsingh, WWF-India and NCF, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Kangayam: Pavanaja, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Wild yak: Jim, the Photographer, CC BY 2.0, source
Charolais: Forum concoursvaches.fr, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Dzo: Markrosenrosen, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Vechur: Mullookkaaran, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Texas Longhorn: Clinton & Charles Robertson, CC BY 2.0, source
St Wendelin: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 2.5, source
Bataille De Reines Aosta: Elena Tartaglione, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Fiesta Trashumancia Madrid: Diotime, Public domain, source