Breed news
HerdingStarted by a grandfather in 1937, this Florida ranch now covers 50,000 acres, feeds local communities and...BreedsKasaragod Kullan set to be Keralam’s third indigenous cattle varietyHistoryAncient cattle love affairs: East Asian cattle genomes reveal Tang-Song dynasty mixing and wild bovine introgressionHealthState announces public comment period for proposed bovine tuberculosis testing areasShowsNortheast 4-H Livestock Show celebrates 91 years of traditionShowsAnnual Webster Parish 4-H Livestock Show set to begin next weekBreedsA Leap Forward in Indigenous Breeding: ICAR–IVRI’s Breakthrough in Producing Sahiwal Calves through Advanced Reproductive TechnologiesBreedsBoyd Beef Cattle to Donate 2027 Angus Foundation Heifer PackageBreedsU.P. State Fair dairy show highlights youth, dairy cattle and communityBreedsHereford Cattle Society wins landmark court case over breed statusHerdingStarted by a grandfather in 1937, this Florida ranch now covers 50,000 acres, feeds local communities and...BreedsKasaragod Kullan set to be Keralam’s third indigenous cattle varietyHistoryAncient cattle love affairs: East Asian cattle genomes reveal Tang-Song dynasty mixing and wild bovine introgressionHealthState announces public comment period for proposed bovine tuberculosis testing areasShowsNortheast 4-H Livestock Show celebrates 91 years of traditionShowsAnnual Webster Parish 4-H Livestock Show set to begin next weekBreedsA Leap Forward in Indigenous Breeding: ICAR–IVRI’s Breakthrough in Producing Sahiwal Calves through Advanced Reproductive TechnologiesBreedsBoyd Beef Cattle to Donate 2027 Angus Foundation Heifer PackageBreedsU.P. State Fair dairy show highlights youth, dairy cattle and communityBreedsHereford Cattle Society wins landmark court case over breed status

All breeds

146 breeds so far, best known first. 294 more are on the list to be written.

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreBali cattle A small humped breed from Indonesia, descended from wild banteng, kept for meat and plowing.Banteng · Beef · Disease-resistant 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreBantengbanṭéng (Javanese/Sundanese) A wild Southeast Asian ox; its tame form, Bali cattle, runs feral in northern AustraliaBanteng · Beef · Drought-hardy 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 5 moreZebu Humped, heat-tolerant cattle of South Asia, kept for milk, meat, work and ridingZebu · Dairy · Heat-tolerant 🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreChianina A massive white Italian breed known for beef production and historic draught work in Tuscany.Taurine · Beef · Heat-tolerant 🇨🇭 Switzerland and 5 moreBraunvieh A large Alpine brown dairy breed from Switzerland, known for its strength and high milk yield.Taurine · Dairy · Rich milk 🇭🇺 HungaryHungarian GreyMagyar Szürke A tall, long-horned Podolic breed from the Hungarian plains, kept for beef and draught work.Taurine · Beef · Marbled beef 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 4 moreSahiwal A heat-tolerant zebu from the Punjab, kept for milk, meat and draught workZebu · Dairy · Heat-tolerant 🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreHanwoo한우 A small, brown taurine breed from Korea, once used for work and now prized for its premium beef.Taurine · Beef · Docile 🇿🇦 South Africa and 2 moreAfrikaner A Sanga-type breed from South Africa, deep red with long horns, kept for beef and draught work.Sanga · Beef · Heat-tolerant 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreOngole A short-horned zebu breed from Andhra Pradesh, white with dark markings, used for work and milk.Zebu · Draught · Heat-tolerant 🇯🇵 JapanJapanese Black黒毛和種 A black-coated Japanese beef breed whose Tajima strain supplies Kobe beefTaurine · Beef 🇮🇳 IndiaKhillari A draft breed from Maharashtra and Karnataka, compact with sweeping horns and grey-white coats.Zebu · Draught · Heat-tolerant 🇺🇦 Ukraine and 2 moreUkrainian GreyСіра українська порода An ancient grey Podolian breed from Ukraine, kept for draught work and meat.Taurine · Beef · Drought-hardy 🇮🇹 ItalyMaremmana A big grey Podolic beef breed from the old marshes of the Maremma in central ItalyTaurine · Beef · Thrifty foragers 🇮🇳 IndiaMalvi A white or grey zebu of the Malwa plateau, kept for the yoke and poor at milkZebu · Draught 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreKankrej A grey zebu from the dry Rann of Kutch, kept for milk and for work oxenZebu · Dual-purpose · Heat-tolerant 🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreMarchigiana A large white or grey Italian beef breed from the Marche, once worked as an oxTaurine · Beef 🇮🇳 IndiaAmrit Mahalಅಮೃತ ಮಹಲ್ A draught breed from Karnataka, bred for war and endurance by the Mysore royal household.Taurine · Draught · Quick and strong 🇮🇳 IndiaMalnad Giddaಮಲೆನಾಡು ಗಿಡ್ಡ A small, dark humpless breed from the Western Ghats of Karnataka, kept for milk and draught work.Taurine · Dairy · Disease-resistant 🇮🇳 IndiaHallikarಹಳ್ಳಿಕಾರ್ A draught breed from Karnataka, India, known for strength and the ability of both oxen and cows to plough.Zebu · Draught · Docile 🇵🇹 Portugal and 1 moreCachena A small Iberian breed from northern Portugal and Galicia, kept for beef and formerly for draught work.Taurine · Beef · Docile 🇮🇳 IndiaPonwar A small black-and-white zebu from Pilibhit, kept for cart work and quick to angerZebu · Draught · Spirited 🇫🇷 FranceVosgienne A medium-sized French breed from the Vosges mountains, kept for milk and meatTaurine · Dual-purpose · Cold-hardy 🇮🇳 IndiaDangiडांगी An indigenous draught breed from the Dangs hills whose skin oil copes with heavy rainDraught 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreKangayamகாங்கேயம் A grey Tamil draught zebu whose bulls run in races and in the Jallikattu arenaZebu · Draught · Quick and strong 🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreMurnau-Werdenfels A long-lived brown dairy breed of the Bavarian uplands, milk and beefTaurine · Dairy · Long-lived 🇮🇳 IndiaKenkathaकेन्काथा A small grey and black zebu draught breed from the Ken river country of BundelkhandZebu · Draught · Thrifty foragers 🇮🇳 IndiaNimariनिमारि A red, white-patched draught zebu from the Nimar region of central IndiaZebu · Draught · Spirited 🇮🇳 IndiaBachaur A small, compact draught breed from the Mithila region of north Bihar, a brisk trotterZebu · Draught · Quick and strong 🇮🇳 IndiaUmblachery A small grey zebu from the Tamil Nadu coast, bred as an ox for rice paddiesZebu · Draught · Rich milk 🇮🇳 IndiaKherigarh A draught zebu from Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, IndiaZebu · Draught 🇮🇳 IndiaAlambadi A humped draught breed from Tamil Nadu, horned and now close to extinctionZebu · Draught · Quick and strong 🇫🇷 FranceCorse A small tan cow from Corsica, once the island's plough ox, now reared free-range for beefTaurine · Beef · Thrifty foragers 🇪🇸 SpainPajuna An endangered Andalusian breed, dark bulls and red-brown cows, once used for draught workTaurine · Draught · Cold-hardy 🇨🇳 ChinaYanbian A humpless yellow breed from north-east China, a draught worker in the rice fieldsTaurine · Draught 🇮🇳 IndiaJavariಜವಾರಿ A medium-built dual-purpose zebu from Kalyana-Karnataka, gentle and heat-tolerantZebu · Dairy · Heat-tolerant 🇫🇷 FranceMirandaise A large, heat-tolerant draught breed from the Gers, now raised for vealTaurine · Draught · Heat-tolerant

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

The weekly digest

Every Monday: seven cattle breeds you may not know, the cattle days of the week ahead, and one product explained step by step.