Australian Brangus are a polled breed of

beef cattle Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production (as distinguished from dairy cattle, used for milk production). The meat of mature or almost mature cattle is mostly known as beef. In beef production there are three main stages: cow-calf opera ...

, developed in the tropical coastal areas of

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, Australia by crossbreeding Brahman and Angus cattle during the 1950s.

History

Brangus The Brangus is an American hybrid breed of beef cattle derived from cross-breeding of American Angus and Brahman stock. Registered animals have 5/8 Angus and 3/8 Brahman parentage. A similar hybrid breed, the Australian Brangus, was separately ...

were first developed in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and later developed independently in Australia as the Australian Brangus. The breed was produced to establish higher

tick Ticks (order Ixodida) are parasitic arachnids that are part of the mite superorder Parasitiformes. Adult ticks are approximately 3 to 5 mm in length depending on age, sex, species, and "fullness". Ticks are external parasites, living by ...

and

heat tolerance Plant breeding is process of development of new cultivars. Plant breeding involves development of varieties for different environmental conditions – some of them are not favorable. Among them, heat stress is one of such factor that reduces the pr ...

than that of other cattle breeds. They are a widely used source of meat throughout Australia and exported to countries such as Japan and America.

Benefits

The Australian Brangus cattle are about Brahman and Angus in their genetic makeup, however, the Brahman content can range from 25% to 75%. This allows beef producers to select cattle suitable for their local environment. The cattle are predominantly a sleek black in colour, but red Brangus are also bred. They have a very low rate of eye cancer, which can be a problem in many white faced breeds. Their head is of a medium length with a broad muzzle and forehead. Australian Brangus are also good walkers and foragers and "do well" in a wide variety of situations. The Australian Brangus Cattle Association Ltd. performance records the herd using the internationally recognized Breedplan for monitoring fertility, growth, milk and carcase quality. Delbridge, Arthur, The Macquarie Dictionary, 2nd ed., Macquarie Library, North Ryde, 1991

References

*Stephens, M (''et al.''), ''Handbook of Australian Livestock'', Australian Meat & Livestock Export Corporation, 2000 (4th ed), "The Land Stock Types"

External links

Australian Brangus Cattle Association
Cattle breeds originating in Australia Cattle breeds {{cattle-stub