Beefmaster is a 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 operat ...

that was developed in the early 1930s by Tom Lasater (the breed founder), from a systematic crossing of

Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...

cows and

Shorthorn The Shorthorn breed of cattle originated in the North East of England in the late eighteenth century. The breed was developed as dual-purpose, suitable for both dairy and beef production; however, certain blood lines within the breed always emp ...

cows with

Brahman In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...

bulls. The exact mixture of the foundation cattle is unknown, but is thought to be about 25% Hereford, 25% Milking Shorthorn and 50% Brahman. It was first recognized by the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

as a new breed in 1954. The original intention was to produce cattle that could produce economically in the difficult environment of South

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. The cattle were selected by using the Six Essentials – weight, conformation, milking ability, fertility, hardiness and disposition. While brownish-red is the most common color, the breed has no color standards. Over the past decade, the Beefmaster breed has become very popular among herd managers using the breed in their

heterosis Heterosis, hybrid vigor, or outbreeding enhancement is the improved or increased function of any biological quality in a hybrid offspring. An offspring is heterotic if its traits are enhanced as a result of mixing the genetic contributions of ...

programs for hybrid vigor. These cattle are a versatile breed and adapt to many climates.

References

External links

History of the Beefmaster breed
Oklahoma State University
Beefmasters Breeders United homepage
Cattle breeds Cattle breeds originating in the United States {{cattle-stub