The Brahman is an American breed of

zebuine The zebu (; ''Bos indicus'' or ''Bos taurus indicus''), sometimes known in the plural as indicine cattle or humped cattle, is a species or subspecies of domestic cattle originating in the Indian sub-continent. Zebu are characterised by a fatty h ...

taurine Taurine (), or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is an organic compound that is widely distributed in animal tissues. It is a major constituent of bile and can be found in the large intestine, and accounts for up to 0.1% of total human body weight. I ...

hybrid

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 ...

. It was bred in the United States from 1885 from cattle originating in India, imported at various times from the United Kingdom, from India and from Brazil. These were mainly Gir, Guzerá and Nelore stock, with some

Indu-Brasil The Indu-Brasil or Indo-Brazilian is a Brazilian breed of zebuine beef cattle. It was bred in the early twentieth century in the Triângulo Mineiro in the western part of Minas Gerais state, and particularly in the area surrounding Uberaba. It ...

Krishna Valley The Krishna Valley is an Indian breed of draught cattle. It originated in the areas drained by the Krishna, Ghataprabha and Malaprabha rivers. It is a recentlycreated breed, bred in the late nineteenth century as a draught animal for agricul ...

and

Ongole Ongole is a city in Prakasam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Prakasam district and also the mandal headquarters of Ongole mandal in Ongole revenue division. Ongole cattle, an indigenous breed of oxen, ...

. The Brahman has a high tolerance of heat, sunlight and humidity, and good resistance to parasites. It has been exported to many countries, particularly in the

tropics The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referr ...

; in Australia it is the most numerous breed of cattle. It has been used in the creation of numerous taurine-

indicine The zebu (; ''Bos indicus'' or ''Bos taurus indicus''), sometimes known in the plural as indicine cattle or humped cattle, is a species or subspecies of domestic cattle originating in the Indian sub-continent. Zebu are characterised by a fatty h ...

hybrids, some of which – such as the Brangus and Brahmousin – are established as separate breeds.

History

Zebu The zebu (; ''Bos indicus'' or ''Bos taurus indicus''), sometimes known in the plural as indicine cattle or humped cattle, is a species or subspecies of domestic cattle originating in the Indian sub-continent. Zebu are characterised by a fatty h ...

ine (Asian humped) cattle were present in the United States from 1849, when a single bull of Indian origin was imported from the United Kingdom to

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. In 1885 a pair of grey bulls was brought directly from India to Texas; one was large, weighing over , the other weighed little more than half that.

Cross-breeding A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. ''Crossbreeding'', sometimes called "designer crossbreeding", is the process of breeding such an organism, While crossbreeding is used to main ...

of these with local

cows was the first step in the creation of the Brahman breed. Other small groups of Indian cattle were imported up to about 1906, mostly to Texas; some of them were imported to be displayed as circus animals, and were later sold to ranchers. In 1924 and 1925 larger numbers of Brazilian cattle were brought to the United States through Mexico. These were mainly zebuine-taurine hybrid Guzerá, but also included some Gir and Nelore; there were 210 bulls and 18 cows in total. A breed association, the American Brahman Breeders Association, was formed in 1924, and a

herd-book A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders ...

was started. The name "Brahman" was chosen by J. W. Sartwelle, secretary of the association. In 1939 the herd-book was closed, thereafter recording only the offspring of registered parents. The registration in 1946 of eighteen imported Brazilian bulls, mainly

and Gir, was permitted, as were some later additions of imported stock. The association registered all American indicine cattle in the same herd-book until 1991, when herd-books for Gir, Guzerat, Indu-Brasil, Nelore and Tabapua were separated from that for the American Red and Grey Brahman. Exports of cattle of this breed to Australia began in 1933 and continued until 1954, and amounted to 49 head in all; by 1973 their offspring numbered more than 225,000. Some further imports, totalling about 700 head, took place after 1981. By 1987 there were over a million in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

alone, and by the end of the century there were more of them in Australia than of any other breed, particularly in the tropical north of the country.

Characteristics

The Brahman has good tolerance of heat and is widespread in tropical regions. It is resistant to insects thanks to its thick skin. Brahman cattle live longer than many other breeds, often producing calves at ages 15 and older.

Use

The Brahman is reared for the

meat industry The meat industry are the people and companies engaged in modern industrialized livestock agriculture for the production, packing, preservation and marketing of meat (in contrast to dairy products, wool, etc.). In economics, the meat industry is ...

, particularly in areas where good resistance to hot or tropical conditions is needed. As with other zebuine cattle, the meat is of lower quality than that of specialised European beef cattle breeds. For this reason it is commonly cross-bred with cattle of those breeds, either by raising hybrid calves born to pure-bred parents, or by creating a composite or hybrid breed, of which there are many. Some of them, such as the Brahmousin (Brahman x

Limousin Limousin (; oc, Lemosin ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. On 1 January 2016, it became part of the new administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienn ...

), Brangus (Brahman x Angus) and Simbrah (Brahman x

Simmental The Simmental ( en, Simme Valley) is an alpine valley in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. It expands from Lenk to Boltigen, in a more or less south-north direction (Obersimmental), and from there to the valley exit at Wimmis near Spiez it ta ...

) have acquired breed status in their own right, but many others have not. These include the Brahorn (Brahman x

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 ...

), the Bravon (Brahman x

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

) and South Bravon (Brahman x

South Devon South Devon is the southern part of Devon, England. Because Devon has its major population centres on its two coasts, the county is divided informally into North Devon and South Devon.For exampleNorth DevonanSouth Devonnews sites. In a narrower se ...

), the Bra-Swiss (Brahman x Brown Swiss), the Sabre (Brahman x Sussex) and the Braford (Brahman x Hereford). In

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...

and Fujairah, Brahman bulls are used in the traditional sport of bull-butting; they may be fed milk and honey to prepare them for the contest.

Gallery

File:Redbrahmancow.JPG, Red Brahman cows File:Brahman bulls.jpg, Bulls in a paddock, Northern Territory, Australia

References

{{Cattle breeds of the United States Cattle breeds originating in the United States Cattle breeds