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 opera ...

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

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

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 em ...

cows with

Brahman In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' (; IAST: ''Brahman'') connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality of the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part XII In the ...

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 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 ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. 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 o ...

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