The Southern Yellow is a group of

cattle breeds Over 1000 breeds of cattle are recognized worldwide, some of which adaptation, adapted to the local climate, others which were bred by humans for specialized uses. Cattle breeds fall into two main types, which are regarded as either two closely ...

distributed in southern China. It is one of the three principal groups within the overall Chinese Yellow cattle population, which includes all indigenous Chinese cattle of both ''

Bos taurus Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called ...

'' and '' Bos indicus'' origin, as well as hybrids between the two species; Chinese people traditionally do not distinguish between these. The other two major groupings are the Northern Yellow and the Central Plains Yellow.

Classification

In 2001 a total of fifty-two breeds –

taurine Taurine (), or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is a naturally occurring amino sulfonic acid that is widely distributed in animal tissues. It is a major constituent of bile and can be found in the large intestine. It is named after Latin (cogna ...

, zebuine or hybrid – were listed within the overall Chinese Yellow grouping, which does not include cattle substantially influenced by imported breeds. Breeds within the Southern Yellow or Changzhu group include the Leiqiong, the Minnan, the Panjiang, the Wuling and the Yunnan Humped. The group is distributed in the

Anhui Anhui is an inland Provinces of China, province located in East China. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, bordering Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the east, Jiang ...

Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

Guizhou ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_map = Guizhou in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_alt = Map showing the location of Guizhou Province , map_caption = Map s ...

Hainan Hainan is an island provinces of China, province and the southernmost province of China. It consists of the eponymous Hainan Island and various smaller islands in the South China Sea under the province's administration. The name literally mean ...

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

Jiangxi ; Gan: ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = , translit_lang1_type3 = , translit_lang1_info3 = , image_map = Jiangxi in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_caption = Location ...

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

, southern

Shaanxi Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

and

Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...

provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

of southern China. A slightly different classification of the Chinese native breeds has been proposed on the basis of genetic studies. The proposed groupings are: a Mongolian group in the north and north-west of the country; a southern group of principally zebuine origin, with some genetic input from the

banteng The banteng (''Bos javanicus''; ), also known as tembadau, is a species of wild Bovinae, bovine found in Southeast Asia. The head-and-body length is between . Wild banteng are typically larger and heavier than their Bali cattle, domesticated ...

, ''Bos javanicus''; and an intermediate group in the central part of the country, consisting mainly of taurindicine hybrids. The small Tibetan breed is not assigned to any of these three groups.

Characteristics

Cattle in the Southern Yellow group are generally smaller than those in the other two major groupings. They are compact, sturdy and short-legged, with good heat tolerance and some resistance to

tick Ticks are parasitic arachnids of the order Ixodida. They are part of the mite superorder Parasitiformes. Adult ticks are approximately 3 to 5 mm in length depending on age, sex, and species, but can become larger when engorged. Ticks a ...

s and to piroplasmosis. They are usually humped, with a large

dewlap A dewlap is a longitudinal flap of skin or similar flesh that hangs beneath the lower jaw or neck of many vertebrates. More loosely, it can be various similar structures in the neck area, such as those caused by a double chin or the submandibula ...

; the horns, hooves and muzzle are normally black.

Use

Cattle in this group are generally of draught conformation, with little aptitude for beef production. They are commonly shallow in the chest, and carry little rump muscle; meat yields are generally low. Milk yields of Chinese Yellow cattle in general is within the range in a

lactation Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. The process naturally occurs with all sexually mature female mammals, although it may predate mammals. The process ...

of days. The low milk yield is a limiting factor in the growth rate of calves.

References

{{reflist, refs= Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016)
''Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding''
(sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. {{isbn, 9781780647944. Breed data sheet: Leigiong / China (Cattle)
Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed December 2022. Qiu Huai, Ju Zhiyong, Chang Zhijie (1993)

''World Animal Review – Revue Mondiale de Zootechnie – Revista Mundial de Zootecnia''. 76 (3). Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. {{issn, 1014-6954. John William Longworth, Colin G. Brown, Scott A. Waldron (2001)
''Beef in China: Agribusiness Opportunities and Challenges''
Brisbane: University of Queensland Press. {{isbn, 9780702232312. Cattle in China