Types of Cows

Aberdeen-Angus is the original name of the breed as developed in Scotland and the term is still in use as such in the United Kingdom. Angus cattle are solid black cattle, although white may appear on the udder. However, there is a fairly recent, recognized, American breed called Red Angus. They are hardy, undemanding, adaptable, mature at around two years of age, and have a high carcass yield with marbled meat. They are good natured in comparison to several breeds but are more aggressive than the breeds such as the Hereford.

Belted Galloway is a breed of Galloway cattle. It is thought to be a Scottish hybrid of Galloway and Dutch Belted. This cattle breed is notable for being generally all black (sometimes dun or red), except for a prominent wide white belt running all around its middle. It was bred originally by rich Scots seeking a visual differentiatation from the herds (or "folds" as herds of Highland cattle are called) of their poorer neighbors. Cattle with clear straight-lined belts are the most prized.

Southern Yellow cattle are a breed of Zebu cattle found in Southern China, Vietnam, Taiwan, etc. Philippine Native cattle are mainly derived from Southern Yellow cattle brought from Fujian to the Philippines, they are usually very similar. Southern Yellow cattle are one of three breeds of Chinese Yellow cattle, the other two being the Central Plains Yellow and the Northern Yellow breeds. The Southern Yellow breed is clearly Zebu (Bos taurus indicus), the Northern Yellow Breed is clearly taurine (Bos taurus taurus), and the Central Plains Yellow Breed is intermediate. Which means at a glance that the Southern Yellow cattle have high, erect humps, the Northern Yellow cattle have no humps and the Central Plains Yellow cattle have small humps.Southern Yellow cattle are small, sturdy animals with good heat tolerance and parasite resistance. They have been used primarily for draft animals, but are now being selected for meat production as well. In Vietnam, they are being selected for milk production, being crossbred with Red Sindhi for this purpose.

Highland cattle are an ancient Scottish breed of cattle with long horns and shaggy pelts. The breed was developed in the Highlands and western coastal regions of Scotland, and breeding stock has been exported to Australia and North America since the 1900s. The breed was developed from two sets of stock, one originally black, and the other reddish. Today, Highland cattle come in a wide variety of colours.Highlands are known as a hardy breed (most likely due to the rugged nature of their native Scottish Highlands), which will eat plants other cattle avoid. They both graze and browse. The meat tends to be leaner than most beef, as highlands get most of their insulation from their thick shaggy hair rather than subcutaneous fat. This coat also makes them a good breed for cold Northern climates.

The Holstein is a cattle breed used in dairy farming. It is often crossbred with the Friesian, which is a very similar animal in appearance, but tends to be better built and more resilient.Developed in northern Germany (Holstein) and the province of Friesland, The Netherlands, the Holstein is sometimes also known as the Friesian Holstein or the Holstein Friesian. It was imported to the United States in the 1860s, and to Argentina in 1880 (the Argentine variety receives the name Holando-Argentino). Thanks to the breed's flexibility, productivity, and economic production of milk, the Holstein is now the most common breed of dairy cattle around the world - in the U.S., Holsteins constitute 90% of the 10 million dairy cow population.

The Texas longhorn is a breed of cattle known for its characteristic horns, which can extend to six feet in width and have a slight upward turn at their tips, as well as for their distinctive burnt orange coloring. The Longhorns is also the nickname of the sports teams of The University of Texas at Austin and the school mascot is a longhorn named Bevo. The Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America serves as the recognized registry for the breed, which can often fetch up to $60,000 at auction.In the late 1800s, the advent of barbed wire brought the open-range cattle boom to an end and allowed for more selective breeding of cattle. The leaner longhorn beef was not as attractive in an era where tallow was highly prized, and the longhorn's ability to survive on often poor vegetation of the open range was no longer as much of an issue. Other breeds demonstrated traits more highly valued by the modern rancher, such as the ability to put on weight quickly. The Texas longhorn stock slowly dwindled, until in 1927 the breed was saved from sure extinction by enthusiasts from the United States Forest Service, who collected a small herd of stock to breed on a refuge in Oklahoma. A few years later, J. Frank Dobie and others gathered small herds to keep in Texas state parks. They were cared for largely as curiosities, but the stock's longevity, resistance to disease and ability to thrive on marginal pastures quickly revived the breed as beef stock. Today, the breed is still used as a beef stock, though many Texas ranchers keep herds purely because of their link to Texas history.