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The Livestock Conservancy
Quick Reference Guide to Heritage Cattle https://livestockconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cattlechart2022.pdf
Breed Comparison Graphs: Heritage, Homestead & Miniature Cattle.
Comparison charts of heritage and other breeds of cattle found on homesteads and farms, comparing traits including purity (percentage, modern or heritage) beef, dairy or dual purpose, polled or horned, and size range (height, frame scores).
Grass-Fed Beef Program. Modern commercial breeds have developed to meet the demands of a high production model. Original heritage breeds that were left behind in the maximum production model, are new gaining favor again for smaller homesteads and grass fed operations. Heritage breeds produce grass fed beef more efficiently, at less cost per acre, and is healthier than grain fed beef. Cattle are ruminants, they evolved over hundreds of thousands of years by grazing on grass in open pastures. In a study conducted by the USDA and Clemson University, the benefits 100% of grass-fed beef and its nutritional benefits are outlined. (Source: USDA/ Clemson University, Journal of Animal Science, June 2009)
- Lower in total fat
- Higher in beta-carotene
- Higher in Vitamin E, Vitamin B, Calcium, magnesium and potassium
- Higher in total Omega-3s
- Healthier ratio of Omega-3s to Omega-6
- Higher in CLA (a potential cancer fighter)
- Higher in vaccenic acid (transforms into CLA)
Heritage Beef Breeds Taste Test by Ethan Book | 07/23/08
Manual_of_Methods_for_Genetic_Preservation_2018 of valuable equine genetics in live animals and post mortem
What is a Breed? Is there really such a thing as a purebred? Roy Wallace and Harlan Ritchie | Jul 01, 2006. Nearly all breeds were developed by combining various strains of cattle within a region. It depends on how far back you want to go in history, to define what is pure today.
Breeds of Beef & Multi-Purpose Cattle, Jan 2009, Dr. Harlan Ritchie, Michigan State University Dept of Animal Science (1935-2016)
Harlan Ritchie's Brief History of Cattle Type Adapted from Dr. Harlan Ritchie's “Historical Review of Cattle Type”
From Big to Small to Big to Small: A Pictorial History of How We've Changed What Cattle Look Like. Part 1 [onpasture.com] How did we get to the cattle we have today? Where should we go from here? These are some of the questions Dr. Harlan Ritchie (August 3, 1935 – April 27, 2016) worked to provide answers to in his long and distinguished career at Michigan State University. In this series, we'll share pictures and history that he put together. We hope it gives you some food for thought as you consider what you want out of the cattle you raise.
From Big to Small to Big to Small: A Pictorial History of Cattle Changes Over the Years. Part 2 [onpasture.com] Changes continued in the 1900s and some of them had disastrous consequences. Part 2 in the series shows the descent into dwarfism, that almost destroyed the Hereford breed.
From Big to Small to Big to Small: A Pictorial History of Cattle Changes Over the Years. Part 3 [onpasture.com] Part 3 shows the pendulum swing back to very large framed cattle, and then back to today's more moderate to small framed animals.
On the History of Cattle Genetic Resources; a researchgate.net publication
The Genetic Ancestry of American Creole cattle inferred from uniparental and autosomal genetic markers. Cattle imported from the Iberian Peninsula spread throughout America in the early years of discovery and colonization to originate Creole breeds, which adapted to a wide diversity of environments and later received influences from other origins, including Zebu cattle in more recent years. Published online: 07 August 2019.
Breed Diversity and Results of Inbreeding. Why Is Genetic Variation Important? | Countryside | July 9, 2020
The results of inbreeding and a focus on high-yielding, high-maintenance breeds raises sustainability issues in the long term. The best breeds--animals that are productive, forage well, and stay happy and healthy in natural range conditions in any area--are those that have been resident for many hundreds of years. Local animals that are tolerant of local disease and harsh conditions are better suited to systems that require lower inputs. The variety of such animals is important to long-term food security. However, when few breeds become dominant in the market, such as Holstein cattle and commercial breeds, local breeds become marginalized and their population numbers drop. This threatens their very existence. Once the diversity is lost, those genes are gone forever.
From Two Bulls, 9 Million Dairy Cows. Undark | by Maureen O'Hagan | June 19, 2019
Speaking of Diversity... Just two Y chromosomes exist within a population of 9 million registered Holsteins. What traits have been lost over time? There are more than 9 million dairy cows in the United States, and the vast majority of them are Holsteins, large bovines with distinctive black-and-white (sometimes red-and-white) markings. The amount of milk they produce is astonishing. So is their lineage. When researchers at the Pennsylvania State University looked closely at the male lines a few years ago, they discovered more than 99 percent of them can be traced back to one of two bulls, both born in the 1960s. That means among all the male Holsteins in the country, there are just two Y chromosomes.
Stem-cell breakthrough could preserve diverse livestock breeds. Dec 8, 2021 | news.cornell.edu
A livestock genome repository of living stem cell cultures could preserve livestock diversity to ensure sustainability and resilience in the face of climate change. ... drawn by not having to keep large, dangerous bulls, and by being able to choose the most genetically superior males from across the country.
Why Cows Have Horns PDF from the NZ Biodynamic Organisation - excellent article - horns are vital to cattle health in so many ways. One of the most heart-breaking and incomprehensible aspects of caring for rare breeds is seeing people take a horned breed on and immediately set about getting rid of the horns. Naturally polled breeds have developed over centuries, choose one of those if horns are not wanted.
Calving; an Advanced Course : Separating the Dairy Calf? Raising Baby Bottle Calves? (wean later than you've been told; here's why)Early separation of cow and calf has long-term effects on social behavior, date: April 28, 2015 Source: University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna (sciencedaily.com)BEHAVE.net is a research and outreach program that studies animal behavior. Our primary focus is understanding how animals learn, to enable us to train animals to fit our landscapes rather than having to modify our landscapes to fit our animals. This will reduce our use of expensive machinery, fossil fuels and toxic herbicides. Utah State University Extension.
Temple Grandin
How to Green the World's Deserts and Reverse Climate Change Through the Proper Management of Grazing Animals. Alan Savory
Mobile on-farm slaughter units in the US: The saviour of local meat production? by Marianne Landzettel. This article was first published on the website of the Sustainable Food Trust (https://bit.ly/2DTJRrC). For this pdf version more pictures have been added. All pictures ©Martin Kunz
The Livestock Conservancy
PO Box 477, 33 Hillsboro St, Pittsboro, NC 27312; 919-542-5704
Heritage Livestock Canada
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust RBST of UK
Ireland's Native Cattle Breeds (Ireland's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage).
Rare Breeds Trust of Australia
Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand
NativeBreed.org Cattle Breeds Page (World Wide Native Breeds).
We at the Heritage Cattle Directory work to support rare cattle by building win:win opportunities for all involved. We network with breeders of rare cattle, with other registries, and with various affiliations that (we believe) can help preservation breeders succeed. Affiliations of the Heritage Cattle Directory include:
- The Homestead Cattle Association (HCA) recognizes heritage animals found in any breed, and issues "Heritage Certification" registration for eligible cattle. HCA also maintains GENETIC CONSERVATION HERD BOOKS for eligible cattle that may need their pedigrees recorded, or whose breeders are interested in double registering to widen awareness and increase promotion of the rarest of rare cattle:
- Guinea Criollo Cattle Herdbook (FC, Pineywood, MC, TL)
- Heritage American Angus Herdbook
- Heritage American Hereford Herdbook
- Heritage Ayrshire Herdbook
- Heritage Brown Swiss Herdbook
- Heritage Guernsey Herdbook
- Heritage Jersey Herdbook
- Heritage Miniature Galloway Herdbook (inc. small frame)
- Heritage Miniature Scottish Highland Herdbook (inc. small frame)
- Heritage Miniature Shorthorn Herdbook (inc. small frame)
- Irish Dexter Genetic Diversity Herdbook
- Irish Kerry Genetic Diversity Herdbook
- The Homestead & Miniature Cattle Resource Directory is a resource for cattle owners of any experience level, but is especially helpful for people new to owning cattle.
- The American Lineback Cattle Registry
- The Heritage Shorthorn Society
- The U.S. Normande Breeders Organization
- The American Pinzgauer Association (est 1973)
- The International Heritage Horse Association (heritagehorse.org) was set up to recognize and register very rare populations or breeds of horses. For example, did you know about the Bad Warrior horse? It is a hypoallergenic curly stockhorse, bred for ranch work, that traces back to 1801 winter counts of the Crow & Lakota nations; and shares history with the Nokota horse.
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Heritage-Cattle Directory
Maricopa County, Arizona
a cooperate of Homestead Cattle Association,
owned by Bucking V Outfit, LLC. enterprises, est. 1990 |
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©published online 2020
