Brahman Cattle Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Brahman cattle breed are a medium to large sized cattle that are identifiable by their well-defined hump, dewlap and excess skin they carry. They are part of the Zebu type of cattle which are well defined by these characters. They are very intelligent breed of cattle and tend to be a bit shy, but they are still quiet and easy to manage as they have great herding instincts. They have a quick growth, are hardy, adaptable and usually disease resistant.

BRAHMAN BREED OF CATTLE QUICK PROFILE OVERVIEW
The Brahman cattle are the first beef breed of cattle to be developed in the United States of America
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Other Names:	Brahma
Main Purpose:	Meat
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Can be used for	Breed, Meat
Ideal Climate:	Heat, Cold, Most Climates
Conservation Status:	Not Listed by the *ALC Status/Rarity: Common
Health Issues?	No known health issues
Good Starter Cattle?	Novice to intermediate Cattle farmer/keeper level
Cattle Associations:	American Brahman
Cattle Clubs:	Please refer to the American Brahman for more information on clubs, breeders, show, etc. for the Brahman cattle breed.
Where to buy them?	Please refer to the American Brahman for more information on clubs, breeders, show, etc. for the Brahman cattle breed.
Child Friendly?	Livestock should not be left unattended around unsupervised children
General Information:	The Brahman have an excess of skin which helps them cool their bodies down and endure the heat. They also have a black pigmented skin which helps then to endure the sun’s rays without getting any skin diseases or sunburn. Their coat is short, thick and glossy it is able to deflect much of the suns rays which make it more than capable of being able to withstand midday temperatures to continue grazing. They Brahman also have more sweat glands which enable them to sweat freely and the distinct odor that is secreted from their sebaceous glands tend to repel most insects. The breed has also been used as a riding steer being favored for its intelligence and docility.
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Brahman cattle are a medium to large breed of cattle of the Zebu breeds. They have a lump between their shoulder blades, excess skin to help them cope with extreme weather conditions and loose dewlap. These features are more pronounces in the male than in the female of the breed. They have long pendulous ears that lope at the side of their heads, a medium sized muscular body with a rounded rump and long beefy strong legs.

Size:

Medium to large

CATTLE ⇒	COW	BULL
Breed Color:	Golden Brown, red and sometimes black. There are also silvery white/a light grey with black markings	Golden Brown, red and sometimes black. There are also silvery white/a light grey with black markings
Breed Weight:	600 kgs	900 kgs
Breed Height:	Unclear	Unclear
Horns:	They can have horns, but they are usually dehorned young or polled	They can have horns, but they are usually dehorned young or polled
Temperament:	Docile and easy to handle	Docile and easy to handle
Matures at age:	6 to 8 months or 9 + months	6 to 8 months or 9 + months
Puberty Age:	6 to 15 months	9 to 1o months
Breeding Age:	13 to 15 months	1 year
Breeding Traits:	See Cow breeding & Milking Info	Cover 25 to 30 Cows in 1 season

COW BREEDING & MILKING INFORMATION
Most Cattle produce milk but not all of them are used in the dairy Cattle capacity for their milk. Cows only calve once a year and should have 12 to 14-month inter-calving cycle. The Brahman cows have a higher fertility than most breeds, good maternal instincts, make great mothers, have easy births with little to no birthing problems. They have an increased milk production and an earlier weaning period. Their milk also tends to be higher in butterfat and protein content.
Breeding Period/cycle:	Usually lasts 6 to 24 hours Most ave. 12 to 16 hours Cows usually come on heat every 21 days.
Estrous cycle:	Ave. 17 days to 24 days Heifer – usually ave. 20 days Cows – usually ave. 21 days
Gestation Period:	Usually, around 279 to 287 days but most gestation is 283 days. Cows that are carrying bull calf’s their gestation period is usually a little longer than cows that are carrying heifer calves.
No. Calves/Litter:	1 calf at a time. Cows rarely have twins or triplets, but it can happen
Lactation Period:	Cows lactation period can last for up to about 10 months (305) days.
Milking From:	1 to 6 weeks after Calving
Drying off Period:	The cow should have a 12 to 14-month inter-calving cycle. Drying off period for around 60 days before she can calve again.
Milk Quality:	Good
Milk Ideal for:	Calves
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CATTLE MEAT PRODUCTION INFORMATION

The Brahman was specifically developed to have a high carcass yield of very good quality. Their meat is lean, well marbled to produce tender, succulent cuts that have less waste. Their meat has a good bone to meat ratio and the calves have a good growth rate.

Meat Production?

Yes, Quality: Very good

CATTLE ⇒	VEAL	BEEF
Ave. Maturity Age:	6 to 8 months	9 months up to 4 years

CATTLE SKIN PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Most meat Cattle will have a skin by-product, and these are usually used in some form or just as a hide. The Brahman do have their skins used for leather production having a fine durable skin to produce quality leather products.

Skin Production?

Yes, Quality: Good

Skin is used to Produce:

Calf/cow skin leather products such as shoes, car seats, fine leather coats, gloves, handbags, belts, furniture, rugs, etc.

CATTLE ⇒	CALF	ADULT
Age they Produce from:	6 to 8 months for Calf skin	1 to 2 years old for Normal leather

HISTORY

The Brahman or Brahma as it is sometimes to referred to is a breed that was developed from the Bos indicus cattle or “sacred cattle of India”. The Bos cattle over time had to develop and adapt in order to survive the harsh conditions of India through the extreme weather conditions, drought, and famine that plagued the country through time.

This bred cattle that were extremely hardy, adaptable and able to forage out food sources where they could. These adaptations in the cattle were a source of interest to American farmers/cattle breeders and as such three strains of the Indian cattle were imported into America these were the Gir, Nelore and Guzerat breeds. There was one more that was used to a lesser extent and that was the Krishna Valley strain.

Today the Brahman cattle breed is one of the most popular breeds of cattle that is intended from the meat trade and is widely used in countries around the world including Brazil, United States, Australia, South Africa and in Europe.

The American Brahman Breeders Association was formed in 1924 with its headquarters now residing in Houston. The name Brahman was given to the breed by the secretary of the Association Mr. J. W. Sartwelle.