Droughtmaster Cattle Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Droughtmaster cattle breed was specifically bred to endure the tropical climates of Queensland in Australia. They are a medium to large breed with an impressive muscular body and are quite docile. They are also parasite resistant which helps with the abundance of ticks that tend to frequent tropical areas. They are usually polled but there are strains that come horned, but these are usually dehorned as a calf.

DROUGHMASTER BREED OF CATTLE QUICK PROFILE OVERVIEW
Medium to large breed that is parasite resistant and yield could carcass weights for good quality beef.
Country of Origin:	Australia
Other Names:	None
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:	Droughtmaster Stud Breeders Society
Cattle Clubs:	Please refer to the Droughtmaster Stud Breeders Society for more information on the Droughtmaster breed of cattle
Where to buy them?	>Please refer to the Droughtmaster Stud Breeders Society for more information on the Droughtmaster breed of cattle
Child Friendly?	Livestock should not be left unattended around unsupervised children
General Information:	The red pigmentation in the Droughtmaster cattle breeds skin is what helps to protect them against cancer eye, sunburnt udders, and photosensitization. Many feedlot trials have shown the cattle to have good daily weight gains as in comparison to other breeds. Thus, the reason for large commercial herds of Droughtmaster cattle been found on various native pastures of both the Northern territories of Australia and Queensland. The Droughtmaster cattle breeds embryos and semen have been exported to many countries such as the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America, South America and the Pacific Islands since the 1970s.
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Droughtmaster is a purpose-bred breed that is medium to large with a large block body and curved back with a hump between the shoulders and a tight/small dewlap. They have long powerful legs and a small heart-shaped face.

Size:

Medium to large

CATTLE ⇒	COW	BULL
Breed Color:	Deep red or golden honey
Breed Weight:	550 kgs	930 kgs
Breed Height:	1.2 m	1.5 m
Horns:	Yes, but they are mainly polled or dehorned	Yes, but they are mainly polled or dehorned
Temperament:	Docile, calm and easy to handle	Docile, calm and easy to handle. Bulls should never be underestimated and always be treated with caution
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. They are excellent mothers and have great maternal instincts. They are fertile and have mostly easy births with little to no problems. They have a good milk yield and are easily bred.
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 and can be used for drinking and other dairy products
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CATTLE MEAT PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Droughtmaster cattle are well known for the superior quality of well-muscled carcass with optimum fat coverage. They Droughtmaster cattle have an excellent dressing percentage and high saleable meat yields. Their dressing percentage results are around 58% with 76% saleable meat yields. They are considered a middle of the road breed with fat cover at optimum levels. They have a great marbling performance that is among the highest of the Bos indicus derived breed. Their docility and calmness keep their meat color good and the PH levels acceptable.

Meat Production?

Yes, Quality: Good / High quality of meat

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. They are not specifically bred for their cattle hide but it does become a by-product of their meat production. As such their skin/hides are used in various leather products such as rugs, etc.

Skin Production?

N/A

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

Droughtmaster cattle are known as a tropical beef breed due to the fact that they originated from North Queensland in Australia.
Several cattlemen took it upon themselves to cross British cattle breeds such as the British Shorthorn with the Brahman cattle breed in the early 1900s.

The need for this project arose in response to the need for a cattle breed that was hardy enough to withstand the tropical climate and be tick resistant. They breed would also have to be able to efficiently utilize the grazing environment of this area for higher weight gains without compromise to fertility.

The Droughtmaster cattle emerged and have extremely good adaptability, can withstand varying temperatures, has a high fertility rate, is docile, parasite resistant, good meat quality and the cows calve with ease.