Speckle Park Cattle Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Speckle Park cattle are a Canadian breed that is kept primarily for their good quality beef.
They have a unique coloring pattern which combines speckled hindquarters, a solid coat, broken by a line down their spine and usually a white underbelly with a white, black or roan face. They are a very easy breed to care for and maintain they are also easy to handle.

SPECKLE PARK CATTLE BREED OF CATTLE QUICK PROFILE OVERVIEW
The Speckle Park is a Canadian beef breed that is internationally known for the good quality of beef, hardiness with a good temperament.
Country of Origin:	Canada
Other Names:	Canadian Speckle Park
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: Not at risk
Health Issues?	No known health issues
Good Starter Cattle?	Novice to intermediate Cattle farmer/keeper level
Cattle Associations:	Speckle Park International Inc, Irish Speckle Park Cattle Society, and Canadian Speckle Park Association
Cattle Clubs:	Please refer to the Speckle Park International Inc, Irish Speckle Park Cattle Society, and Canadian Speckle Park Association for more information on the Speckle Park breed of cattle.
Where to buy them?	Please refer to the Speckle Park International Inc, Irish Speckle Park Cattle Society, and Canadian Speckle Park Association for more information on the Speckle Park breed of cattle.
Child Friendly?	Livestock should not be left unattended around unsupervised children
General Information:	The Speckle Park is named because of the coloring of its coat. Ireland was the first place outside of Canada to bare the first International Speckle park. The calf was born from embryo’s that were bought by a Cork farmer who bred the first European Speckle park in 2008. Speckle Park are excellent foragers that have a fast weight gain of both grass and or grain. They also have a lower level of outer layer fat which gives them good dress out percentages making them quite a profitable breed.
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Speckle Park cattle breed are medium sized frame and have a well-defined blocky body with a typical rectangular cow shaped face and slightly upturned snout. The bulls tend to be beefier and round in appearance than the more squared off females. They have long sturdy legs and with little to no dewlap.

Size:

Medium

CATTLE ⇒	COW	BULL
Breed Color:	They come in a few color pattern variations. But are mainly white with black or roan speckles. They have a predominantly white stripe on their top and bottom. They have speckles on their bodies in patterns such as leopard, speckled pattern and white pattern.	They come in a few color pattern variations. But are mainly white with black or roan speckles. They have a predominantly white stripe on their top and bottom. They have speckles on their bodies in patterns such as leopard, speckled pattern and white pattern.
Breed Weight:	550 kgs	900 kgs
Breed Height:	Unclear	Unclear
Horns:	Polled	Polled
Temperament:	Docile and calm	Docile and calm. Bulls must always be treated with care and extreme 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 with great maternal instincts and will protect their young with vigor. They have easy births with little to no birthing problems are very fertile.
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

They are sought after by butchers in Australia and Canada for their high quality of meat and impressive meat quality throughout the various cuts. They are fast growers with good carcass weights and achieve AAA grade carcass without excess outer fat. The typical finished carcass weight on the rail is an average weight of around 330kgs.

Meat Production?

Yes, Quality: 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. Their hides are a by-product of their meat production and are of good quality used in various leather products.

Skin Production?

No, 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

Speckle Park cattle were developed in Canada in both Saskatchewan and Alberta provinces of Canada. They were developed over a 50-year period to become a distinct pure-bred breed with their herd book now being closed as stipulated by the Canadian Animal Pedigree Act.

The breeds lineage is British based and is primarily from the black Angus, Teeswater Shorthorn and a white bull with colored points that is unidentified.
They are often described as the “beef breed with the color bonus” as they come in a various range of great color patterns.

The breed has much to offer cattlemen in that it has a black skin which helps stop the breed from getting various sunburnt conditions including sunburnt udders, etc. they are naturally polled, have early fertility, birthing eases with little to no problems, produce vigorous calves, have a great milking ability and have both manageable bulls and cows.