Shorthorn cattle can be found all around the world from the UK to the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and are known for both their beef breeding and milking qualities.
Their recorded history goes back more than 200 years, with origins that can be traced back to the Teeswater and Durham cattle in the north-east of England, making them one of the oldest British cattle breeds.
They were originally a dual-purpose animal but certain blood lines within the breed always showed one quality or the other. In the early 1800’s they began being selectively bred separately for their beef and milking qualities and over time two separate breeds have developed – the Beef Shorthorn and the Milking Shorthorn.
The World’s first herdbook for pedigree Shorthorn was started in 1822 but it was not until 1958 that beef breeders started their own section of the herdbook, and since then the Beef Shorthorns have been developed as a separate breed.
Shorthorn Beef, are known as a medium size, muscular breed and are leaner than many other beef breeds. They are docile and easy to handle with easy calving and very good mothering traits. Calves grow really well and mature early. Shorthorn beef are natural grazers, suitable for low input systems and gain weight efficiently. They have an enviable reputation for producing a very good quality carcass with well marbled, tender meat that has a unique flavour. And it is the good marbling that adds to the tenderness of the meat.
They come in three colours; red, white and roan (a blend of red and white). Red Shorthorn can be either solid red or can have white markings and can either be horned or polled. Solid red Shorthorn can be used to help maintain solid colours when used for crossbreeding, with the white and roan used over black cattle to produce both blues and blacks.
Cross breeding with Shorthorn Beef is an absolute stand out for the breed with Shorthorn genetics used in the development of breeds worldwide, having a huge importance, ensuring a very bright future for the breed. One of the big advantages of a Shorthorn cross is the steers having an excellent weight gain and are good feed converters. Bulls can be known to be quieter than other breeds and have high libidos and excellent fertility with a mature bull reaching 990kgs.
In 1999, the Shorthorn Society of Australia established a research and development facility to enhance the advancement of the beef industry using Shorthorn genetics.
They were the first cattle breed to arrive in Australia in 1800 and in 1814 two cows and a bull were gifted from Governor Macquarie to New Zealand.
Today, Shorthorns form the basis of over 40 breeds worldwide.
