Brahman and Angus cattle are two of the most widely known breeds of cattle, and both are excellent as their own individual respective breed. However, when crossing these two breeds – ranchers can get one of the best combinations for maximum hybrid vigor.
Brahman x Angus is one of the most popular crosses for producing F-1 cattle and commercial cattle that will work anywhere in the USA.
In this blog, we will compare the differences between Brahman cattle and Angus cattle. Together, when used in crossbreeding, you can maximize the strengths and weaknesses of each breed to achieve a great beef animal for your specific environment.
Brahman Pros:
- Heat tolerant.
- Longevity – A Brahman cow is proven to have greater years in production, meaning more possible calves in a lifetime and more money for the rancher.
- Insect resistant – Able to repel insects like ticks, mosquitos and flies.
- Most are naturally horned but a growing number are polled.
- Excellent fertility and mothering ability.
- Brahman bulls have longevity and are very aggressive breeders.
- The marketability of a Brahman F-1 – especially a female – is always very solid in the southern U.S.A.
- A great junior program – the AJBA – for youth Brahman kids, including a show for F1s.
- The Brahman F-1 Golden Certified and F-1 Certified Program is a great program for verifying Brahman cattle in crossbreeding and get a premium. Options offered for a tag or certificate through the ABBA.
- When used in crossbreeding, Brahman can help you achieve the greatest hybrid vigor — meaning more pounds — which usually also means more money back in the producers pocket if you are selling by the pound, or on the rail. Here’s a great guide about using Brahman in crossbreeding.
- Learn more about Why Brahman?
Brahman Cons:
- Brahman are not necessarily built for cold climates, however when crossed with a Bos taurus breed, such as Angus, the resulting offspring is much more cold adaptable.
- No breed association sponsored beef program, however B.R. Cutrer does offer Brahman Country Beef as an option for its clients to participate in through our cooperator program.
Angus Pros:
- Availability- Angus cattle are very popular in a variety of areas, making them easy to access. There are very good Angus breeder sin every state in the USA and good Angus cattle are readily available no matter where you live.
- Toughness- they can thrive in cold winters.
- Naturally polled- there is no need to dehorn Angus calves, which results in less stress on the animal and no infections.
- Fertility and generally good calving ease.
- Angus are highly unlikely to have pinkeye, sunburn or cancer because of their pigmented skin.
- Great mothering ability along with vigorous calves.
- Premium prices for black hides at sale barns.
- Certified Angus Beef program is known throughout the world as a premium beef product and known for it’s quality and consistency.
- National Junior Angus Association- The NJAA is a great program for juniors that are interested in raising and exhibiting Angus cattle. The NJAA offers one of the best and largest junior national summer shows in the USA.
Angus Cons:
- Dislike of heat. Unlike Brahman cattle, Angus are black hided and do not have the same sweating mechanism like Brahman cattle.
Here at BRC, the majority of our customers are using Brahman in a crossbreeding program, and commonly the other breed in their system includes a Bos taurus breed like Hereford or Angus, and then a terminal breed like Charolais for a bull. We are also seeing clients using Akaushi as a cross in their program.
We are huge fans of crossbreeding to achieve the best possible cattle for your environment. If you live in the southern United States, it makes a lot of sense to utilize Brahman and Angus genetics in your program to achieve the best of both worlds.
If you are considering incorporating crossbreeding into your ranching operation, we encourage you to visit the American Brahman Breeders Association and American Angus Association websites, and learn about the breed and it’s association services. These are two great organizations that are ready and able to help their members get the most out of their ranching experience.
We hope you found this blog informative, and if we can assist you in providing low birthweight Brahman bulls for your crossbreeding program, or provide you with Brahman replacement females for sale to go in a F-1 program, we would love to visit with you. Or, if you’re looking for Angus genetics, we have several great recommendations of top Hereford breeders we would be glad to put you in touch with.
To get started in finding the perfect Brahman for you, fill out our “Buy a Brahman” form, or give us a call at 979-532-9141 or email office@brcutrer.com.
