Limousine (Continental)

- good beefing ability: fine grain, muscle development, kill-out rate

- good maternal qualities

- easy to manage suckler breed 

- easy calving

- best index for weight of weaned calf per kilo of maintained cow

***On Lyons

Brown Swiss

- long gestation period

- immense size

- large furry ears

- extremely docile temperament

- 2nd largest producer of milk

Jersey

- smaller, lower body weight (360-540kg)

- good temperment

- easy calvers

- high buttefat

- high fertility

Montebeliarde

- red and white pied

- mainly dairy (cheese)

- short horns

- lower milk yields but better longevity and fertility and lower cell counts than holsteins

Salers

- large with thick mahogany red or black coat

- long, lyre shaped light colored horns

- dual purpose (originally for work)

- withstand extreme temps

- high fertility and ease of breeding

Maine- Anjou

- red and white

- large breed

- dual purpose, but most use for beef

Hereford

- beef breed

- thrive on nearly every continent

- deep fore quarters, depth, muscling

- docile temperment

- fast growing calves

- good quality beef 

- easy breeders and calvers

- red with wide white face

- XHerefords have white outside the eyes

***On Lyons!!!

Belgian Blue

- sculpted, heavily muscled beef breed

- "double muscling" from myostatin mutation

- blue-grey mottled hair

- very lean 

- dystocia and caesarian sections common/routine

Shorthorn

- dual purpose meat and dairy

- red, white, or roan

***On Lyons!!!

Angus

- beef

- naturally polled

- solid black or red (udder may be white)

- used to reduce dystocia

- poor temperment

***On Lyons!!!

Charolais

- beef

- composite qualities when crossed

- large muscled

- heat tolerant

- good weight gain even on mediocre pasturage

- almost pure white coat, light red, or black

***On Lyons!!!

Blonde d'Aquitaine

- beef

- hardy lean, with light but strong bone

- docile

- some variation in color ranging from white to tan

- 

Dexter

- smallest of the european breeds (1/2 size of hereford and 1/3 size of fresian)

- originating from Ireland

- wide and deep body with well rounded hindquarter

- usually black, dark red, or dun, but always solid

- typically dual purpose, but herds tend to focus on meat or milk 

- milk similar to jersey

- exceptionally good mothers (hide calves from birth)

- willingly nurse calves from other cows

- short and long legged varieties

Guernsey

- dairy

- fawn and white

- rich milk, hardy, and docile

- easy calving

- sometimes referred to as more fragile

Piedmontese

- similar to BB muscling (beef)

- born fawn color turns to grey-white as they mature

- but also dairy (special cheeses)

Simmental

- versatile (dairy, beef, and draught)

- rapid growth of young

- red and white spotted or gold and white (80% in US are black)

- face is normally white (usually passed onto crosses)

***On Lyons!!!

Norwegian Red

- red and white coat

- primarily dairy

- hardy

- high producers and fertility

Normande

- dual purpose

- chestnut brown pied or black pied

- head is white and eyes are spectacled

Holstein Friesian

- worlds highest producing dairy breed

- black and white, can be red and white

- large breed (US lines larger and high yield)

- good temperment

Ayrshire

- dairy

- red and white markings

- low somatic cell counts

- efficient food conversion

- easy calving and longevity

- medium sized, strong, rugged, hardy

- no excessive foot and leg problems

- relatively high protein in milk, avg butterfat