Here are a few British White Cattle Facts that make them a choice breed of beef cattle.
The following British White Cattle Facts tell a lot about our breed of cattle. At this little British White Cattle Farm in Texas we have received a lot of enjoyment from raising this breed of cattle.
Efficient & Trouble Free.
Sometimes known as “easy keeper”, meaning that an animal efficiently converts feed into pounds of gain. Most people can easily understand the importance of this trait but the economic implications sometimes escape them. A BRITISH WHITE bull that was placed on a 140 day test at the University of Missouri gained at the rate of 4.04 pounds per day with a feed efficiency ratio of 5.5 pounds of feed consumed per one pound of gain.
Excellent Milking Ability.
If it’s a beef cow, why worry about milking ability? The baby calf will grow and add weight based upon its mama’s ability to produce ample quantities of rich milk. Anyone who has ever seen a herd of BRITISH WHITES knows that an abundance of rich milk is available for the baby calves. She is an excellent mother and even a heifer with her first calf produces much rich milk. The cows have well set udders with a minimum of fatty tissue and teats that hold their shape. It is not uncommon to see 14 and 15 year old BRITISH WHITE cows with udders tightly set and well shaped teats.
Lean & Tender.
Today’s consumer wants sound nutrition and does not want to sacrifice taste and tenderness. The BRITISH WHITE meets these requirements.
Purebred or crossbred steers will finish out at 1100 to 1200 pounds and grade choice. A 63%-66% carcass to live weight is not uncommon.
Superior Maternal Instinct.
BRITISH WHITE cows have maternal instincts superior to the average cow. First calf heifers claim their calves and get them up and started faster than any other breed. Cows that do not claim their calves are unheard of in this breed. BRITISH WHITE cattle are easy calving and very rarely need assistance and have an enormously high percentage of live calf drops.
BRITISH WHITES also incorporate the nursery system of protecting groups of calves by a guard cow while the remainder of the herd grazes.
Growth & Hardiness.
BRITISH WHITE cattle have a hardiness that enables them to forage, graze, survive and do well even on very poor pasture. They have the ability to stay in good condition and breed back regularly where some breeds would have a tough time surviving.
They thrive in either extreme heat or cold. BRITISH WHITES have proved themselves in all kinds of weather extremes; see our membership list to get an idea of the geography covered.
BRITISH WHITE bulls are perfect for cross breeding.
They transmit the superior qualities of the breed to their offspring. Breeders have discovered that they have less calving problems with cows and heifers of all breeds when crossed with a BRITISH WHITE BULL. Yet the good growth is still there. It is very common for a 1,000 LB cow to wean a BRITISH WHITE calf at well above 500 lbs. strictly on grass.
The first British White Cattle Society was form in England in the 1940s and below is a chart of their recommended standards with points assigned to each standard. This could be used as a good guideline for British White Cattle Facts when judging the cattle.
