Canadian beef cattle are smooth, well muscled animals with strong legs. They are big,
long, well balanced cattle with weight spread evenly between front and rear quarters. They
have been bred to produce a high quality lean
meat, with a minimum of bone or fat.
COMMON BEEF BREEDS:
- Charolais: Originated in France, brought to Canada in 1966, creamy beige in color.
- Hereford: Originated in Herefordshire England, red with white faces.
- Limousin: Originated in France, brought to Canada in 1968, light reddish brown coat and
white around the eyes.
- Aberdeen: Originated in Scotland, brought to Canada in 1850, pure redor pure black.
- Simmental: Originated in Switzerland, brought to Canada in 1967, yellowish to reddish
brown with white markings.
- Shorthorn: Originated in Britain, brought to Canada in 1832 , one of the oldest breeds
in Canada, with red, white or roan markings.
CHARACTERSISTICS COMMON TO ALL CATTLE
- All cattle are cloven-hoofed animals, this means that their tracks show the 2 toes which
make up each hoof.
- Cattle are herd animals, they like to group together for protection at night or in the
cold. If a wolf wanted to harm a cow, he wouldn't be able to because there would be too many
of them in the herd together. During the day they usually spread out to graze.
- The hides of all cattle can be made into leather and then in to shoes, jackets, or belts.
- They eat plant material such as forages, straw, and leaves.
- Cattle eat grass by wrapping their tongues around the grass and pulling it into their
mouths.
- They can eat plants that people cannot eat.
- Cows are ruminant animals.
Cows do not chew the grass very much as it goes into their large rumen (their biggest
stomach) where it is stored and broken down into balls of cud. When the animal has eaten its
fill, it rests and chews its cud. The balls of cud are brought back up into the mouth, chewed
into a pulp and swallowed again. The chewed food goes on through the other 3 stomachs, where
it is digested. The other 3 stomachs are called the reticulum, omasum and
abomasum.
Each year every cow has a calf, or sometimes a set of twins. A cow and her calf may eat up 2
tons of grass or hay in one year. These amazing ruminant animals are happiest and healthiest
in dry, rough or mountainous areas where other crops will not grow.
A quick fact to consider:
In western Canada, 25 acres feeds 1 cow. In South-Western Quebec, 2 acres feeds 1 cow. If 2.4
acres = 1 hectare, and 7 classrooms = about 1 acre, then it would take 15 classrooms of grass
to feed 1 cow in Quebec, and 183 classrooms to feed 1 in western Canada.
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