Rare British White Cattle Are Calm, Easy To Handle

Rare British White Cattle Are Calm, Easy To Handle LIVESTOCK Beef 25-1-21 After years in the cattle business raising full-sized beef breeds, Texas rancher Morris Halliburton discovered British Whites. "I guess you could say I fell in love with them," he says. "They're calm and easy to handle. Their number one trait is gentleness." They're also productive meat animals. Halliburton says it's not uncommon for a pen of British White steers to grade higher than 92 percent choice or prime. British Whites are one of the oldest cattle breeds in the world. They are white with black ears, black muzzles, black pigment around their eyes, and a black splash of hair up each leg above their black hooves. British Whites in North America resemble a couple of other breeds called American White Parks and Ancient White Parks, both with their origins in Great Britian. Ancient White Parks have longer hair and long horns, while British Whites have a medium length hair coat and are naturally polled. American White Parks and British Whites have similar markings but American White Parks are slightly smaller and may or may not have horns. Before a parting of the ways a few years ago, British Whites and American White Parks were part of the same herd registry. DNA testing shows the three breeds are gentically distinct, however. Halliburton says most British White bulls would have a frame score of 6-7 and cows would score 5-6. An average mature bull weighs around 1,800 to 2,300 lbs., while mature cows average around 1,000 to 1,500 lbs. After discovering the breed, Halliburton was so enthused about British Whites that he joined the fledgling breed association in the U.S. and now serves as executive secretary. Halliburton sold about 50 head of registered stock last September, for an average price of about $1,230 per head. His top yearling bull sold for $2,700. A cow with a bull calf by her side sold for $2,625. An open heifer fetched $1,825. At the present time, there are only about 85 active dues-paying breeders in the British White Cattle Association. Registered herds are scattered all across the country. Halliburton says he had interested buyers from 12 states at his sale. Some breeders have used British Whites in crossbreeding programs, but most are producing purebreds. Many of the breeders import semen from Britain so they can use the best bulls available. British White cows calve easily, are good mothers, and good milk producers. Halliburton's herd numbers about 35 cows and heifers of breeding age (after his sale). In total, there are only about 1,200 cows and heifers of breeding age in the U.S. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Morris Halliburton, executive secretary, American British White Association, LLC, 200 Halliburton Drive, Bells, Texas 75414 (ph 903 965-4509; E-mail: meh@texoma.net; Web site: www.britishwhite.com).

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