Shorthorn

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Shorthorn cattle are a British breed from the counties of Durham and Yorkshire in northeast England. They come in red, white, or roan, and there is a white variety called Whitebred Shorthorn. The Shorthorn family has given rise to several breeds in the United Kingdom—the Beef Shorthorn, the Dairy Shorthorn, the Northern Dairy Shorthorn, and the Whitebred Shorthorn. In Australia, seven Shorthorn-related breeds are recognized, including the Australian Shorthorn, Beef Shorthorn, Dairy Shorthorn, Illawarra Shorthorn, Poll Shorthorn, Durham, and Weebollabolla Shorthorn. Other Shorthorns include the Japanese Shorthorn and the Milking Shorthorn in the United States.

The Shorthorn developed from Teeswater and Durham cattle in northeast England. In the late 1700s, the Colling brothers improved Durham cattle using selective breeding similar to Robert Bakewell’s methods. The famous Durham Ox was born in 1796, and the bull Comet, bred by Charles Colling, sold for 1000 guineas in 1810—the first time a bull reached that price. Some Durham-type cattle were brought to the United States before 1808 and helped form American Shorthorns.

Breeding work continued with Teeswater and Booth cattle. George Coates published the first world’s herd book in 1822, and the Shorthorn Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded in 1874, continuing Coates’s Herd Book. The American Shorthorn Herd Book started in 1846, followed by the American Shorthorn Association in 1872.

Today Shorthorns are found mainly in English-speaking countries and in some Southern Hemisphere countries. They have contributed to the development of other breeds, such as Belmont Red and Santa Gertrudis. The Durham breed is preserved at Beamish Museum in northeast England. Shorthorns were among the first cattle imported to Australia, helping to establish Poll Shorthorns and other Australian breeds.