The 12 Best Beef Cow Breeds to Raise

One of the most rewarding, and also most challenging, endeavors you can engage in as a homesteader is raising beef cattle. Cows need a lot of everything: a lot of food, a lot of room, and most importantly a lot of care.

There are tons to do and lots to know, and choosing the right breed is essential if you want to maximize your chances of success.

As a beginner, this can be downright confusing considering how many breeds are out there! But you don’t need to panic: armed with the guide I will share with you below, I’ll tell you all about 13 of the best beef cow breeds to get started with.

Black Angus

If there was one known beef cattle breed that you would likely think of off the top of your head when asked, it’s probably the Black Angus. And that is with good cause: This American breed, descended from the legendary Scottish Aberdeen Angus, is a uniformly outstanding choice for raising beef, as they produce exceptionally tender, flavorful meat with perfect marbling, and the cows themselves are famously gentle, stoic, and calm.

Raising them really is a pleasure, and their glossy black fur and skin make them a regal, beautiful presence on the pasture. They might look a little intimidating, but I promise that they are genuinely gentle giants.

More good news: they tend to breed quite well, and cows universally have excellent mothering instincts towards their calves. Breeding cows is always a busy and intensive time on the homestead, but with Black Anguses you won’t have to worry about “mom” doing her part!

Scottish Highland

Another well-regarded Scottish breed, and one instantly recognizable from its shaggy, soft coat of fur and long, sweeping horns, they are among the most charismatic of the major beef breeds you’ll see on farms and homesteads today.

And that long coat of fur isn’t just for novel good looks, either: Highlands have an incredibly insulating double layer of fur, giving them impressive protection against cold. This breed is one of your very best choices if you live in a truly cold region.

These cows tend towards friendliness, but note that mothers can be particularly standoffish once they have a calf, especially if it is their first one, so be ready for that. And again, this is a breed that has horns. That said, horns don’t have to be a deal-breaker as long as you’re careful and know what you’re doing.

And, last but not least, the quality of their meat: like all of the breeds on this list, it is wonderfully tender and flavorful, though it is not truly exceptional compared to others like the Devon and Hereford. Nonetheless, a great choice for cold-weather cattle owners.

Hereford

A huge and legendary breed of beef cow, Herefords have a great reputation for a reason. They are particularly efficient eaters (meaning they put on more weight for fewer calories) and fertile, meaning that expanding your herd is easy.

And despite their immense size, these cows are known to be highly docile and easy to handle, even for novices.

Even better, no matter where you live you can probably make Herefords work for you; they do wonderfully in many different climates, whether it is hot, cold, or somewhere in the middle.

And, I’d be remiss if we didn’t talk about the quality of the beef that they produce: Hereford beef is famously flavorful, tender, and commonly described as having picture-perfect marbling as a rule.

If you can afford them, you won’t go wrong with this breed.

Shorthorn

An English breed that has been in the US since the late 18th century, the Shorthorn is a true utility cow but one that is especially well suited for producing beef.

There are good producers of milk, (though they do not compare next to the super-producers of our era), yield well-marbled, finely textured, and scrumptious beef, and are even used from time to time as draft animals for pulling carts and plows.

Shorthorns are a highly adaptable and hardy breed, shrugging off inclement weather with nary a care and, like Hereford’s, positively thrive in all sorts of environments. This is a truly well-rounded cow!

Even better for the homesteader who’s looking to expand their flock the old-fashioned way, Shorthorns are remarkably easy breeders and superb mothers. You shouldn’t have any issues getting your cows to calve and support their babies.

Shorthorns are highly recommended, and one of my personal favorite breeds for all purposes, not just beef!

Limousin

Athletically muscular and possessed of a beautiful sienna-colored fur, the Limousin is a rightly famous French beef breed that has come down through the ages from humble and inauspicious origins as a draft animal to one of the most coveted producers of beef known today.

Limousins are notable for producing some of the most gorgeous, delicious, and perfectly marbled meat out of any of the breeds on this list, and combined with their efficient, compact frame and the fact that they gain weight quickly on considerably less food means they are far more productive in the same amount of time compared to most of the other cows on our list.

This is a combination that is undeniably attractive to prospective owners, meaning you can produce more and better beef for a lot less food.

And to keep the perks coming, I’m also happy to report that Limousins are dependably good, easy calvers, meaning you’ll rarely struggle to expand your herd. They are a cow-lovers classic for a good reason.

Devon

The Devon cow is a legitimately ancient breed, and the earliest known confirmation of its existence in England stretches all the way back to the mid-14th century. Considering they’ve survived this long, there’s got to be something special about them!

And there surely is: this is a cow that is fantastically, phenomenally tough. They are good growers even on sparse, relatively low-quality pasture.

If you have even average pasturage on your property they will thrive. Better yet, their beef has an earned reputation as being sublimely delicious with a notably good texture.

Although the breed is raised pretty much just for meat today, there is a variant, known as the milking Devon strain, that’s much closer to the true dual-purpose cow that existed way back when.

This strain is much harder to track down compared to the typical, modern variation of Devons, but it is something to keep in mind. In any case, both variants are incredibly tough and resistant to disease and injury. Despite this ruggedness, they are still known to be gentle and easy to manage.

Simmental

A Swiss breed that is easily recognized by its massive, bulky, and muscular build, the Simmental is a true dual-purpose breed that does not give up any efficacy in the production of either product. Their milk is remarkably rich, creamy, and delicious, and their beef is perfectly marbled, juicy and rich.

The cows themselves, despite their incredible size, are also easy-going and easily led, a sure confidence booster for new and sometimes nervous cattle owners. And do not insult: you are right to be cautious around such large and powerful animals!

The only downside that you might encounter with the Simmental is that, in many markets, they command a premium and can be significantly more expensive compared to most of the other breeds on our list, at least here in the US…

But, one unique trait they have is that they are ideally suited for crossbreeding, something to consider if you’re looking to innovate with your own herd.

Red Poll

Known for their shocking brick red fur, Red Polls are an inspired beef breed, although they are technically a dual-purpose cow: They are capable producers of milk, but they are rightly famous for their meat which is uniformly good in all aspects.

Somewhat smaller than most of the other beef breeds on our list, the Red Poll is also remarkably mild-mannered and friendly, and is often described as sweet-natured with people- as long as they are raised right.

More than most other breeds on our list, this makes the Red Poll a particularly wise choice for beginners: this is a cow that will be easy to get along with and is capable of producing plenty of milk along with beef if you want to learn the ropes of raising cattle generally.

You can’t ask for more than that, and perhaps the only downside they have is that the breed is currently classified as somewhat endangered by the Livestock Conservancy, meaning there aren’t that many of them out there.

If you can track down enough to start a herd, you won’t be sorry…

American Brahman

The American Brahman is a US-developed breed bred from Indian stock. They are known for their highly distinctive physical characteristics, including droopy, loose skin and large, prominent humps of fat on their shoulders just behind the neck.

They can also grow to be truly huge, with bulls regularly reaching and sometimes clearing 2,200 pounds!

These are downright massive cows, but you don’t have to be unduly worried because this well-developed breed is known for its serene, calm disposition.

And, because they have descended from Indian stock, they are remarkably well suited to and tolerant of extreme heat and high humidity. If you live in the Deep South or Southwest, make this breed on your shortlist to look into.

In contrast to the arid environments that they typically inhabit, Brahman meat is known for juiciness and a rich flavor that is described by connoisseurs as slightly sweet.

This makes them one of the most unique cows on our list when you consider that along with the rest of their characteristics. An especially fine choice of breed if you live in a hot environment!

Murray Grey

The first Australian breed on our list, and as the name suggests typically seen with a dappled gray, light brown, or silver color, this is another superb choice for a first-time cattle owner.

Showing consistently excellent conversion rates, amiability, and superb beef quality, the Murray Grey is a perfect cow in many regards.

But, somewhat surprisingly considering where they come from, perhaps the only thing holding them back is that they are a bit particular when it comes to environment: This is a cow that likes it just right, neither too hot nor too cold, and neither too dry nor too humid.

They are prone to suffering from reduced production, increased stress, and other problems if forced to endure in harsh weather or extreme environments.

But if you live anywhere with a temperate climate you can rest assured that your Murray Greys will treat you right.

Gelbvieh

A cow that is nearly mythical for the quality of its beef, the German Gelbvieh might be hard to pronounce and harder to spell, but that is where the difficulties with it end.

These impressive red and yellow cows were originally just another utility breed, raised and kept as powerful draft animals, milkers and also for slaughtering for the succulent, tender and indescribably flavorful beef that they are known for today.

And speaking of today, they really aren’t kept even as dual-use any more except on a small scale, such is the reputation of the meat they produce.

This is also another beef breed that is remarkably fertile with high reproductive success. Cows uniformly show superb maternal instincts, but are known to be highly defensive of their young, and even adults can be a bit standoffish and stoic.

Nonetheless, they are not truly mean or aggressive, and with regular and consistent interaction they are easy to work with.

Beefmaster

The cow breed with the coolest name on our list is a perfect example of truth in advertising. The Beefmaster is a proprietary hybrid breed developed from three other already-legendary beef cattle: the Shorthorn, Brahman, and Hereford featured elsewhere on our list.

And, as you’d expect and hope, the resulting animal is insanely optimized for beef production. It produces a tremendously good carcass yield while being incredibly adaptable, healthy, and hardy.

No wonder they are a favorite cow of the Texas beef industry, and surprisingly enough, they do well pretty much everywhere, including in very cold climates.

They also show good conversion rates even with subpar pasture, so anything but the most barren and dilapidated land is capable of supporting them. This truly is a beef breed with few rivals, and one I can recommend wholeheartedly for beginning cattle owners.