Australian Charbray
Encyclopedia
The Australian Charbray is a beef breed of cattle that is the result of the blending of two breeds, the Charolais
and the Brahman
. The Australian Charbray is within the range of 75% and 25% Charolais and Brahman, either way. The hump of the Brahman is almost non-existent, but the loose skin and enlarged dewlap are indications of the Bos indicus blood in this breed.
The Charbray is a large breed that is heavily muscle
d in the loin
and quarters. They have been well accepted in those areas where cattle carrying at least some Brahman breeding are desired because of hot and humid conditions.
An Australian Charbray is cream to light red coloured with very good growth rates on their calves. The calves are generally light tan when born but may lighten to a creamy white in a few weeks. The Charbray bull is structurally sound and has the ability to travel the distances required of bulls in hot humid environments. They have been selected for clean, tight sheaths, fertility and early testicular development. The Charbray female is also early maturing, reaching puberty
at 14–17 months and calving at or near two years of age with rapid rebreeding and good milk production.
The Australian Charbrays have performed very well in weight gain trials including Aus-Meat National Livestock Feedback Trials and in hoof and hook competitions.
Sources indicate that the Charbray calves show excellent performance in the feedlot
. Their resistance to heat, humidity
, parasites
and disease
s is to their benefit in southern feedlots. They grow rapidly and have outstanding feed converting ability. They reach slaughter weights at 12 to 15 months and produce lean, yield grade 1 and 2 carcases that require little or no fat trimming.
Charolais cattle
Charolais cattle are a beef breed of cattle which originated in Charolais, around Charolles, in France. They are raised for their meat and are known for their composite qualities when crossed with other breeds, most notably Angus and Hereford cattle...
and the Brahman
Brahman (cattle)
The Brahman or Brahma is a breed of Zebu cattle , later exported from India to the rest of the world. The main breeds used were Kankrej, Gujurat, Nelore or Ongole and the Gir or Gyr cattle...
. The Australian Charbray is within the range of 75% and 25% Charolais and Brahman, either way. The hump of the Brahman is almost non-existent, but the loose skin and enlarged dewlap are indications of the Bos indicus blood in this breed.
The Charbray is a large breed that is heavily muscle
Muscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
d in the loin
Loin
The loins are the sides between the lower ribs and pelvis, and the lower part of the back. It is often used when describing the anatomy of humans and quadrupeds . The anatomical reference also carries over into the description of cuts of meat from some such animals, eg...
and quarters. They have been well accepted in those areas where cattle carrying at least some Brahman breeding are desired because of hot and humid conditions.
An Australian Charbray is cream to light red coloured with very good growth rates on their calves. The calves are generally light tan when born but may lighten to a creamy white in a few weeks. The Charbray bull is structurally sound and has the ability to travel the distances required of bulls in hot humid environments. They have been selected for clean, tight sheaths, fertility and early testicular development. The Charbray female is also early maturing, reaching puberty
Puberty
Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction, as initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads; the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy...
at 14–17 months and calving at or near two years of age with rapid rebreeding and good milk production.
The Australian Charbrays have performed very well in weight gain trials including Aus-Meat National Livestock Feedback Trials and in hoof and hook competitions.
Sources indicate that the Charbray calves show excellent performance in the feedlot
Feedlot
A feedlot or feedyard is a type of animal feeding operation which is used in factory farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations . They...
. Their resistance to heat, humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
, parasites
Parasitism
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...
and disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
s is to their benefit in southern feedlots. They grow rapidly and have outstanding feed converting ability. They reach slaughter weights at 12 to 15 months and produce lean, yield grade 1 and 2 carcases that require little or no fat trimming.