History
In the late 1960’s a few cattlemen experimented by combining Simmental with Brahman, these crosses evolved into the breed Simbrah.
Originally developed in the hot, humid areas of the Gulf Coast, Simbrah have been selected so they can thrive in the Northwest and Northeast regions of the United States where temperatures range from 115 degrees in the summer to 25 degrees below zero in the winter.
The Brahman was chosen for heat and insect tolerance, hardiness and excellent foraging ability, as well as maternal calving ease and longevity. The Simmental for early sexual maturity, fertility, milking ability, rapid growth and good beef characteristics. The docile disposition of most Simmental is also a plus for this composite. These two cattle breeds have been used in cooperation to produce Simbrah.
The Simbrah herdbook is maintained by the American Simmental Association and thus breeders have one of the most state-of-the-art sire summaries in the industry available to assist them in making their breeding decisions. There is great interest in the breed worldwide. Simbrah are being developed in many areas where Zebu breeding predominates as well as other areas where Simbrah’s blend of features is desired.
Characteristics
The Simbrah are a medium sized cattle breed which take its characteristics from both the Brahman and the Simmental. They come in various colours, usually red with a bit of white on the face or black with a bit of white on the face. They have a slight hump above the neck and have slightly larger ears than European beef breeds.
Statistics
- Excellent maternal traits
- Rapid growth
- Hybrid vigour
- Heat tolerance
- Lean high quality beef
- Longevity
Distribution
The Simbrah breed is one of the most popular of the Brahman-influenced, or American breeds, with more than 10,000 head being registered annually. Simbrah cattle are mainly produced in the USA.
References (the above information was cited from the following sites)
www.ansi.okstate.edu
www.jhcranch.com
www.triplescattleservice.com
