7 Questions People Have About British White Cattle
If you have questions about British White Cattle, then you came to the right place! Here at Black Label Farms, we take pride in our animals and making sure people have the right information about British White Cattle before making the investment in their own operation. If you have any questions beyond this list, please contact us!
1. Is there a difference between British White Cattle and White Park Cattle?
There really aren’t any differences between the two breeds. In fact, there are two registries for each of the breeds. There is the British White Cattle Association of America and there is the American British White Park Association. They both strive to continue developing and protecting the gene pool of this breed.
A majority of our herd is dual registered with both associations. There is a rare breed called "Ancient White Parks" that looks similar to British Whites and British Parks but they have horns and no horned animals are allowed to be registered in either association.
Check out this post of Dr. Marissa Hake, Co-Owner of Black Label Farms explaining the difference between the breeds. https://www.facebook.com/BlackLabelFarmsLLC/videos/651156436056593
2. Do British Whites have horns?
No, the British White Cattle are considered a polled breed, which means they are born without horns. Although occasionally, you will see something called scurs on this breed. Scurs are incompletely developed horns that are usually attached to the skin and can be scab-like in nature.
3. Is their coat pattern genetically dominant?
Yes, a majority of the time the British White coat color is dominant. For example, if you cross a British White with a black-coated breed like an Angus, you'll likely end up with British White patterned calves.
The markings of a British Whites are hard to miss. These cattle are mostly white with black points on their nose, muzzle, ears, eyelids, teats, hooves, and tongue. Their skin tends to be pink and blue (or dark pigmented), which helps eliminate problems of eye cancer and sunburn.
4. What is the temperament like for British White Cattle?
British White Cattle are known for their pleasant disposition. Compared to other more aggressive breeds, these cattle are also highly intelligent and have great mothering instincts. British Whites cows are also known for (mostly) easy calving and have been known to use a nursery system where one cow watches over the babies while other cows graze. We could go on and on about the benefits of these cows, in fact, if you’re looking for more information, check out our last article, on reasons they’d be great for your operation.
5. Where did the breed originate from?
British White Cattle originated from Britain, more specifically, Whalley Abbey, Lancashire. As mentioned previously, they stem from the lineage of the Ancient wild white cattle of Great Britain. The first official record of these polled white cattle was in 1765 in Norfolk, then these cattle split off into two more herds, further branching out in Britain. The genetics stayed the same, the breed having both horned and polled cattle in this time period.
Then by the early 20th century, it was recognized that there was a need for a society to keep records and track the future development of the breed. So in 1918, the Park Cattle Society was formed. Then in 1946, the Society split into two to keep horned and polled cattle separately, thus the British White Cattle Society was born and the breed continued to evolve and gain popularity.
6. What are British White Cattle used for?
One of the amazing qualities about British White Cattle is they are dual use. This means that they can be raised for quality beef or be used as milking cows. In the early days, they were primarily used as milking cows but have since developed to also be a great option for beef operations as well. At Black Label Farms, we breed for stronger beef characteristics.
7. Are there any disadvantages to British White Cattle?
There really aren’t any disadvantages to British Whites that we have found. They are incredibly resilient compared to other breeds. The only downside is that you’re going to have a lot of visitors because you are guaranteed to have some of the cutest cows on the block!
If you’re interested in starting your own British White Operation feel free to reach out to us. We also have cattle for sale from time to time, in addition to offering bull semen and bull lease programs to help you jumpstart your own program. Contact us for more information!
