The Lincoln Red cattle is an old meat cattle breed originating from Lincolnshire in eastern England. The breed was developed in the early 1800s, which is a time of much breed development and livestock improvement.
Lincoln Red cattle were selectively bred from the indigenous draught cattle of the region by crossing with the Durham type Shorthorn for producing a dual purpose breed. But they are now exclusively used as a beef cattle breed.
Many beef cattle breeds lost ground through crossbreeding programs that didn’t plan for replacement of the purebreds, when continental beef cattle breeds were imported to Britain in the 1970s and 1980s. A small number of the uncrossed animals remain in Great Britain, where they are known as Lincoln Red.
This cattle breed related to Shorthorn cattle and were originally registered in the Coates Herd Book. But the Lincoln Red cattle began their own herd book in 1896. The animals have been imported into Australia from the United Kingdom since the early 1900s.
There were a limited number of purebred Lincoln Red cattle (both bulls and cows) in 1971. And at that time the Australian Society was formed. The breed was imported to the United States and Canada in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Today original population of these cattle are critically endangered. Read more information about this cattle breed below.
Lincoln Red Cattle Characteristics
Lincoln Red cattle are large animals. They are usually dark red in color which is uniform across the body. Their dark red color reduces the likelihood of sunburn and cancer.
They have pink soft skin and most of the animals are polled. Their forehead and muzzle are broad. They have short face and the animals are reasonably large-framed. Average live body weight of these cattle vary from 680 to 1090 kg. Photo from Wikipedia.
Uses
The Lincoln Red cattle began as a dual purpose breed. But nowadays, they are mainly kept as a beef cattle breed.
Special Notes
Lincoln Reds are a hardy and efficient breed of cattle. They require minimum care and the calves are very easy to care. They mature pretty earlier and relatively have a rapid growth rate.
These animals are very cold hardy and are well suited to colder climates. The breed is a good choice for small scale beef production. The cows are also pretty good for milk production.
The breed has excellent temperament and is usually docile in nature. However, review full breed profile of this breed in the following table.
| Breed Name | Lincoln Red |
| Other Names | None |
| Breed Purpose | Meat, dual purpose |
| Special Notes | Hardy, Fast growers |
| Breed Size | Heavy |
| Bulls | Vary from 680 to 1090 kg |
| Cows | Vary from 680 to 1090 kg |
| Climate Tolerance | All Climates (cold hardy) |
| Coat Color | Dark red |
| Horned | Polled |
| Milk Yield | Medium |
| Rarity | Common |
| Country/Place of Origin | United Kingdom |
