The Whitebred Shorthorn cattle are a British breed of cattle which are raised mainly for meat. It is also called as the White Shorthorn. Exact history about the origin of this cattle breed is unknown.
And the breed came to be noticed in the late 19th century when it was known as the Cumberland White. Probably the Whitebred Shorthorn cattle originated in northwest England and southwest Scotland.
Mr David Hall of Larriston, Newcastleton Roxburghshire was one of the early pioneers and founders of the breed. Mr David Hall along with Mr Andrew Park of Stelshaw, Bailey, Cumberland sold Blue-grey suckled calves at Newcastleton suckler sales.
These two breeders Mr David Hall and Mr Andrew Park had found the Blue-grey to be fast maturing breed of cattle and highly valued for meat production.
Actually those popular Blue-grey cattle were the result of the crossing of the very hardy Galloway cow with the Whitebred Shorthorn bull, many of which came from Cumberland.
The Whitebred Shorthorn cattle are a completely separate breed from the Dairy Shorthorn or Beef Shorthorn, and it is considered a rare breed.
Whitebred Shorthorn Cattle Characteristics
Whitebred Shorthorn cattle are medium sized animals with a medium sized frame and conformation. They are mainly white in color with an outer coat of soft hair and a thick mossy undercoat. They have a deep body with firm fleshing. They have a wide muzzle, straight top line, wide at the pins.
The cows have compact udder with medium sized teats. The bulls on average weight about 800-900 kg, and average body weight of the cows is 550-600 kg. Photo from RBST and info from Wikipedia.
Uses
Whitebred Shorthorn cattle are originally dual purpose animals. But now they are used mainly for meat production. And the bulls are used for crossing other cows.
Special Notes
The Whitebred Shorthorn cattle are very hardy and strong animals. The breed was developed for providing White Shorthorn bulls for crossing with any breed of cows, especially with the black Galloway cows.
But today, they are mainly raised as a beef cattle breed and used primarily for meat production. But the cows are pretty good milkers, and the cows have good milking qualities.
The breed is actually docile in temperament. However, review full breed profile of this cattle breed in the following table.
| Breed Name | Whitebred Shorthorn |
| Other Name | White Shorthorn |
| Breed Purpose | Meat |
| Special Notes | Active, Hardy, Docile |
| Breed Size | Medium |
| Bulls | About 800-900 kg |
| Cows | About 550-600 kg |
| Climate Tolerance | All Climates |
| Coat Color | White |
| Horned | No |
| Milk Yield | Medium |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Country/Place of Origin | United Kingdom |
