Brahman Cattle

At Scrubbs, we choose to rear The Brahman breed because of its adaptability, high growth rate, and finish early for good beef production. Their carcasses have low fat and high muscle content.  The Braham cattle originated from Bos indicus cattle originally brought from India. Through centuries of exposure to inadequate food supplies, insect pests, parasites, diseases and the weather extremes of tropical India, the native cattle developed some remarkable adaptations for survival. These are the “sacred cattle of India,” and many of the Hindu faith will not eat meat from them.

Most of the Brahman cattle are characterised by a large hump over the top of the shoulder and neck. Spinal processes below the hump are extended, and there is considerable muscular tissue covering the processes. The other characteristics of these cattle are their horns, which usually curve upward and are sometimes tilted to the rear, their ears, which are generally large. Bulls weigh around 900kilograms, while cows can reach about 600kilograms. Calves have low birth weights of about 28kilograms. They also have more highly developed sweat glands than other European cattle and so can perspire more freely.