The American breed of cattle were developed by Art Jones on his ranch near Portales, New Mexico. This region of the United States is a harsh environment for cattle with only 8 to 12 inches of rain each year and much of the forage consisting of alkaline sacatone grass. Jones was using purebred Hereford cattle on his ranch but felt they were not capable of being profitable under his production conditions. He began crossing other breeds with his Hereford base to develop a breed more adapted to the area. Shorthorn were used for mothering and milking ability and Charolais for size and bone structure. When this combination was examined Jones felt that he still did not have the level of hybrid vigor for growth factors he desired. To improve these and improve the hardiness of the breed Brahman and American Bison were added to the final mixture.
During the next 30 year Jones began incorporating the Bison into the cross. He also worked closely with the Texas A&M Immunogenetics Department. The Texas A&M Laboratory blood tested the entire foundation herd of American Breed cattle and confirmed the presence of Bison markers in the blood.
The breed now known as the American breed has the following breed composition: 1/2 Brahman, 1/8 Bison, 1/4 Charolais, 1/16 Hereford, 1/16 Shorthorn.
References:American Breed Association, Jo Birdsell, Rt. 1 Box 875, Harrah, Oklahoma 73045. Email: firstname.lastname@example.org , Phone: 800-252-7134Photographs:
Mason, I.L. World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds. Third Edition. C.A.B International. 1988American Breed Association