Beef cattle production and management
Practical Action
Chapter One
Beef breeds in Zimbabwe and breeds suitable for the Zambezi Valley
Introduction
A wide range of beef breeds are found in Zimbabwe but not all the breeds can virtually suit every
type of environment and/or breeding programme. They can be classified into three broad types:
the zebu type breed (bos indicus) the British breeds (bos taurus) and the continental large
exotics (bos taurus).
Bos Taurus (Exotic)
Bos Indicus (Indigenous)
Aberdeen angus
Sussex
Shorthorn
Hereford
South
Charolais
Simmental
Senepol
Limousin
Africander
Tuli
Mashona
Brahman
Nkone Devon
Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants should be able to:
Outline characteristics of various beef breeds found in the Zambezi Valley
Identify breeds suitable for their specific areas of production and farming systems
Tools:
Pictures, Flip charts, Markers and Map of Zimbabwe.
Time:
1 hour
Method:
Group Discussions
Divide trainees into groups of four and ask them to discuss characteristics and list beef breeds in
Zimbabwe and those suitable for the Zambezi Valley.
Back in plenary, write down all the characteristics of identified beef breeds and their suitability
to
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