Some beef producers are fascinated by an old Spanish breed that may revolutionize high-end restaurants with tender, delicious steaks. Learn more about the Rubia Gallega breed, the Old Cow or Vaca Vieja, and the newest breed association, the American Rubia Gallega Association.

Composite breeds of cattle are built on the concept of breed complementarity – combining the desirable characteristics of two or more breeds of cattle in a way that simultaneously masks or lessens each breed’s weaknesses.

As ranching comes under near-constant fire for being ecologically disruptive, the FR Ranch Preserve of southwest Louisiana utilizes cattle to continue the mission of wildlife preservation and surface ecology dictated by their founders.

Almost all breeds in the U.S. today are of British and European descent, but many ranchers in Southern areas prefer cattle with some Zebu influence. In recent years, African types with less Zebu genetic influence and more Bos taurus have been introduced.