Nelore or Nellore beef cattle originated from Ongole Cattle (Box indicus) cattle originally brought to Brazil from India. They are very different from the Bos taurus (European) species of cattle such as the Angus, Hereford, Charolais and others. There has never existed in India a breed called Nelore. Rather, they are named after the district of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh state in India. The Nelore has a distinct large hump over the top of the shoulder and neck. They have long legs which help them to walk in water and when grazing. The Nelore can adapt to climates of great heat, but do not so well in very cold climates. They are very resistant to high temperatures and have natural resistance to various parasites and diseases. Brazil is the largest breeder of Nelore. Nelore have the shortest ears of most Bos indicus types. There is a naturally polled strain of the breed.
The first pair of Ongole Cattle arrived in Brazil by ship in 1868, at Salvador, Bahia. Manoel Ubelhart Lemgruber, from Rio de Janeiro Zoo, bought two more from Hamburg Zoo in 1878. The most recent importations from India were of one hundred animals in the 1960s. The Nelore herd book was founded in 1875.
In the first decades of twentieth century, the favored breed of zebu in Brazil was the Indubrasil or Indo-Brazilian, but from the 1960s onwards, Nelore became the primary breed of beef cattle in Brazil because of its hardiness, heat-resistance, and because it thrives on poor-quality forage and breeds easily, with the calves rarely requiring human intervention to survive. Currently more than 80% of beef cattle in Brazil are either purebred or hybrid Nelore, making them the majority breed in Brazil. Bulls of this breed have been exported to many other countries in the Western Hemisphere, such as United States and Venezuela in the last decades.
Here at Butler farms we have Nelore cattle that we will be breeding in the months to come. If you would like more information about our Nelore cattle please contact us!
Click Here To See Our Nelore Cattle
