For a long time, brindle was considered an undesirable trait in many cattle breeds.
There are many Asian breeds, Korean Breeds, African breeds, and other brindle cattle breeds worldwide.
There isn’t a separate breed for brindle cows, but it is a common coat color inheritance for cattle worldwide.
Let’s look into some breeds from all over the world carrying brindle coat color inheritance.
Indicine Breed
The Indicine Cattle Breeds are a subspecies of native breeds from India.
They are used for both dairy and goat purposes.
The Indicine Cattle breeds come in many color coat types, including brindle.
This breed shares ancestry with Zebu breeds and is another name for the Indicine breed.
They are distinguished as a humped cattle breed.
More commonly, you will find black coat color in the Indicine Cattle Breeds, but brindle also occurs.
European Taurine Cattle Breeds
The European Taurine Cattle breeds refer to a subspecies of domesticated cattle.
Many different European breeds fall under the guise of Taurine cattle, so they cover just about all the basics of color inheritance.
You will see black pigmentation, brown, white, speckled, and brindle in the many breeds of this subspecies.
Highland Cattle Bull
The Highland is one of the native cattle breeds of Scotland.
They are among Scotland’s most popular beef cattle breeds and many places worldwide.
The Highland breeds of cattle produce high-quality meat.
Like many other cold-weather native cattle breeds, long-haired breeds are great for producing fibers for clothing and other goods.
They come in a wide variety of colors.
The Highland breed is often used in breed crosses with other types of cattle.
They often produce brindle coats when combined with a diluter gene or trait for lighter coats.
Further Reading: More cow breeds from Scotland
Durham Cows
The Durham, or Short horn, is one of the native cattle breeds from England.
These English breeds of cattle produce both dairy and meat.
Breeding programs have resulted in a dual-purpose breed.
Having breeds of dairy cattle capable of producing meat is very convenient for farmers and homesteaders looking to increase their level of food security.
Some breeds of beef cattle aren’t great milk producers, and some breeds of dairy cattle don’t produce high-quality meat.
Dual-purpose breeds make a great solution for farmers and homesteaders.
Like many other cows on this list, they come in various colors, including brindle.
Australian Dairy Cow
Like American breeds, there are a wide variety of Australian dairy cows.
They include:
- Holstein
- Jersey
- Aussie Red
- Brown Swiss
- Guernsey
- Illawarra
- Ayrshire
Each of these breeds comes in a wide range of coat colors, including brindle.
While many competitions and exhibitions do not recognize brindle as a desirable color, it still occurs for these breeds.
Mashona Cattle
Mashona cattle are one of the African breeds popular for keeping on farms and homesteads.
They often come in dark brown or black coats, but there are many instances of brindle coats being produced.
Primarily, the cow is bred for meat production and beef.
Through breeding programs, the modern Mashona cattle produce a lot of meat.
They are also bred for polled characteristics, removing the likelihood of full horns forming.
This makes it much easier to rear and keep these types of cattle.
Hereford Cows
The Hereford cows are a mainland breed from Britain.
They often come in a reddish-brown and white pattern on their coats.
The Hereford cattle also come in brindle coloring.
They are very popular in Britain but have spread in popularity and usage worldwide in many countries.
They are primarily bred for meat and draft purposes.
Draft cattle are used for labor and their strength, which means Hereford cattle are strong and capable brindle varieties of cattle.
Brahman Cattle Breed
Brahman cattle are one of the American breeds bred from ancestors from India.
These cows are huge and often come with white characteristics and coloring in their coats.
They are predominantly used for breeding and meat purposes.
Their large size makes them excellent meat producers.
Their strength is often used in breeding programs to cross-breed and make hybrid breeds of cattle.
They are very popular for cattle breeders looking to create diverse and strong breeds of beef cattle.
Hybrid Breeds Of Brindle Cattle
Brindle cows are very common in hybrid breeds.
The crossing of genes and traits often creates the desired brindle coats.
There isn’t a specific breed of cattle with exclusively brindle coats.
More often than not, breeds of cattle host the genetics for producing this color even if it doesn’t popularly come out.
If you want a brindle cow, it helps to look at cross-breeds as hybrid cattle breeds tend to have the color you are looking for more commonly.
It helps to look around local farmers and cattle breeders to see if they have adults or calves with brindle coats.
This will be your best bet of finding a brindle.
It is important to note how brindle cows are not as respected in show and exhibition situations.
Many people find the brindle to be undesirable among cattle.
If you are interested in showing your cattle, adding brindle members to your herd is not a good idea.
What Is The Most Common Color For Cattle?
The most common color coats for cattle are black and white and red and white.
For a good reason, these are the iconic colors of cattle grazing at pasture.
This color’s popularity may vary based on where you are in the world and the most common breeds of cow in your country.
In the United States, black and white cows vastly outnumber other varieties of colors.
This is often attributed to the popularity of the Holstein cows in the United States.
They are the most common dairy breed in the country and therefore make up a large number of the cow population.
The Holstein cows primarily come in black and white patterns.
