Corriente cattle are a versatile breed descended from Spanish cattle brought to the Americas in the late 15th century. Today, some breeders raise them for meat, but they are primarily used as sport stock for rodeos such as band rope and bulldog.
Breed names may vary from place to place. The official breed registry in the United States refers to the breed as Corrient cattle, and it is the most common name in northern Mexico.
It is called Kriolskaya Where Chinampo livestock in other parts of Mexico. The breed is closely related to Florida Cracker and Pinewoods cattle, which are two cattle breeds from Florida and the Gulf Coast.
It has also adapted by natural selection to the different regions in which it has lived. Eventually his descendants spread throughout the southern United States and along the California coast.
European and other cattle breeds were introduced to America in the early 1800s. And many American ranchers were modernizing their herds with modern beef cattle in the 1900s.
Nearly pure descendants of the original Spanish cattle have all but disappeared, but some have managed to survive without too much human care or intervention in remote areas of Central and South America, and in very limited numbers in parts of southern United States. Learn more about the breed below.
Characteristics of Corriente Cattle
Corriente cattle are quite small animals, and bulls and cows usually have horns. Their horns are long and curved upwards. They are slim and athletic.
They need less water and can survive in rare open pastures like the Texas Longhorn (which many believe is descended from the Corrientes). They come in a wide variety of colors other than white, and most animals are predominantly black.
They have a well-balanced head, neck, forelimbs and hindlimbs, a narrow and beautiful physique. They typically have a thick coat and a heavy tail switch that often extends below the hocks.
Adult cows weigh up to 450 kg on average. And the average live weight of mature bulls can reach 500 kg. Photos and information from Wikipedia.
Advantages
Corriente cattle are versatile animals. Previously, they were used for the production of milk, meat and as draft animals. But today they are mainly used as sport cattle for rodeo competitions such as team rope and bulldog.
Special Notes
Corriente cattle are very hardy and strong animals. They are known as ‘lighthouse keepers‘because calving them requires minimal human intervention and requires far less feed than some large meat breeds.
They are also called escape experts because they can jump over a standard barbed wire fence and squeeze through fairly small openings. Therefore, special precautions must be taken to keep them locked up.
The breed is also good for milk and meat production. And right now, some ranchers raise Corrient cattle for meat.
Their meat is significantly leaner than that of most modern breeds of beef cattle. However, see the full breed profile of Corriente cattle in the following table.
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| Breed name | running | |
| another name | Creole or Chinampo | |
| Purpose of the breed | Milk, meat, draft, sport | |
| Special Notes | Well adapted to the natural climate, very hardy, strong, easy to calve, excellent maternal qualities, good quality meat, suitable for draft strength and sport. | |
| Breed size | Little | |
| Bulls | Up to 450 kg | |
| cows | Up to 500kg | |
| climatic tolerance | native climate | |
| coat color | They come in a wide variety of colors other than white, and most animals are predominantly black. | |
| horned | Yes | |
| milk production | Good | |
| scarcity | general | |
| Country/place of origin | Spain |
