Murray Gray cattle are an Australian cattle breed. It was developed in the Upper Murray River Valley in New South Wales.
The breed was developed in 1905 from an accidental first cross of a black Aberdeen Angus bull and a roan Shorthorn cow during a drought in the Federation.
As a result of these matings, thirteen dun calves were kept as curiosities. And then Peter and Ena Sutherland took them to Tologolong Farm along the Murray River in New South Wales.
Gray Murray cattle grew faster, processed feed well, and produced high quality carcasses. These are the reasons why these animals became very popular after their development.
And local farmers quickly became interested in these animals and began to breed them. The first large commercial farms were established in the 1940s.
Today, the breed is available in many countries. Live cattle and Murray-Gray embryos have been exported to many countries such as Canada, South America, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States.
The official Murray Gray Cattle Society was established in the 1960s. Learn more about the breed below.
Characteristics of Gray Murray Cattle
Gray Murray cattle are medium to large in size, have a solid build and walk well. Their hair color ranges from very light silver to chocolate or dark gray. Some animals may be black, but most are silver to silver gray.
Their skin has dark pigmentation which helps prevent eye cancer, photosensitivity reactions and sunburn at the worst. These animals are naturally polled and have no horns.
The average weight of bulls is 817-1135 kg. And the average live weight of cows ranges from 500 to 700 kg. Photos and information from Wikipedia.
Advantages
Murray Gray cattle are primarily a breed of beef cattle. They are mainly used for meat production. But they are also used for crossbreeding in many countries.
To note
Murray Gray cattle are recognized worldwide for their economically important carcass quality, calving ease and feed efficiency.
They produce marbled beef carcasses with intramuscular sutures of the type preferred in Japan and other Asian markets.
It is a fairly hardy breed and grows relatively fast than other breeds of beef cattle. They can adapt to almost any climate. Cows are good milk producers and provide enough milk for their calves.
These animals suffer less from common paw problems because they have strong paws. And the animals are generally healthy. They are used for crossbreeding to improve other breeds of cattle in many countries.
As a rule, these animals are distinguished by good behavior and docile temperament. However, check out the full profile of this breed in the table below.
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| Breed name | Murray Gray | |
| another name | everything | |
| Purpose of the breed | Meat | |
| Special Notes | Robust, rustic, well adapted to all climates. | |
| Breed size | medium to large | |
| Bulls | From 817 to 1135 kg | |
| cows | From 500 to 700 kg | |
| climatic tolerance | All climates | |
| coat color | Coat color ranges from dark gray to light silver, with some rarer variations of black or grayish brown. | |
| horned | Interviewed | |
| milk production | Medium | |
| scarcity | general | |
| Country/place of origin | Australia |
