All grass fed beef is not created equally
The Murray Grey breed of cattle began in Australia along the Murray River in New South Wales. In 1905, on the property of Peter and Eva Sutherland a light roan shorthorn cow, when bred to various Aberdeen Angus bulls produced only grey calves. She had produced twelve of them by 1917, which were the origin of this breed. The herd was sold to Helen Sutherland in 1929, who started a systematic breeding program.
Mervyn Gadd started a second Murray Grey herd in the early 1940s as a commercial venture, using a Grey bull from the Sutherlands and breeding up from Angus cows. Butchers began to pay a premium price for the Greys because of their consistent high cutability and less waste. Murray Greys began to win carcass competitions in the early 70's and have continued to dominate the steer and carcass classes at the Royal shows in Australia. Murray Greys are one of the two preferred breeds for importation to Japan, due to their easy fleshing and high quality meat production. The Murrays have also started to win carcass competitions at the Calgary Stampede in Canada.
Greys and their crosses can be found producing in Canada, and South America; in the United States, they can be found in the Western areas, in the Corn Belt, the Plains from north to south, and in the hot climates of the deep south. They are, of course, a major breed in Australia and New Zealand, and Murray Greys are presently being introduced in various areas of Africa.
The Murray Grey breed is admittedly not well known in the US. Many people mistake them for Charolais due to the
silver color. However, the Murray Grey has a grey or black skin which is so important to protect against cancer eye and sunburned udders. The silver reflects the sun, resulting in an unusual ability to withstand extreme heat. The Murray Grey cow is known for her outstanding maternal characteristics and high production of milk for her calves. The calves are born at a moderate birthweight, lively and active from birth. Murray Grey cattle are quiet, easily handled cattle who adapt to new environments and settle well. "Murray Greys handle stress, they settle quickly, and quietly get on with the job of converting feed into quality beef. It's a bonus that they possess the genetics for carcass quality and are natural polls" said one feedlot operator.
Murray Greys are considered by many to be the most efficient breed in the world. They will produce more quality beef per acre of land and will require the least expensive feed, labor, and fencing. In Australia, Murray Greys excel in finishing of grass making them very attractive to the emerging US market for grass-fed beef. The Australian cattle industry was build on pasture and Australian cattle were bred to reproduce, perform and finish in both good and bad times.
Breed Characteristics
Carcass - Outstanding yield and grade
Efficient - Rapid growth, excellent feed conversion
Hardy - Thrive in all climates and temperatures
Calving Ease - Average 70-85 pounds at birth, born unassisted
Mothering Ability - Optimum milk supply and teat size to raise a high-growth calf
Polled - Naturally polled, passed to 90% of progency when mated to horned cattle
Docile - Gentle, easily handled, quiet-natured
Dark Pigmentation - Eliminates cancer eye and sunburned udders
Fertile - Early maturing, highly fertile and breed back easily
Heat Tolerance
Extreme heat is a threat to livestock and will impact their performance and even jeopardize their life. Have your calves stopped gaining during the heat of summer? Have you ever lost a black calf to heat stroke? Silver Murray Greys have a heat reflective coat which will minimize the impact of heat, making them a perfect choice for Georgia and the hot southeast.
Regardless of coat color, body surface temperature of feedlot cattle rose as climatic conditions became warmer. Under extremely hot conditions, body surface temperature was higher for Angus (110°F) compared with Murray Grey (101°F) steers.
Body Temperature
