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Beef Cattle Breeds

Boran Cattle: The Borana Zebu That Kenya's Ranchers Turned Into a Beef Breed

A zebu type of the Borana people became the base of Kenya's improved beef breed and a source of genetics for ranches abroad.

What is the Boran?

The Boran is a hardy zebu-type beef breed of East Africa. Its origin lies with the Borana people of Ethiopia, whose cattle are known as the East African Shorthorned Zebu, and Kenya is described as the home of the pure Boran breed. The Boran Cattle Breeder's Society of Kenya says commercial cattlemen in Kenya later developed the modern Boran from those types.

The animals have a loose, pliable hide, preferably dark pigmented, with short, fine hair. An unbroken coat color is preferred, and brindle and black are not allowed under the breed standard.

Where Boran genetics come from

Cattle were long traced to two centers of domestication, Asian (Bos indicus) and Near East-European (Bos taurus). Newer genetic and archaeological findings suggest a third, native African taurine origin centered in the Saharan belt. Genetic studies by ILRI found three influences in the Kenyan Boran genome: zebu, which is predominant, Near East-European taurine, and a native African taurine not found in Asian zebu crosses such as the Sahiwal or the Brahman.

Zebu cattle reached northeast Africa around the 4th century AD, with major imports following the Arab invasions from 669 AD. They were common in Kenya by the 15th century.

Size, growth and production figures

The Boran shows pronounced size differences between the sexes: females are small, while bulls and steers are large. Mature bulls stand 117 to 147 centimeters at the withers and weigh 500 to 850 kilograms. Mature cows stand 114 to 127 centimeters and weigh 380 to 450 kilograms.

Grass-fed steers reach slaughter weight of 420 to 460 kilograms at 36 to 42 months. Supplementary-fed steers reach 380 to 400 kilograms at 18 to 22 months. A typical carcass is 230 to 260 kilograms dressed, a dressing percentage of 52. Daily gain is 0.7 to 1.0 kilograms on grass and about 1.3 kilograms in a feedlot, according to a Boran-Angus cross trial at Marania Farm in Timau.

What Made It Work

The Boran lasted because it was bred for tough conditions, and because Kenyan breeders organized the work through a society.

Documented lessons include the following.

  • Start with a local, adapted type: the Borana cattle of Ethiopia carried a mix of zebu and African taurine genetics.
  • Organize breeding: the Boran Cattle Breeder's Society is described as the first breed society in East Africa to create guidelines for improving indigenous cattle.
  • Keep a quiet, even temperament in the standard.
  • Test crosses: Boran-Angus and Boran-Friesian F1 trials recorded gains and milk yields. Boran-Friesian F1 cows averaged 9.3 kilograms of milk a day in the first lactation, rising to 13.4 in the third.
  • Export carefully: Boran in Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Australia and the USA descend from Kenyan exports made between the 1970s and 1990s.

Exports and spread

Boran in Zimbabwe and South Africa derive from embryos exported from Ol Pejeta Ranch in Nanyuki, Kenya, in 1994 and again in 2000. The route matters: it shows that the breed's modern spread depended on a small number of exports of animals and embryos.

Cows calve about once a year, with a potential interval of 11 months, which matters on ranches where reproductive rate drives profit.

Limits and open questions

The sources give size ranges and trial figures but little on the breed society's founding date or the early history of the Kenyan stud book, so this entry is marked thin. Some traits are described as undesirable, including a light muzzle, pink eye pigmentation and light-colored hooves.

Readers should also be careful with the figures above, which come from a breed society and from trials on specific farms, and may not match every herd. For related cattle stories, see farm.FM's ranching section and a farm.FM story about Boran cattle. Additional background is available from the ILRI Boran breed page and Wikipedia.

Timeline

  1. 4th century ADZebu cattle reach northeast Africa.
  2. 669 ADMajor zebu imports follow the Arab invasions.
  3. 1400sZebu cattle are common in Kenya by the 15th century.
  4. 1970sKenyan Boran exports begin, continuing through the 1990s.
  5. 1994Embryos are exported from Ol Pejeta Ranch, Nanyuki, to Zimbabwe and South Africa.
  6. 2000A second embryo export leaves Ol Pejeta Ranch.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the Boran breed come from?

It originates with the Borana people of Ethiopia and was developed into the modern Boran by commercial cattlemen in Kenya, which is described as the home of the pure breed.

How much does a Boran bull weigh?

Mature bulls weigh 500 to 850 kilograms and stand 117 to 147 centimeters at the withers. Mature cows weigh 380 to 450 kilograms.

Where have Boran cattle been exported?

Boran in Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Australia and the USA descend from Kenyan exports of the 1970s to 1990s, and Zimbabwe and South Africa from embryos exported in 1994 and 2000.

What is the Boran Cattle Breeder's Society?

It is described as the first breed society in East Africa to create guidelines for improving indigenous cattle. The source does not state its founding date.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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