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Source: krankykids.com |
The Yanbian is a taurine breed of cattle that originated in
northeast China. They belong to the "yellow" class of Chinese
cattle, and are closely related to the Korean Hanwoo breed, having diverged
from a common ancestor in the late 19th/early 20th century. Unlike the
majority of Chinese cattle breeds, Yanbian have had no ancestral breeding with
indicine cattle. They are mainly distributed in northeastern China, in the
Jilin, Heilongjiang and Liaoning Provinces. In 2010, it was estimated there
were 210,000 individuals.
Females are 122 cm tall at the withers, 141 cm in length and
weigh 365 kg on average; males are 131 cm tall at the withers, 152 cm in length
and weigh 465 kg on average. Their coat color is predominantly yellow, and
both males and females are horned.
They are primarily used as draught animals, particularly in
rice production. They are also increasingly being raised for beef, with a dressing
percentage of 40-48%. However, the have a slow growth rate, so production
potential is limited. Yanbians were crossed with Limousins in 1987 to produce
the Yan Yellow breed, which has improved beef production qualities.