Boran are beef cattle. They are a Zebu breed which was
developed from the native shorthorned Zebu cattle of the Borana people of the
southern Ethiopia. They are usually white or fawn with the bulls being darker
with black points. They have many similarities to American Brahman cattle and
they are descended from cattle from the western coast of India. Kenyan ranchers
developed the Boran cattle and they are found in northern Kenya, southern
Ethiopia, and southwestern Somalia.
They were imported to Australia in 1990. The Boran Cattle
Breeder’s Society has been managed since 1951 and strategically breed these
animal in Kenya. There were approximately 454 beef ranches in Kenya as of 2008.
They are a small to medium sized. There are
different types of these the animal. The Orma Boran breed is the smallest of
the Boran breeds, and smaller than the Kenyan Boran. The weight of the mature
Orma Boran bulls ranges from 250 to 395 kg. On the other hand average live body
weight of the mature cows vary from 225 to 355 kg. The Kenyan Boran breed was
developed from the Orma Boran, Borana and Somali Boran. Due to the size and
well-developed hindquarters of the Kenyan Boran, it is differentiated from
other Boran. The Kenyan Boran are slightly larger than the Orma Boran. And on
an average, average live body weight of the mature Kenyan Boran bulls range
from 550 to 850. While live body weight of the mature cows vary from 400 to 550
kg. Usually coat color of the Kenyan Boran cattle is white with spots, but
brown and red coat colors have also been found. Both bulls and cows usually
have horns, and their horns are relatively smaller in size.
About Boran Cattle
