Huangpi Yellow Cattle

Huangpi Yellow Cattle

Huangpi Yellow Cattle is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　　Huangpi Yellow Cattle is one of the local fine breeds in Hubei Province. As early as September 1982, the National Committee for the Compilation of Livestock and Poultry Breed Records conducted an investigation on the Huangpi Yellow Cattle in the Dabie Mountain region and classified the cattle distributed in the Dabie Mountains and surrounding areas as the same breed, naming it the Large Huangpi Yellow Cattle of the Southwestern Foot of the Dabie Mountains.

　　　　Huangpi Yellow Cattle is an important draft animal in agricultural production in our district and also a major source of beef supply in the market. The meat of Huangpi Yellow Cattle is of good quality, delicious in taste, and high in nutritional value. To preserve the breed, the district’s animal husbandry department places great emphasis on the conservation and selective breeding of Huangpi Yellow Cattle. In selection, bulls are required to be “four or six toothed, calling loud and strong,” with evenly sized horns on both sides; cows are required to have strong maternal instincts, large bodies, long teats, and even distribution. Long-term attention to the feeding management and selection of Huangpi Yellow Cattle is the most important factor in the formation of the breed.

　　　　The central production area of Huangpi Yellow Cattle is the low mountainous and hilly regions in the western, northern, and eastern parts of Huangpi District, Wuhan City, including areas such as Paotong, Shimen, Caidian, Changling, Yaoji, Mulan, Changyan, and Cai'e. The breed is also distributed in nearby areas such as Dawu, Hong’an, Huanggang, and Xinzhou. In 2011, the district had a total cattle inventory of 105,200 head, with 46,500 head slaughtered. Among them, the inventory of Huangpi Yellow Cattle was 48,000 head, with 24,000 head slaughtered.

　　Huangpi Yellow Cattle is mainly produced in the low mountainous and hilly areas of northern Huangpi County, Hubei Province. The production area is located at the southern foot of the Dabie Mountains, between 114°9′ and 114°37′ east longitude, and 30°40′ and 31°22′ north latitude. The central production area of Huangpi Yellow Cattle generally has an altitude of 52 to 623.9 meters, with some peaks reaching 700 to 800 meters. The area features undulating mountain ranges, steep slopes, crisscrossing valleys, and paddy fields distributed along gullies, mostly consisting of sloping fields and small terraced fields. The soil is sandy loam, loose in texture and prone to compaction. Dry land is even scarcer, commonly referred to as “cow-eye land,” consisting of gravelly soil and sandy soil with thin and infertile layers. Due to the small size of the fields, yellow cattle are often raised as draft animals, gradually forming a concentrated production area for yellow cattle and giving Huangpi Yellow Cattle their medium build, agility, and suitability for small fields and both wet and dry farming. The production area has a subtropical monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature between 15.6 and 16.4°C, extreme minimum temperatures of -10.9°C, and extreme maximum temperatures of 39.6°C. Annual precipitation ranges from 1,000 to 1,200 millimeters, with abundant rainfall, a frost-free period of 244 to 247 days. Cultivated land accounts for 26.4% of the total area, with crops mainly including rice, wheat, and rapeseed, followed by sweet potatoes, peanuts, beans, and others. There are 13 grassy hills and slopes over 1,000 acres in the area, with over 80% grass coverage. Thanks to favorable climatic conditions, abundant water and heat resources, high crop yields, and diverse agricultural by-products and forage, the area provides excellent feeding conditions for the development of Huangpi Yellow Cattle.

　　　　Geographical Distribution: Huangpi Yellow Cattle is distributed in counties such as Huangpi, Dawu, Yingshan, Luotian, Hong’an, and Macheng in Hubei Province.

　　　　Breed Characteristics: Huangpi Yellow Cattle are relatively small in stature, with sturdy bones and well-proportioned development. Bulls have square heads, broad foreheads, thick and short necks, dewlaps, well-developed humps, straight backs, deep and broad chests, arched ribs, large and round bellies without sagging or grass bellies. Cows have long and slender heads, thinner and longer necks, long dewlaps, wide and low withers, well-filled flanks, broad and flat hindquarters, long and fluffy tails, moderately developed udders, longer and thicker teats with even distribution. Their limbs are strong, with visible tendons, and round, large, and solid hooves. The coat color is mostly brownish-yellow or jujube red, accounting for about 80%. The skin is relatively thin and elastic.

　　　　Breed Performance: Adult Huangpi Yellow bulls have an average height of 114.9 cm, while adult cows average 113.0 cm, with weights of 292.6 kg and 271.0 kg, respectively. Huangpi Yellow Cattle are mainly used for plowing, harrowing, raking, and threshing, concentrated in spring and autumn each year, with approximately 100 days of labor per year. They also possess strong pulling power, with a maximum pulling force of 296.4 kg, accounting for 138.6% of body weight for bulls and 220 kg (113.8% of body weight) for cows. Huangpi Yellow Cattle are among the larger types of Dabie Mountain Yellow Cattle in China, hardy and enduring, suitable for both wet and dry paddy field cultivation. However, due to heavy labor burdens, their reproductive survival rate is not high, with more deaths than births.

　　Huangpi Yellow Cattle

　　 Wuhan Huangpi District Animal Husbandry Service Center

　　 10479864

　　 Yellow Cattle