The Brangus breed was developed to use the superior characteristics of the Angus and Brahman breeds. Their genetics are stabilized at 3/8 Brahman and 5/8 Angus.

The combination results in a breed that unites the characteristics of two highly successful “parent breeds”. The Brahman breed, through rigorous natural selection, developed resistance to diseases, rusticity, and remarkable maternal instinct. Angus are known for their superior carcass qualities. They are also extremely functional females that excel in both fertility and maternal ability.

A review of the development of the Brangus breed would take us back beyond the founding of the American Brangus Breeders Association in 1949; however, the registered Brangus are descended from the foundation animals registered that year. Much of the initial work on the crossing of Brahman and Angus cattle was done at the USDA Experimental Station in Jeanerette, Louisiana. According to the USDA 1935 Yearbook in Agriculture, research on these crosses started around 1932.

During the same period, the Clear Creek Ranch of Welch, Oklahoma, and Granada, Mississippi, Raymond Pope of Vinita, Oklahoma, the Essar Ranch of San Antonio, Texas, and some individual breeders in other parts of the United States and Canada, were also carrying private experimental breeding programs. They were looking for a desirable beef animal that would retain Brahman’s natural ability to thrive under adverse conditions in combination with the excellent qualities for which Angus is known.

The first breeders from 16 states and Canada met in Vinita, Oklahoma, on July 2, 1949, and organized the American Brangus Breeders Association, later renamed the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA), based in Kansas City, Missouri, and eventually San Antonio, Texas, where the headquarters has been permanently located since January 1973. Currently, there are members in almost every state in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Central America, Argentina, and South Rhodesia (in Africa).

In Brazil, crossings started in the 1940s, by technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (Mapa), in Bagé/RS. Initially, the breed that resulted from the crossing was named Ibagé by the technicians at the time. Some years later, as the crossing was the same one reached in the United States, the name of the breed changed to Brangus Ibagé, until it became only Brangus, years later.

Brangus can be black or red, polled, with a fine coat and pigmented skin. Its ears are medium to large, and its skin is loose, with folds in the neck. The rump is slightly rounded and the bulls have a moderate hump.

Brangus have a good temperament that was originally selected when the breed was created.

Adult Brangus bulls usually weigh between 800 to 900 kg, while mature females weigh between 500 and 550 kg.

Bulls reach puberty at two years of age and are ready to service at 18 months. Heifers are ready to breed at 14 months of age, and deliver their first calf at 24 months of age. Bulls can remain in service until the age of 12, while cows can produce calves beyond 14 years of age.

This breed is considered very versatile for high performance in pastures and feedlots, with good resistance to heat and high humidity. Under cold weather conditions, they produce enough for adequate protection.

Cows are good mothers and calves are generally of medium size at birth.