There’s no doubt that the Caracu Race is filiates to the Aquitanic branch. Many different breeds from this branch had influence on its formation, spanish and portuguese, but also many other branches, like: IBERICUS BATAVICUS (Bull Race) among others. And even African Cattle, because it’s known that the moorish encroachment on the Iberian Peninsula lasted many centuries. These animals first entranceoccured in 1534 through São Vicente-SP. They were raised for many centuries facing all kinds of holdbacks such as: feeding, diseases, weather and parasites. These natural impediments framed the animals called creoules (native), from those were separated the yellow-pelage ones and the Caracu Race was formed.

Features

What calls the most attention for the Caracu Breed, once it’s from Europe originally (Bos Taurus) is its extraordinary acclimation to the tropical and sub-tropical weather. The Natural Selection aroused anatomic and fisiologic modifications that provided them the following features:

• Short pelage

• Resistence to high warmth

• Resistence to ecto and endoparasites

• Ease in locomotion (good upright position)

• Strong hooves, for hard sole as much as for soggy sole

• Short navel with no prolapse

• Ability to digest rough fibers

• Ease on calve

Breed Pattern

Orange colored horn, opened to the sides; small ears; pelage in many yellow shades, with no white hair or spots; voluminous structure; plan dorse line, with small inclination on the rear; short prepuce; yellow besom tail; orange colored mucous; and bright reddish hoof.

Weight

On na exclusively graze diet, the cows average weight is about 550 to 650 kg. Going up to 750 kg sometimes. The bulls weight about 1.000 kg. to 1.200 kg. With two years old the heifers reach around 400 kg. Some of them can weight 500 kg. One-year-old steers reach 300 kg. due to the cows good maternal skills.

Dairy

The yield from dairy cattles is around 2.100 kilos for lactation (including first-born heifers) in little appendage graze diet. They produce adipose milk, around 5%, and dry extract also elevated.

Fertility

The female go to procreation from 14 / 15 months old. Cows can procreate until their 16/17 years old (some calved at 21). Some are more fruitful than others, with 11 to 13 calves.
A Caracu bull in a normal crossing season mates with about 50 female or so, presenting a high positive pregnancy indication.

Pliancy

It’s a meek manageable cattle, what facilitates the cattle handling on fields.

Behaviour

The Caracu cattle doesn’t stay conjointed on the field. They spread around, increasing the grass bruising intensity, enabling advantages and long life for the lea. On cold areas, the cattle penetrate the weald, consuming leaves and protecting from cold. On the Brazilian Corral, during the scarcity food period (drought), it complements its diet with many kinds of native bushes.

Crossing

This breed has been very much utilized for crossing, specially with zebuine cows, on extensive breeding areas. Beeing a Bos Taurus (european) it produces a hybridize with a high heterose level in zebuine cows (Bos Índicus). The results have been cheering, because they compete equally with breeds skilled on hybrideze animals’ quality and fertility. They esceed specially where there’s a field covering system.