PROTOTYPE OF THE CHARBRAY
BREED IN MEXICO
Prologue
The purpose of writing the prototype of a breed is not intended to be the absolute rule of what is described in it, rather is just a guide line with optimum characteristics usable for any breed of cattle with the exception of the specific ones of the breed.
For the most part, breeds of cattle in the world, in the beginning, had a common background. Through the years, they developed their own particularities of different regions of the world. Their breeders combined different options that flourished into the cattle breeds as we know them today. This is a very personal concept based on reading different origins of several breeds. The crossing of different animals closely related to the breed characteristics finally become what was denominated as a breed. Taking the subject with very large strides, but convinced of the main concept, to my knowledge this is how purebred breeds of cattle emerged in the world. Let me emphasize that the many generations that have passed through these breeds, along with their breeders, is what has perfected them.
Under this point of view, I would like to refer to the Charbray Prototype Breed for Mexico. Records show evidence of the existence in Mexico since the nineteen-forties, where the word Charbray appears, as the term used for the results of the newly introduced Charolais cattle with Zebu cattle available in the country. Charbray was not formally established as a breed in Mexico until 1995, and it is at the national association, Charolais Charbray Herd Book of Mexico A.C., where the pedigree of the first Charbray registered with a certificate of purity (5/8 Charolais 3/8 Zebu) is in the data base. A breed that barely counts with twenty-two years of existence, compared to the breeds that comprise it, which have a great number of generations to their existence, allowing a non-existent variation of their progeny from their breed prototype.
Consequently, the future of the Charbray breed in Mexico simply is just getting on its way, and this first draft denotes its initial trail, remaining a great number of generations to pass, leaving it to the ability of the present and future breeders to perfect the shape of the breed for its final prototype. For this prototype being presented, without a doubt it will be rewritten and modified with the final stable characteristics of the Charbray breed in Mexico that will allow to reproduce offsprings with nonexistent variation from the racial prototype.
General Appearance
These are animals that on their general appearance show phenotypic characteristics of both breeds that comprised it: 5/8 Charolais and 3/8 Zebu without one being more dominant than the other on their visual appraisal. A Charbray animal, in its general appearance, is mainly characterized by the following: pigmented mucous membranes, its hooves from a dark pink with stripes to completely black, the ears end in tip termination and without excessive growth of hair inside them, presence of small hump on females, loose skin, navel and a dewlap without excess. Sometimes all these phenotypic characteristics are portrayed in an animal, if not, at least one of these will be evident.
Height
Height on males as well on females a balance should prevail between the
height to the hip and the length of the body , this correlation needs to be
very similar. Animals with a variation on these measurements without being significant are acceptable
Temperament
Docile animals are the most desirable. Culling aggressive or extremely nervous animals such as those that do not respond favorably to handling.
Head
Its size and length proportionally in balance with body and age of the animal. The head must show masculinity in the male and femininity in the female. Animals with a unbalanced head, long and rough, and not manifesting masculinity and femininity are not desirable.
Profile
Accepted profiles for the breed are straight and concave.
Pole - Forehead
The pole of an animal, male or female, should be proportionally balanced to their head. Rough, short and thick hair should be visible in males. In females, their foreheads should bear longer hair, more docile, with some sort of bangs visible. Animals showing opposite conditions to the ones described above are not desirable.
Nose
Characteristic that aids in defining racial pattern specifically for their pigmentation. The nose must be rectangular in shape, always moist, wide ample nostrils and pigmentation that ranges in color from a pink, dark pink, with freckles, reddish, smoky gray to black. The tendency as a racial pattern for the pigmentation of the nose in the breed, is that of a dark nose, black being the most desirable color. Culling animals with no pigmentation (albinos) or with malformation of the nose.
Color
Characteristic that aids in defining racial patterns. The colors of the coat in the breed range from a white to a solid red, spots of the same colors mentioned above are acceptable without becoming dominant. Brindles are permissible if they are composed of two colors, not if they are tri color. Blacks, or large black spots are not permissible. The colors that trend to define the racial pattern of the breed are white to light gray or orange.
Eye Lid
The pigmentation around the eyelid should match in color the remaining of the mucous, ranging from a pink, dark pink, reddish, smoky gray to black. The tendency as a racial pattern in the coloring around the eyes in the breed is of a dark color, black being the more desirable color. Those that lack pigmentation (albinos) are culled.
Ears
Part of the body that aids in defining racial pattern. Animals carrying ears with pointed or slightly rounded ends, of a harmonious size to their head and body, perpendicular or slightly drooping is characteristic of the breed. The tendency as a racial pattern for the ears is of a structural profile with a tip termination perpendicular to the head, resembling more to the size of the ear of the European breed that composes it. In general, and as a racial indicator, Charbray's ears are not covered with long and dense hair, as can be seen in European breeds, but rather the hair around the ear is trim and dense covering externally, revealing clean skin on the inside as seen in the zebu breeds.
Horns
Animals with horns, dehorned or polled are permissible.
Mouth
Animals selected for the breed are those that have a wide opening, firm lips and strong jaw. Culling animals with cleft palate, cleft lip, prognathism and agnatism.
Neck
The neck, in both male and female, should maintain a balance with the rests of the body. The length of the neck, in a lateral appreciation for the female, it should be very close to half its body length and for the male slightly less than half. The female can carry a small hump visible on the crest of the neck without being prominent or muscular. The union of the neck with the rib cage should be smooth and flush. In the male, it should bear a strong and prominent crest covered with coarse and rough hair, joining smoothly and harmoniously to the rib cage. Necks that are too long, females with an excessive hump on the ridge of the neck or males with lack of a prominent crest are characteristics not desired for the breed.
Shoulders
In the male, shoulders should be thick, well defined, and without protuberances in front of the rib cage. The shoulder width should be equal to the rump with, forming a rectangle if visualized from atop. In the female, shoulders have smooth lines without pronounced musculature and are less wide that the rump, forming a triangle if visualized from atop. Equally in both cases it is desired that the scapulae are leveled with the dorsal line, rotating slightly above it. Extremely protuberant shoulders or lack of flesh are characteristics not desired.
Loins
Both the male and female must bear a wide and straight loin. Males with a wider and more athletic loins than the female. The dorsal line for both sexes must be parallel to the ground. The length of the loins should be in proportion to the neck and rump. Animals with lorikeos (lordosis), arched (xsifosis) or deviant (scoliosis) or those whose spine is over the dorsal line are structural defects and that should be avoided.
Thoracic Capacity
Animals with a deep, wide rib cage with well-spaced ribs, long and broad, with good intercostals arch, where the thoracic circumference should be equal to or greater than the total length of the animal, are desired. Animals with a narrow, shallow rib cage, with a lower thoracic circumference over the entire length of their body, with short ribs with closed intercostals spaces are not desirable.
Flank
Wide flanks full of meat, characteristics sought for the breed. In females, the back girth, or circumference of the flank, should be greater than the thoracic girth or its total body length. In males, the flank circumference should be the same as the thoracic or total body length. Animals with a flank girth less than the heart circumference or total body length, both females and males are not desirable for the breed.
Rump
Animal’s part of the body that should be deep and wide, with a good separation of the coxals and ischium, a straight continuation of the back, with a gentle slope and a harmonious insertion of its tail. In the female, the rump should denote femininity, this being that it is wide and deep. A female’s rump should be wider than its length and wider than its shoulder. This proportion forms a triangle, when viewing the animal from a higher and lateral plane. In males, the rump width should be equal to its length and its shoulder width should be the same as rump width. This proportion forms a rectangle when viewing the animal from a higher and lateral plane. Females with narrow, short or slanted rump and males with narrow or broader rump than their shoulders with little coverage of muscle mass are not desirable.
Front Limbs
Animals of the breed should have good straight alignment and strong pasterns to be able to travel long distances. When viewed from the front, the separation of the digits of the hoof should mark the point of reference to draw vertical lines with direction to the shoulder, giving the appearance that both lines will never meet on either end. From a lateral viewpoint, this line must be perpendicular to its dorsal line. Animals with structural defects in their frontal limbs are not desirable, for instance, if the frontal separation of the lines is not parallel or in the lateral view, the vertical line relative to the dorsal line is not perpendicular.
Back Limbs
Animals of the breed should have a good alignment and strong pasterns for them to travel long distances. When viewed from the back, the separation of each digit of the hooves should mark the point of reference to draw a vertical lines towards the tip of the buttocks, giving the appearance that both lines will never meet on either end. From a lateral viewpoint, this line should be perpendicular to the dorsal line, where it barely touches the buttock and the tip of the hock, tracing a small triangle with relation to the ground and the hoof. Animals with structural defects in their hind limbs where the lines drawn from their rear viewpoint are not parallel or if the line viewed laterally doesn't form a triangle in reference to the tip of the hock, the ground and the hoof, are not desirable.
Hooves
Sought after animals should have a good conformation of their hooves. They should be proportional to their anterior and posterior limbs, with well rounded fingers of strong and smooth texture, and with good digital separation. The male carries a rough and round hoof and the female carries a hoof that is thinner and sharp. Its color ranges from golden brown to black. The trend for the breed is for the hooves to be dark in color, preferably black. Animals with hoofs that are poorly formed, cracked with bad digital separation, and marked with hyperplasia of the hull are not desirable.
Udder
Specific organ of the female, where selection of the females for the breed should have a well-formed, smooth and bald udder (this condition must continue to the vulva) with well-rooted supporting ligaments in the upper part of the legs, with four well-defined uniform segments, each having a thin nipple about four to six centimeters long pointing downward. The udder, from a lateral viewpoint, should fuse to the underbelly. Animals with malformed or irregular udders, with visible hair, poor supporting ligaments, irregular segments, and with long and thick nipples pointing towards one side or to the front and udders denoting an inverted V” in reference to the underbelly and nipples pointing towards the front are not desirable.
Vulva
Specific part relative to the female body and a supporting feature that aids in defining racial pattern specifically for its pigmentation. Structurally it should be balanced with age and body size, smooth and bald, with well-defined folds, with an almost vertical implantation and pigmentation in accordance to the rest of the mucous. Color for the vulva can be pink, dark pink, reddish, smoky and black in color. The racial tendency for the breed is dark, preferably black in color. Animals with a very small vulva, a vulva with hair, or a visible and prominent clitoris with poor implantation and no pigmentation are not desirable.
Hair Type
The hair of the breed should be smooth and trimmed covering the skin, silky or greasy to the touch and a visual glow appearance. Animals that have long, wavy or curly hair covering the skin with a dull, rough, and dry texture are not desirable.
Hide
The skin for the breed should have pigmentation, be loose, flexible and soft. As a trend of the breed animals with dark skin pigmentation are sought. Animals without skin pigment (albinos) are not desirable.
Sheath
An specific organ of the male body that for the breed a short sheath is sought. Although it is permissible a sheath that is loose without becoming excessively pendulant. It should be of moderate size that does not exceed the line of the hock. Sheath on a bull should be proportionally balanced with age and body size, if pendulant it should have a good inclination of about 45 degrees with its orifice pointing towards the front and a mucus with good retractable capacity. Animals with extremely pendulous, below the line of the hock, with a poor inclination of over 45 degrees, with the orifice pointing downwards and a mucus without retractable capacity are not desirable.
Navel
Physical manifestation inherited from the Zebu breed that distinguishes the breed with its presence aiding in defining racial patterns. For the breed the navel should be visible in accordance with age and body size, without becoming pendant. Also, it should be accompanied with a proportional dewlap. Animals with navels that are hanging excessively, herniated, or if the navel overlaps the opening of the sheath in males are not desirable.
Scrotum -Testicles
Part of the reproductive organ of the male that should express the following characteristics desired for the breed: good testicular formation, good testicular definition in front the scrotal sac, smooth, bald, with a visible epididymis in the tip of the scrotal sac, false nipples on the belly, a good scrotal circumference according to its age and size, and with a scrotal sac that does not exceed the line of the hock. Animals with irregular testicular formation (monorquidus, cryptochidium, hyperplasia, unilateral hypoplasia, bilateral and marked testicular rotation), without definition in front of the scrotum sac, with hair covering thee scrotum, with epididymis not visible at the tip of the scrotal sac, with deficient scrotal circumference, or with the scrotal sac below the line of the hock are not desirable.
