Use: The BueLingo is a moderately framed, composite beef cattle breed, developed for its quickly maturing beef and its beautiful white stripe along the midsection of the body. While the breed’s appearance attracts attention on pasture, it’s most noted for its tasty, lean beef. Producers aim to process steers or heifers by 18 months of age, for an average carcass weight between 600 and 650 pounds. Carcasses require very little trimming and produce a desirable rib-eye averaging 11.3 to 11.5 square inches.
History: In the late 1970s, a respected cattle rancher by the name of Russ Bueling had the vision of developing a cattle breed that would not only be an asset to the beef industry, but also exhibit aesthetic qualities that would benefit the agricultural landscape. Working with Russ Danielson, of North Dakota State University’s Animal Science Department, and Alfred Ostrum, a cattle rancher from Montana, Bueling started with the Dutch Belted cattle breed and incorporated other bloodlines, including the Lakenvelder, Angus and Chianina, using a strict breeding plan that focused on hardiness, a quick growth rate and a lean carcass. In 1988, the BueLingo Beef Cattle Society was founded with 200 registered animals and today continues to focus on beef quality with consumer’s tastes in mind.
Conformation: The BueLingo boasts a dark-black or deep-red coat with a symmetrical white belt that encircles one-half to three-quarters of the midsection between the girth and hipbone. The tail, feet and legs are a solid color that matches the body’s coat, and the skin, including the muzzle, teats and udder, is either black or a dark pink. Adult BueLingo cows weigh 1,100 to 1,300 pounds and stand 50 to 53 inches at the hips, with a body frame score of 4 to 5½; adult bulls weigh 1,700 to 2,000 pounds and stand 58 to 59 inches at the hips, with a body frame score of 6 to 6½. Individuals can be horned or polled, though polled is preferred.
Special Considerations/Notes: While BueLingo cattle are renowned for their production efficiency, they’re also a gentle breed with excellent mothering abilities. They are very fertile and produce vigorous calves at desirable and consistent calving weights. The breed is also extremely hardy to both warm and cold regions, which has attracted the attention of both hobby and commercial grassfed and organic farmers.
