Breed Codes for International Genetic Evaluation of dairy and beef cattle
The International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) established a list of “Breed Codes on Bovine Semen Straws for International Trade” during the 32nd ICAR session in Bled, Slovenia. The list contains the most relevant breeds for international trade in semen, and was compiled by the ICAR working group on AI & other relevant technologies. The list is now part of the ICAR guidelines “International Agreement of Recording Practices”, and the most recent list is also available below. Requests for expanding the list with breed codes and names, to be used for identification of bovine semen straws for international trade, are collated by the Interbull Centre.
NOTE!
(1) The 3-letters breed codes are assigned by Interbull Centre, any requests for a new 3-letters breed codes should be sent to interbull at slu.se
(2) These breed codes does not apply to the identification of breeds in the international genetic evaluations offered by Interbull, but ONLY to the identification of semen straws for international trade. The ICAR AI WG is responsible for the 2-letter codes, new requests should be submitted to such working group (https://www.icar.org/index.php/technical-bodies/working-groups/artificial-insemination-rt-working-group/)
Annex 1 - English breed names and codes
Breed |
Breed Code(1) 3-ch. |
Breed Code(2) 2-ch. |
National Breed Names Annex |
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Abondance |
ABO |
AB |
- |
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Angus |
AAN |
AN |
2.1 |
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Aubrac |
AUB |
AU |
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Ayrshire |
RDC |
AY |
2.1 |
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Bazadais |
BZD |
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Belgian Blue |
BBL |
BB |
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Blonde d'Aquitaine |
BAQ |
BD |
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Beef Shorthorn |
BSH |
- |
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Beefmaster |
BMA |
BM |
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Belgium Red & White |
BER |
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Braford |
BFD |
BO |
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Brahman |
BRM |
BR |
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Brangus |
BRG |
BN |
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Brand Rood |
BRR |
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British Frisian |
BRF |
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Brown Swiss |
BSW |
BS |
2.1 |
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Chianina |
CIA |
CA |
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Charolais |
CHA |
CH |
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Dairy Shorthorn |
MSH |
- |
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Dutch Frisian |
DFR |
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Eringer |
ERI |
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Meuse Rhine Yssel |
MRY |
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Dexter |
DXT |
DR |
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Devon |
DEV |
- |
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Dikbil |
DIK |
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Eastern Flanders White Red |
BWR |
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European Red Dairy Breed |
RDC |
RE |
2.1 |
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Gascon |
GAS |
- |
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Glan Donnersberg |
GDB |
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Galloway |
GLW |
GA |
2.2 |
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Guernsey |
GUE |
GU |
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Gelbvieh |
GVH |
GV |
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Groninger |
GRO |
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Hereford |
HER |
- |
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Highland Cattle |
HLA |
HI |
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Hinterwälder |
HWD |
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Holstein |
HOL |
HO |
2.2 |
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Holstein, Red and White |
RED |
RW |
2.2 |
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Jersey |
JER |
JE |
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Kerry |
KER |
- |
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Dutch Belted- Lakenvelder |
DBE |
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Limousin |
LIM |
LM |
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Lincoln reds |
LIR |
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Longhorn |
LON |
- |
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Luing |
LUI |
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Rouge des Pres |
RDP |
- |
2.2 |
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Murray-Grey |
MGR |
MG |
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Montbéliard |
MON |
MO |
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Marchigiana |
MAR |
MR |
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Maremmana |
MAE |
- |
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Nellore |
NEL |
- |
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Normandy |
NMD |
NO |
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Norwegian Red |
RDC |
NR |
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Parthenaise |
PAR |
- |
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Polish White Backed |
PBG |
BG |
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Piedmont |
PIE |
PI |
2.2 |
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Pinzgau |
PIN |
PZ |
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Polish Black and White |
PZB |
ZB |
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Polish Red and White |
PZR |
ZR |
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Red Angus |
RAN |
- |
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Romagnola |
ROM |
RN |
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Salers |
SAL |
SL |
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Santa Gertrudis |
SGE |
SG |
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South Devon |
SDE |
SD |
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Sussex |
SUS |
- |
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Simmental/Fleckvieh |
SIM |
SM |
2.2 |
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Speckle Park |
SPK |
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Stabiliser |
STA |
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Swedish Red |
RDC |
SR |
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Sahiwal |
SAH |
SW |
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Tarentaise |
TAR |
TA |
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Tux |
TUX |
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Tyrol Grey |
TGR |
AL |
2.2 |
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Verbeter Roodbont |
VRB |
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Wagyu |
WAG |
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Belgium Blue Mixte |
WBM |
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Welsh Black |
WBL |
WB |
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Western Flanders Meat |
BRV |
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West-Vlaams Rood |
BRD |
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Witrik |
WRI |
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(1) Interbull breed codes 2012
(2) Breed codes on bovine semen straws for international trade
Annex 2 - National Breed Names
English Name |
National names |
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Angus |
Including |
Aberdeen Angus Canadian Angus |
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American Angus |
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German Angus |
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Ayrshire |
Including |
Ayrshire in |
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Australia |
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Canada |
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Colombia |
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Czech Republic |
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Finland |
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Kenya |
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New Zealand Norway |
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Russia |
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South Africa |
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Sweden (SAB) |
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UK |
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US |
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Zimbabwe |
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Belgian Blue |
French: |
Blanc-bleu Belge |
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Flemish: |
Witblauw Ras van Belgie |
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UK: |
British Blue |
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Brown Swiss |
German: |
Braunvieh |
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Italian: |
Razza Bruna |
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French: |
Brune |
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Spanish: |
Bruna, Parda Alpina |
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Serbo-Croatian: |
Slovenacko belo |
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Czech: |
Hnedy Karpatsky |
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Romanian: |
Shivitskaja |
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Russian: |
Bruna |
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Bulgarian: |
B'ljarska kafyava |
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The Netherlands: |
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European Red Dairy Breed |
Including |
Danish Red |
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Angeln |
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Estonian Red |
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Latvian Brown |
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Lithuanian Red |
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Byelorus Red |
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Polish Red |
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Polish Red Lowland |
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Ukrainian Polish Red |
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(French Rouge Flamande?) |
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(Belgian Flamande Rouge?) |
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Galloway: |
Including |
Black and Dun |
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Galloway |
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Belted Galloway |
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Red Galloway |
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White Galloway |
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Holstein, Black and White: |
Dutch: |
Holstein Swartbont |
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German: |
Deutsche Holstein, schwarzbunt |
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Danish: |
Dansk Holstein (former Sortbroget Dansk Malkekvaeg) |
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British: |
Holstein Friesian |
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Swedish: |
Svensk Låglands Boskap |
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French: |
Prim Holstein |
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Italian: |
Holstein Frisona |
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Spanish: |
Holstein Frisona |
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Romanian: |
Bălțată cu Negru Românească – Holstein Friză |
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Holstein, Red and White |
Dutch: |
Holstein, roodbunt |
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German: |
Holstein, rotbunt |
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Danish: |
Roedbroget Dansk Malkekvaeg |
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Piedmont Rouge des Pres |
Italian: French: |
Piemontese Maine Anjou |
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Simmental/Fleckvieh |
Including dual purpose and beef use |
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French: |
Simmental Française |
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Italian: |
Razza Pezzata Rossa |
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Czech: |
Cesky strakatý |
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Slovakian: |
Slovensky strakaty |
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Romanian: |
Baltata româneasca |
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Russian: |
Simmentalskaja |
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Spekle Park |
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Including: |
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Pure breed Speckle Park |
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Percentage Speckle Park |
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Color pattern: Solid black, Leopard, White with black points, black sides with white topline |
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Tyrol Grey |
German: |
Tiroler Grauvieh |
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Oberinntaler Grauvieh |
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Rätisches Grauvieh |
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Italian: |
Razza Grigia Alpina |