Angus cattle

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This article is about the Black Angus breed. For the red breed with similar qualities, see Red Angus.

Angus calf with its mother

Aberdeen-Angus is the original name of the breed as developed in Scotland and the term is still in use as such in the United Kingdom. In the United States they are usually referred to simply as "Angus" or Black Angus. Angus cattle are naturally polled and solid black, although white may appear on the udder. Black Angus are the most popular beef breed of cattle in the United States with 324,266 animals registered in 2005. ^[1] ^[2]

1 History
- 1.1 Scotland
- 1.2 United States
2 Uses
3 See also
4 Breed Associations
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Scotland

The breed originated in Scotland in the areas of Aberdeenshire and Angus. For some time prior to the 1800s there had been cattle without horns in these areas and were called "Angus doddies". Hugh Watson could be considered the founder of the breed, and was instrumental in selecting the best black, polled animals for his herd. His favorite bull was Old Jock [126], who was born 1842 and sired by Grey-Breasted Jock. Old Jock was given the number "1" in the Scotch Herd Book when it was founded. Another of Watson's notable animals was a cow: Old Granny [125] who was born in 1824 and said to have lived to be 35 years old and produced 29 calves. A vast majority of Angus cattle alive today can trace their pedigrees back to these two animals.

^[3]

[edit] United States

On May 17, 1873 George Grant brought four Angus bulls to Victoria, Kansas. He took the bulls to the fair in Kansas City where they were the topic of much conversation at a time when Shorthorns and Longhorns where the norm. The black hornless animals were often called "freaks" by those who saw them. The bulls were used only in crossbreeding, and have no registered progeny today. However, their offspring left a favorable impression on the cattlemen of the time and soon more Angus cattle were imported from Scotland and purebred herds began. ^[4]

On November 21, 1883, the American Aberdeen-Angus Association was founded in Chicago, Illinois. ^[5] The name was shortened in the 1950s to the American Angus Association. Its first herd book was published on March 1, 1885. ^[4] At this time both red and black animals were both registered without distinction. However, in 1917 the American Angus Association barred the registering of red and other colored animals in an effort to promote a solid black breed. ^[6] Red Angus cattle occur as the result of a recessive gene. Breeders collecting red cattle from black herds began the Red Angus Association of America in 1954. Other countries such as Great Britain and Canada still register both colors in the same herd book.

[edit] Uses

Angus are hardy, undemanding, adaptable, mature at around two years of age, and have a high carcass yield with marbled meat. They are good natured in comparison to several breeds but are more aggressive than the breeds such as the Hereford. Angus are used as beef cattle and are not used for milk intended for human consumption . They are used widely in crossbreeding to improve marbling and milking ability. Angus females calve easily (i.e., give birth without as much stress), partly because of the small size of a typical Angus calf, and have good calf rearing ability. They are also used as a genetic dehorner as the polled gene is passed on as a dominant trait. ^[7]

As of the latter part of 2003 and early 2004, the American fast food industry has assisted in a public relations campaign to promote the supposedly superior quality of beef produced from Angus cattle (“Angus beef”). McDonalds is currently testing hamburgers made with Angus beef at six Los Angeles-area restaurants and have said that customer response to the burgers has been positive. [1]

In another attempt to promote the consumption of beef from Angus cattle, the American Angus Association set up the "certified Angus Beef" brand in 1978. The goal of this brand is to promote the idea that Angus beef is of higher quality than beef from other breeds of cattle. In order for beef to be considered "Certified Angus Beef," it must come from cattle that are at least 51% black in coloration and exhibit Angus-like characteristics. ^[8]

[edit] See also

[edit] Breed Associations

The American Angus Association is responsible for Black Angus registrations, and does not register red animals.

[edit] References

^ American Angus Association. Angus - FAQs. angus.org. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
^ Virginia Cooperative Extension. Beef Cattle Breed Associations Seedstock List. Virginia Tech.. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
^ Oklahoma State University. Breeds of Livestock - Angus Cattle. Department of Animal Science - OSU. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
^ ^a ^b Burke, Tom, Kurt Schaff, Rance Long [2004] (2004). “The Birth of the Breed”, Angus Legends: Volume 1, 17.
^ American Angus Association. Angus History (html). angus.org. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
^ Red Angus Association of America. History of Red Angus (html). redangus.org. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
^ Angus. Cattle Today. Retrieved on 2006-10-29.
^ Angus FAQs. Angus.org. Retrieved on 2006-12-06.