Angus cattle

From Free net encyclopedia

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. Angus cattle are solid black cattle, although white may appear on the udder. However, there is a fairly recent, recognized, American breed called Red Angus. They 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 advertised as a carcass breed despite the fact that their carcasses exhibit lower dressing percents, smaller ribeyes and have significant outer fat layer requiring trimming. 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 at a cost of overall performance. They are also used as a genetic dehorner as the polled gene is passed on as a dominant trait.

The breed arose in north-east Scotland in the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus. Deliberate breeding began at the end of the 18th century. The breed was first formally recognized in 1835 with the first herd book published in 1862. Animals were first exported to the USA and other countries in 1878.

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 suposedly superior quality of beef produced from Angus cattle (“Angus beef”). This promotion for Angus beef took hold in the consumer public, despite complaints that beef suppliers were merely presenting the same quality beef with a fancy name and a higher price ([1] "Mad about Angus," Philippine Daily Inquirer, February 24, 2005).

Angus cattle are known for their calving ease, as well for yielding leaner beef. This is why Angus has become more popular in recent years. Angus breeders advertise Angus cattle as The Business Breed. The Angus Association also (unscientifically) claims that Angus beef is the best-tasting beef.

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