Aberdeen Angus
Hardy Scottish beef breed, naturally polled, prized for marbled meat.
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The Aberdeen Angus breed was developed in the early 19th century from polled black cattle of northeast Scotland known locally as "doddies" and "hummlies".[1] Black is genetically dominant, but Aberdeen Angus cattle can have either black or red coats, and they are naturally hornless.[1]
Biology and range
Because of their native environment, the cattle are very hardy and can survive the Scottish winters, which are often harsh, with snowfall and storms.[2] Angus females calve easily and have good calf rearing ability.[1] Angus are renowned as a carcass breed.[1] Adult females typically reach a mass of roughly 550 kg, while adult males are around 850 kg.[2]
Compared to native British breeds like the Hereford or North Devon, these cattle become sexually mature at a younger age.[2] Classified as medium-sized, the animals possess a high proportion of muscle.[2] Japanese markets highly value the meat because of its fat marbling.[2]
What the specialist sources record
The earliest families trace back to the middle of the eighteenth century, but the Herd Book was founded in 1862 and the Society in 1879.[1] Hugh Watson became tenant of Keillor in Angus in 1808.[1] A cow named Old Granny, born in 1824, is said to have lived to be 35 years old and produced 29 calves.[1] William McCombie took the farm of Tillyfour in Aberdeenshire in 1824 and founded a herd of Keillor blood.[1]
The breed was introduced to Argentina in 1879 when Don Carlos Guerrero imported one bull and two cows.[3] In 1876 William Brown was granted permission to purchase Aberdeen Angus cattle for the Ontario Agricultural College.[4] George Grant transported four Angus bulls to Victoria, Kansas, on 17 May 1873.[5]
References
- "The Cattle Site – Angus Breeds", The Cattle Site. facts only, no text reused. thecattlesite.com
- Wikipedia, "Aberdeen Angus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Denholm, "Congenital contractural arachnodactyly ('fawn calf syndrome') in Angus cattle", NSW Department of Trade and Investment PrimeFact 1015 May 2010; Vidler, Adam, Defects on rise as gene pool drains, p. 63, The Land, Rural Press, North Richmond, NSW; Retrieved on 29 May; "American Angus Association", Angus.org; Whitlock, "Heritable Birth Defects in Angus Cattle", Appliedreprostrategies.com; "Denholm L et al(2010) Polymelia (supernumerary limbs) in Angus calves" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Aberdeen Angus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Historia de la Cabaña Charles de Guerrero, criadora de Angus desde 1879 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Aberdeen Angus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "First Herd of Aberdeen-Angus Established by OAC in 1876", Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 6 March 1954, p. 2 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Aberdeen Angus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Burke, "Angus Legends: Volume 1", 2004, p. 17 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Aberdeen Angus (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Domestic Breeds & Types
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Aberdeen Angus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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