Angus Cattle
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.
History
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.
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 were 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.
Uses
Angus cattle grazing.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 a number of its restaurants in Southern California and has said that customer
response to the burgers has been positive. [1] In 2006, Burger King released the "Angus
Burger" nationally in the US, UK and Spain.
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.
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.
History
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.
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 were 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.
Uses
Angus cattle grazing.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 a number of its restaurants in Southern California and has said that customer
response to the burgers has been positive. [1] In 2006, Burger King released the "Angus
Burger" nationally in the US, UK and Spain.
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.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Willow Creek Ranch Castle Rock, CO |
| (c) 2006-2011 Willow Creek Ranch, LLC Website design and maintenance by UNO Last update May 2011 |
