Angus cattle, also known as Aberdeen Angus are a breed of cattle where it is most commonly used in beef production.
History
Scotland
The Aberdeen Angus cattle have been recorded in Scotland as early as the 16th century at the North East part of the country. Before the 1800s, the hornless cattle in Aberdeenshire and Angus were called Angus doddies. In the year 1862, William McCombie of Tillyfour started to improve the breed. Today, he is being regarded as the father of the breed. The first herd book was being created in 1862, followed by the society in 1879. This is considered late as the breed has already gained mainstream acceptance during the middle of the 18th century.
Argentina
The breed was introduced to Argentina in the year 1879 when "Don Carlos Guerrero" imported one bull and two cows for his Estancia "Charles" located in Juancho, Partido de General Madariaga, Provincia de Buenos Aires. The bull was born in the year 1878 on April the 19th and was named "Virtuoso 1626" and the bull was raised by Colonel Ferguson.
Australia
The breed was first introduced to Tasmania in the 1820s and then followed by mainland in 18040s. It is now commonly found throughout whole of Australia.
Canada
In the year 1876, William Brown was granted permission by the government of Ontario to purchase the Aberdeen Angus for the Ontario Agriculture Collage. The herd comprised a yearling bull, Gladiolus, and a cow, Eyebright, bred by the Earl of Fife and a cow, Leochel Lass 4th, bred by R.O. Farquharson.
Characteristics
The Angus cattle are usually very hardy and they are able to survive harsh weathers with snowfall and storms due to their natives environment. Cows typically weigh around 550 kilograms while bulls weigh 850 kilograms. The calves are usually born smaller than what is acceptable in the market. Hence, crossbreeding with dairy cattle is usually required for veal production.
The Angus cattle is naturally polled and black in colour. They normally mature earlier than other native British breeds such as the Hereford or North Devon. They also have large muscle content and are regarded as medium in size. The Angus meat is very popular in places such as Japan due to its marbling qualities.
Breed Benefits
The Aberdeen-Angus cattle have many benefits to the farmers both commercially and lifestyle wise. Here are some of the benefits:
Commercially:
The Aberdeen Angus beef commands a premium price, hence increases the profitability for the farmers
Strong demand
Product is much loved by the consumers and retailers
They have high fertility rates
Management:
High growth rate
Easy of calving
Excellent conversion and fleshing ability
They are generally very healthy
They thrive on forage-based production systems
They have a good reputation for docility and compliancy