Angus cattle Totally Explained

Everything about Angus Beef totally explained

Aberdeen-Angus is the original name of a breed of cattle developed in Scotland, and the term is still in use as such in the United Kingdom. In the United States they're 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 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 of age 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 to form purebred herds. On November 21, 1883, the American Aberdeen-Angus Association was founded in Chicago, Illinois. The name was shortened in the 1950s to the American Angus Association. Its first herd book was published on March 1, 1885. 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 the United Kingdom and Canada still register both colors in the same herd book.

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 (for example give birth without 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.
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”). Burger King's Angus Burger was the first such large scale product sold in the US and Canada. In 2006 it was introduced in the UK, Ireland and Spain and several Asian markets. Angus burgers are also menu items for chains such as Hardee's and Canadian-based Harveys. Beginning in 2006, McDonalds began testing hamburgers made with Angus beef at a number of its restaurants in several regions in the US and has said that customer response to the burgers has been positive.
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. Cattle that are at least 51% black and exhibit Angus influence are eligible for "Certified Angus Beef" evaluation. However, it must meet all 10 of the following criteria to be labeled "Certified Angus Beef" by USDA Graders. These standards were refined in January 2007 to further enhance product consistency:

Modest or higher degree of marbling
Medium or fine marbling texture
"A" maturity
10- to 16-square-inch ribeye area
Less than 1,000-pound hot carcass weight
Less than 1-inch fat thickness
Moderately thick or thicker muscling
No hump on the neck exceeding 5 cm (2 inches)
Practically free of capillary rupture
No dark cutting characteristics

Further Information

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