Angus cattle are a breed of cattle commonly used in beef production. They were developed
from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland, and are known as Aberdeen
Angus in most parts of the world. They are naturally polled and solid black
or red, although the udder may be white. There have always been both red and black individuals
in the population, but in the USA they are regarded as two separate breeds — Red Angus
and Black Angus. Black Angus is the most common beef breed of cattle in the United States,
with 324,266 animals registered in 2005.
History
Scotland For some time before the 1800s, the hornless
cattle in Aberdeenshire and Angus were called Angus doddies. Hugh Watson can be considered
the founder of the breed; he was instrumental in selecting the best black, polled animals
for his herd. His favorite bull was Old Jock, which was born 1842 and sired by Grey-Breasted
Jock. Grey-Breasted Jock was given the number "1" in the Scottish Herd Book when it was
founded. Another of Watson's notable animals was a cow, Old Granny, which was born in 1824
and said to have lived to 35 years of age and to have produced 29 calves. The pedigrees
of the vast majority of Angus cattle alive today can be traced back to these two animals.
With the exception of Black Meg 43, more Angus cattle trace back to Old Granny than any other
single cow of the breed, and she is considered by some as the founder of the breed.
Australia Angus cattle were first introduced to Tasmania
in the 1820s and to the southern mainland in 1840. The breed is now found in all Australian
states and territories with 62,000 calves registered with Angus Australia in 2010.
New Zealand Angus have been established as a breed in
New Zealand for a century and a half. United States
On May 17, 1873, George Grant brought four Angus bulls, but no cows, 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, but the organization's name was
shortened in the 1950s to the American Angus Association. The Association's first herd
book was published on March 1, 1885. At this time both red and black animals were registered
without distinction. However, in 1917 the Association barred the registering of red
and other colored animals in an effort to promote a solid black breed. 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.
Genetic disorders From 2008 to 2010, The American Angus Association
reported several recessive genetic disorders in the breed, referred to as "AM," "NH" and
"CA." A test for dwarfism was discovered several years before, in 2008. A very small number
of Black Angus, some Red Angus, Holsteins, Simmental and Hereford as well as humans also
carry OS, known as Osteopetrosis or "Marble Bone.". A further defect called notomelia,
a form of polymelia was reported in the Angus breed in 2010. It should be noted that all
cattle breeds, indeed all animal species, carry these recessive heritable defects. The
Angus breed associations in several countries have been very forward thinking in collaborating
with molecular geneticists and veterinarians to identify these disorders, locate the genetic
mutations that cause them and then develop DNA tests for their control. Although the
open public discussion of these defects and the mutations that cause them in the Angus
breed seems to suggest they are more common in this breed, in fact the very opposite is
true. The open public discussion of these disorders amongst Angus breeders has allowed
them to take the necessary steps to remove carriers of the mutations from the Angus population
and all these genetic defects are now much less common in the Angus population than they
once were. The four recessive defects can produce affected
calves. A "recessive defect" requires both parents to carry the recessive gene to have
a calf that is "affected" or shows the defect, and then only an average of one in four will
show the defect even with both parents carrying the defective gene. The four recessive defects
in the Black Angus breed that are currently managed with DNA tests are: Arthrogryposis
Multiplex referred to as curly calf; Neuropathic Hydrocephalus sometimes known as water head;
Contractural Arachnodactyly formerly referred to by the name of “Fawn Calf Syndrome;"
and dwarfism. For a full description of the CA syndrome and the major carrier bulls see
Denholm LJ.". DNA testing is now available for AM, NH, CA and one type of dwarfism. CA
and dwarfism are not usually lethal to the calf before or during birth; however, calves
affected with these defects may be easier prey to predators and may also live a shortened
life due to other complications. An affected NH calf will generally be born dead; however,
an affected calf with this NH defect is very serious because the mother cow can die during
an unsupervised birth, or she may require a cesarean section due to the enlarged head
of the calf. However, both parents need to carry the recessive gene for any calf to be
affected. Because of these defects, the American Angus Association has chosen to remove the
carrier animals from the breed and has instituted a somewhat involved program to remove the
defective animals, but especially their offspring, from the breed. The American Angus Association
has made rules to govern AM, NH and CA so that by January 1, 2012 for AM, and June 15,
2012 for NH, no Angus will be registered that is a carrier. After that time, owners may
use carrier bulls or carrier cows in their own herds but cannot register offspring unless
the offspring are tested defect free. This extended time period allows breeders to recover
their registered herds by replacing carrier mothers with non-carrier daughters. An animal
designated as a carrier of dwarfism will not have offspring registered. Angus breed societies
in other countries have taken similar although not identical action to reduce the prevalence
of the causal mutations in the population. Uses
Angus cattle are widely used in crossbreeding to reduce the likelihood of dystocia. They
are also used as a genetic dehorner as the polled gene is passed on as a dominant trait.
During the later part of 2003 and the early part of 2004, the American fast food industry
assisted in a public relations campaign to promote the supposedly superior quality of
beef produced from Angus cattle. Back Yard Burger was the first such large scale product
sold in the US, dating back to 2002. Angus burgers are also menu items for chains such
as Hardee's and Canadian-based Harvey's. Beginning in 2006, McDonalds began testing hamburgers
made with Angus beef at a number of its restaurants in several regions in the US; the company
said that customer response to the burgers was positive and began selling the burger
at all US locations in July 2009. At the same time, McDonald's Australia also began selling
two variants of the burger, the Grand Angus and the Mighty Angus, using Australian-bred
Angus, in their outlets. The American Angus Association set up the
"Certified Angus Beef" brand in 1978. The goal of this brand was to promote the idea
that Angus beef was of higher quality than beef from other breeds of cattle. Cattle are
eligible for "Certified Angus Beef" evaluation if they are at least 51% black and exhibit
Angus influence, which include black Simmental cattle and crossbreds. However, they must
meet all 10 of the following criteria, which were refined in January 2007 to further enhance
product consistency, to be labeled "Certified Angus Beef" by USDA Graders:
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
Practically free of capillary rupture No dark cutting characteristics
Usually black or red in color See also
American Angus Association Kobe beef
List of cattle breeds Red Angus
Red Angus Association of America References
External links History of the Angus cattle - Oklahoma State
University Angus Breed Information - Cattle.com
Factors Affecting the Selling Price of Purebred Angus Bulls
Breed associations Unless otherwise stated, the associations
below register both red and black animals. Official website of the Aberdeen Angus Cattle
Society Irish Angus Cattle Society Ltd.
Australia: The Angus Society of Australia
Canada: Canadian Aberdeen Angus Association
Ontario Angus Association Denmark:
Danish Aberdeen Angus Association New Zealand:
New Zealand Angus Association Portugal
Angus Portugal US:
American Angus Association - responsible for black Angus registrations, but does not register
red Angus cattle. Red Angus Association - responsible for red
Angus registrations, and will also register black Angus cattle.
A*L*O*T Angus Association -- represents the owners of black Angus cattle in four states.
Iowa Angus Association—represents the owners of black Angus cattle.
Miami Valley Angus Association—represents the owners of black Angus cattle.
Texas Angus Association—represents the owners of black Angus cattle in the State of Texas.