What Is Related to Angus Beef
In the northeastern part of Scotland lie the four counties of Aberdeen, Banff, Kincardine, and Angus. These counties touch the Northward Sea and all extend inland and have some high or mountainous state. They have been favored through the ages with a temperate climate and expert crops, although the topography of the country is rough. Pastures do well in the area because of well-distributed rainfall. Enough of grass, plus a nearly ideal temperature for cattle production, has made the expanse very suitable for some of the greatest improvement that has been made in our purebred breeds of cattle. The canton of Angus was early on noted for its production of potatoes, grain crops, and feed. This shire contains a fine expanse of highly cultivated state known as Strathmore, which is one of the very fine valleys in that part of Scotland and which has go famous in the history of the Aberdeen-Angus breed. The county of Aberdeen is the most productive agronomical region in Scotland and depends largely upon crops and livestock for income. The fishing industry, however, is stressed along the coastline. The tiny counties of Banff and Kincardine have long been known equally livestock centers. Northern Scotland, although in a more than northern latitude than the United States, has a more than uniform temperature throughout the year. The Gulf Steam tempers the climate in the winter, and the summers remain cooler than atmospheric condition normally experienced in the United States.
Origin
There are three distinct and well-defined breeds of polled cattle in the United Kingdom. These breeds are the Aberdeen-Angus, the Galloway, and the ruby-red polled Norfolk and Suffolk brood that is found in England. Polled cattle plainly existed in Scotland before recorded history because the likeness of such cattle is found in prehistoric carvings of Aberdeen and Angus. Historians country that there were hornless cattle in Siberia centuries earlier. A hornless race of cattle was depicted in Egypt by sculptors and painters of that ancient civilization. Some historians feel that the Aberdeen-Angus breed and the other Scottish breeds sprang from the aboriginal cattle of the land and that the breeds as we find them today are indigenous to the districts in which they are withal plant.
Early on Scottish Cattle. Although footling is known nearly the early origin of the cattle that later became known equally the Aberdeen-Angus breed, information technology is thought that the improvement of the original stock found in the expanse began in the concluding half of the 18th century. The cattle establish in northern Scotland were not of uniform color, and many of the cattle of the early days had varied color markings or cleaved color patterns. Many of the cattle were polled, but some few had horns. The characteristics we commonly telephone call polled was often referred to in the old Scottish writings by the terms of "apprehensive," "doddies," "humlies," or "homyl."
Foundation of the Breed
Two strains were used in the formation of what afterwards became known southward the Aberdeen-Angus breed of cattle. In the county of Angus, cattle had existed for some time that were known as Angus doddies. MacDonald and Sinclair quote the Rev. James Playfair equally having written in 1797, "There are 1129 horned cattle of all ages and sexes in the parish. I have no other name to them; but many of them are dodded, wanting horns." This seems to be the first authentic reference to polled cattle in the canton of Angus, apart from ancient sculptures. In the expanse of Aberdeenshire, other polled cattle were found and were called Buchan "humlies," Buchan being the principal agricultural district in Aberdeenshire. These cattle were evidently early valued as piece of work oxen, every bit were most of the other strains of cattle that later acquired diverse brood names. MacDonald and Sinclair believed that polled cattle were found in Aberdeen in the 16th century, and stated: two
The presence of polled cattle in Aberdeenshire 400 years agone is proved across the shadow of a uncertainty, and information technology may generally be taked for granted that they were co-existent in diverse parts of northeastern Scotland, their purity being contingent on the caste of care exercised in convenance.
Improvement in Scottish Agriculture. Apparently little attention was given to the convenance of cattle earlier the middle of the xviiith century, merely in the last half of that century, great progress was made in Scottish agronomics. Information technology is non strange that, as farming practices were improved, men likewise sought to better the livestock on their farms. Information technology was only natural that breeders, in improving their cattle, would only cattle of similar kinds from adjacent areas, and every bit a result, the cattle of the Angus doddie strain and the Buchan humlie strain were crossed. Crossing and recrossing these strains of cattle eventually led to a distinct breed that was non far unlike from either type, since the two strains were originally of rather similar type and color pattern.
The Contribution of Hugh Watson. If any ane person tin be singled out as the founder of a brood of livestock, Hugh Watson of Keillor, who lived in the vale of Strathmore in Angus, is worthy of that distinction. If not the first real improver of Aberdeen-Angus cattle, he was certainly the nigh systematic and successful. Both his father and granddaddy had been buyers and breeders of the Angus doddies. The family is known to take endemic cattle as early as 1735. Hugh Watson was born in 1789 and, in 1808, at the time he was 19 years of historic period, he became a tenant at Keillor.
When Hugh Watson started his farming activities at Keillor, he received from his male parent's herd six of the best and blackest cows, every bit well as a bull. That same summer, he visited some of the leading Scottish cattle markets and purchased the 10 best heifers and the best bull that he could detect that showed characteristics of the Angus cattle that he was striving to breed. The females were of diverse colors, merely the bull was black; Watson decided that the color of his herd should be blackness and he started selecting in that management.
Mr. Watson's favorite bull was Old Jock 126 (one), 3 who was awarded the number "1" in the Herd Book at the time it was founded. The balderdash was bred past Watson in 1842 and was sired by Grey-Breasted Jock 113 (2). The bull obviously was used very heavily in the herd from 1843 until 1852 and was awarded the sweepstakes for bulls at the Highland Gild Prove at Perth in 1852, when he was 11 years erstwhile.
A very famous cow also made considerable history in the herd at Keillor. This moo-cow was One-time Granny 125 (1), who was calved in 1824 and was killed by lightning when past 35 years of age. She is reported to have produced a total of 29 calves, 11 of which were registered in the Herd Volume. A very large percentage of our living Aberdeen-Angus cattle trace to either Sometime Granny or Old Jock, or both of these very famous foundation animals, and about would trace many times if their pedigrees were extended to the foundation of the breed.
Hugh Watson practiced the plumbing fixtures and showing of his cattle more than was common by other breeders of his day. He made his first exhibition at the Highland Agronomical Social club Show at Perth in 1829. During his long prove career, he is said to have won over 500 prizes with his cattle and did a nifty deal to increase the popularity of the black polled cattle over the British Isles.
Other Early Contributors. Lord Panmure established a herd of polled cattle in 1835, and not only operated a private herd simply also encouraged his tenants to brood good doddies. William Fullerton, who was built-in in 1810, began to breed cattle in 1833. His most important early purchase was that of another Aberdeen cow named Black Meg. Black 1000000 43 (766) is sometimes referred to as the founder of the breed, since more cattle trace to her than to whatsoever other female used in the origin of the breed. 4 She is the only cow to surpass Old Granny in this respect. Robert Walker of Porlethen founded his herd in 1818 and continued to brood cattle successfully until his death in 1874.
Shorthorn Breed Threatens the Aberdeen-Angus. In 1810, the Colling brothers of England sold the famous Shorthorn bull Comet at $five,000. The publicity resulting from this auction naturally spread throughout Scotland, and many breeders looked with favor upon the use of Shorthorn blood in improving the native cattle. Subsequently proficient herds of Shorthorn cattle were established in Scotland, and the cattle were used in the improvement of native stock. The use of the Shorthorn cattle on the black native cows was a very mutual practice of the menstruation for the raising of commercial stock. This practice of crossbreeding threatened the Aberdeen-Angus breed with extinction.
It is often suggested that some Shorthorn claret found its way into the Aberdeen-Angus breed prior to the time the Herd Book was closed. Alexander Keith, secretary of the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society from 1944 to 1955, takes exception to this opinion past writing:
The argument has been frequently made that shorthorn blood was introduced into the Aberdeen-Angus breed at an early stage of its existence. There is no foundation whatsoever for such a statement. The tribes from which the Aberdeen-Angus breed were fatigued were supplying England with beef cattle for generations before what became the beef Shorthorn was taken across the Border into Scotland and improved into what is known as the Scotch Shorthorn. Of the Aberdeen-Angus pioneers, Hugh Watson had a certain number of Shorthorn cattle, but information technology is quite axiomatic from his won remarks and his insistence upon the blackness of his Aberdeen-Angus cattle that he would never accept permitted mixing them. And McCombie: when one or two farmers introduced the Teeswater or Shorthorn breed into his neighborhood he drove them out by completely dominating the local shows with his Aberdeen-Angus blackness polls. The feeling of the early improvers of Aberdeen-Angus cattle may be gathered from the fact that my ain granddad, who was one of McCombie'due south friends and assembly, would not allow anything just a black beast on his subcontract and in his former historic period when I was a young boy he would insist that if I ever became a farmer and wished to be a successful feeder of cattle I must stick rigidly to the Blacks.
Improvement and Expansion of the Aberdeen-Angus
The Great Preserver. William McCombie of Tillyfour is regarded as the preserver and corking addition of the Aberdeen-Angus breed. Fullerton and others had started the blending of the two types of cattle, which later became known as the Aberdeen-Angus, but this success was enlarged at Tillyfour. The master of Tillyfour was built-in in 1805 and died in the jump of 1880. Like his father before him, he had been a successful dealer in cattle earlier he began his operations in 1829 as a tenant farmer. Mr. McCombie is distinguished in the history of the Aberdeen-Angus breed because of his great foresight in planning matings, his careful management, his unparalleled success in the show ring, and in publicizing his famous cattle. Probably his crowning success in the show ring was at the peachy International Exposition held at Paris in 1878. There he won the start prize of $500 as an exhibitor of cattle from a foreign country and also the grand prize of $500 for the best grouping of beef-producing animals bred by any exhibitor.
The English Crown has long been interested in livestock comeback, and Queen Victoria paid a personal visit to Tillyfour a year or ii after the visit of the famous Blackness prince to the castle. Such a tribute to an outstanding breeder naturally attracted great attending to the already famous herd. McCombie had the further distinction of beingness the kickoff tenant farmer in Scotland to be elected to the House of Commons.
According to the historian Sanders:
Aberdeen-Angus history may adequately be divided into two periods; the start, before William McCombie's fourth dimension; the 2nd, since. That is every bit good as any other way of saying that the Main of Tillyfour-recognized cattle king of his 24-hour interval and generation in Aberdeen-Angusshire and of all Scotland-stands a very colossus upon any canvas which accurately portrays the original arrival of black cattle equally a factor of world importance in the field of prime beef production.
William McCombie ever had utility in mind in producing his cattle, and his ideal brute seems to have been i with size, symmetry, and balance, yet with strength of constitution and disposition to accumulate flesh.
Of import Developments at Tillyfour. Although his original stock was gathered from many sources and his purchases were many, Mr. McCombie'southward outstanding acquisition was probably the good yearling heifer Queen Mother 41 (348) at the Ardestie Sale.
Mr. McCombie purchased the bull Hanton 80 (228), calved in 1853, from the breeder Alexander Bowie. This balderdash was a grandson of Old Jock 126 (i) and was said to accept weighed a ton at maturity. Despite the fact that he had scurs, he was a great show bull and was exhibited widely past Me. McCombie. The bull'southward success, however, was more pronounced in the convenance pen, and he probably made his greatest contribution to the breed through his double grandson, Black Prince of Tillyfour 77 (366), calved in 1860. Few, if any, cattle of the brood are living today that exercise non trace at least a dozen times to Black Prince of Tillyfour. It is difficult to say how much contribution Mr. McCombie made to the Aberdeen-Angus breed through his successes in the show ring, just he outstripped all of his competition in England, Scotland, and France. Consequently, the name of Aberdeen-Angus became known on an international basis. It was on the farm of William McCombie that the Aberdeen-Angus breed really took shape, considering prior to his time, people spoke of the cattle every bit Aberdeen and Angus. In his herd was plant the justification for leaving out the "and" and replacing it with the hyphen that has get familiar. At Tillyfour, the master breeder molded the 2 original strains into one improved breed superior to either of its components. There is no question simply that the "preserver" of the Angus breed left the breed far meliorate than he found it.
The Ballindalloch Herd. Some other very famous Aberdeen-Angus herd in Scotland was that of Ballindalloch, but the origin of this herd is lost in the mists of antiquity. Information technology was probably start founded by Sir John MacPherson Grant, but information technology was not until the time the subcontract came into the easily of Sir George, a son, that systematic convenance was started. Sir George drew heavily on Tillyfour cattle in establishing his herd.
It was very fortunate for the breed that the Ballindalloch herd was kept in the family for over 3 generations. The primary herd was dispersed on August viii, 1934, but it had already left a smashing banner on the Aberdeen-Angus world. Not just was the Ballindalloch herd the outstanding herd in Scotland but it mush also exist given credit for having furnished a great bargain of very valuable foundation stock to the herds of the United States and other foreign countries.
The First Angus In America. When George Grant transported four Angus bulls from Scotland to the middle of the Kansas prairie in 1873, they were function of the Scotsman'south dream to establish a colony of wealthy, stock-raising Britishers. Grant died five years afterward, and many of the settlers at his Victoria, Kansas colony later returned to their homeland. Even so, these four Angus bulls, probably from the herd of George Brown of Westertown, Fochabers, Scotland, made a lasting impression on the U.Due south. cattle manufacture.
When two of the George Grant bulls were exhibited in the autumn of 1873 at the Kansas City (Missouri) Livestock Exposition, some considered them "freaks" because of their polled (naturally hornless) heads and solid black color (Shorthorns were and so the dominant breed.) Grant, a frontwards thinker, crossed the bulls with native Texas longhorn cows, producing a large number of hornless black calves that survived well on the winter range. The Angus crosses wintered better and weighed more than the side by side spring, the outset demonstration of the breed'south value in their new homeland.
Early Importers and Breeders. The get-go great herds of Angus beefiness cattle in America were built up by purchasing stock directly from Scotland. Twelve hundred cattle solitary were imported, mostly to the Midwest, in a period of explosive growth between 1878 and 1883 . Over the next quarter of a century these early on owners, in turn, helped start other herds past breeding, showing, and selling their registered stock.
Angus Breed Associations and Registries
Reference:
Briggs, H.One thousand. & D.M. Briggs. Modernistic Breeds of Livestock. Fourth Edition. Macmillan Publishing Co. 1980 (reprinted with permission from Dr. Briggs).
American Angus Association, 3201 Frederick Artery, St. Joseph, MO 64506 Phone: (816) 383-5100
Photographs:
American Angus Association, 3201 Frederick Blvd., St. Joseph, MO 64506. Telephone: (816) 383-5100
Source: http://afs.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/angus
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