What Is A Black Angus Cow? Do you want to know What Is A Black Angus Cow ? Millions of beef cattle reside on farms and ranchers throughout North America. Over time, breeders have selected specific phenotypes in their herds to create unique types of cattle.
Even though all these breeds started from the same ancestor, they each look pretty different. In this article, I hope to clear up some of the confusion surrounding Black Angus cattle.
When someone refers to a “Black Angus Cow,” they typically use it as a marketing term rather than a breed designation.
There is no such animal as an actual Black Angus Cow because the American Angus Association (the breed organization for American Angus cattle) does not recognize a black color variation for their breed.
What Is A Black Angus Cow?
A Black Angus Cow is a beef cow that carries a heterozygous allele for black coat color. In other words, they take the gene responsible for the black pigment in their coats but have another co-dominate gene responsible for red/brown pigmentation in their coats.
A four-generation pedigree from an animal containing the black allele should have at least one black animal. This is true even if it’s not the one they refer to as their “Black Angus Cow” source.
The black coat color allele is a recessive gene, and it can remain hidden for several generations before popping up in an offspring.
Because Black Angus Cattle are simply cattle that carry a heterozygous allele for black coat color, they come from many different breeds.
What Is A Black Angus Bull?
A black Angus Bull is a beef bull that carries a heterozygous allele for black coat color. In other words, they take the gene responsible for the black pigment in their coats but have another co-dominate gene responsible for red/brown pigmentation in their coats.
A four-generation pedigree from an animal containing the black allele should have at least. A Black Angus Bull is typically an Angus Bull (i.e., a beef bull) that carries two black coat color allele copies.
What are Black Angus Cows used for?
Since Black Angus Cattle are simply cattle that carry a heterozygous allele for black coat color, they come from many different breeds. A non-Angus breeder typically wants to acquire at least one copy of the black allele so they can produce black calves in their herd if they should desire later on.
Depending on the breed, this may be referred to as “color upgrading.” Black Angus Cattle are a little different from other beef cows when it comes time to sell them.
They will command the same price for carcass weight at sale barns and live auctions around the country. Depending on quality, breed composition, yearling vs. mature animals, etc., prices can vary greatly.
Why Is Black Angus So Popular?
Black Angus Cattle are generally heftier, cleaner, and more docile than many other beef cows. They feed well and produce a high-quality carcass that retailers love to showcase as “prime beef.”
All these attributes make them desirable in the eyes of commercial cattle breeders and large-scale cattle producers. As a result, more of them are being used in crossbreeding programs around the country for these reasons.
The Life Expectancy Of Black Angus Cattle
There is no denying that Black Angus Cattle are a popular choice among commercial cattle breeders. This popularity has led to increased demand for them in crossbreeding programs. In other words, they are being used more frequently to produce crossbred beef steers and heifers since they contribute desirable traits to many progenies.
As a result of this demand, it has become necessary for producers to understand the life expectancy of their animals. A common term used when referring to Black Angus Cattle in crossbreeding programs is “culling grade.”
Culling Grade means that the animal has a low enough value compared to other cattle that it serves little purpose in a commercial beef operation. If a Black Angus Cow is culling grade, she will be slaughtered for hamburger meat instead of being kept alive to contribute to the herd’s productivity.
What Is A Black Angus Cow? Since Black Angus Cattle are simply cattle that carry a heterozygous allele for black coat color, they come from many different breeds. This means that the nutritional needs of their mothers will vary depending on breed type. Consequently, the dietary requirements of Black Angus calves will also be somewhat diverse.
Dietary
Since Black Angus Cattle are simply cattle that carry a heterozygous allele for black coat color, they come from many different breeds. This means that the nutritional needs of their mothers will vary depending on breed type. Consequently, the dietary requirements of Black Angus calves will also be somewhat diverse.
Regardless of breed, however, calves should be allowed to nurse their mothers for at least 3-4 months before weaning. This natural source of colostrum will help ensure that they get off to a good start in life.
Conclusion
A black Angus cow is a breed of cattle that originated in Scotland. The cows are traditionally bred for beef production and raised primarily in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Argentina.
Black Angus Cows have been shown to produce more marbling than other breeds because their muscle fibres contain higher unsaturated fat levels, making them tender when cooked. Thank you for reading this article.
