The Belgian Blue Breed of beef cattle is relatively new to the United States but is rapidly gaining accepctance with breef breeders and dairymen. Belgian Blue cattle as they exist today are the result of selective genetic breeding and development conducted in Belgium by Professor Hanset at the AI Center in the Province of Liege. In the late fifties, a debate arose among breeders, the question being whether to maintain the dual-purpose type as it was or to select for more muscling. The muscling prevailed. Concerning this critical period, three famous AI sires are to be sited: Gedeon and two of his grandsons Ganache and Vaiseur. From the came the model of the breed.
Physical Characteristics of the Belgian Blue
The Belgian Blue is a large sized animal with rounded outline and prominent muscles. The shoulder, back, loin and rump are heavily muscled. The back is straight, rump is sloping, tail set is prominent and the skin is fine. It has fine but strong legs and can walk easy.
The color can be white, blue roan, or sometimes black. The breed is known for its quiet temperament. Weight and height of animals recorded averages:
Males Females
12 Months 1047 lbs. 47.2" 816 lbs. 45.3"
24 Months 1709 lbs. 53.2" 1102 lbs 48.0"
European comparisons between the Belgian Blue and the Charolais found the Belgian Blue to have a higher muscularity, milk yeild and daily gain. The Belgian Blue animals were also older at sexual maturity. Calving interval and calf mortality was approximately equal and Belgian Blue performed lower in the calving ease and calving rate. Some sources stated that the delivers in Belgian Blue cows is often by caesarean.
Crossbreeding
Results of studies conducted in Belgium show that the carcass characteristics of the Belgian Blue were expressed in the crossbreds whose commercial value was then substantially increased.
The obsercation explains the growing interest for the Belgian Blue breed as a terminal sire, it's carcass compostition and it's growth potential.
Meat Quality
In an extensice 3 year tst, done by the USDA at the Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Nebraska, the Belgian Blue crossbred cattle were tested with the industry standard Warner - Brazner shear test for tenderness. The Belgian Blue cattle had a lower shear calue that the Hereford-Angus contemporary average, 12.8 versus 12.9, with comparible tenderness and flavor on the sensory panel. Belgian Blue cattle also exhibited less than half the fat cover, .21 inch cover versus .45 inch cover, a 53% reduction. Belgian Blue is on line for the new standards. The Belgian Blue also showed 16% less marbling and 14.2 more ribeye area that the average carcass.
- Oklahoma State University
www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/belgianblue