History
The official name of the Angus breed is Aberdeen-Angus. The breed originated in Scotland in the shires if Aberdeen and Angus. The earliest written records of Angus date to the early 1700s. Around 1800, farmers in Scotland began keeping records of pure breeding. In 1862 the first herdbook of the angus breed was published.
Geroge Grant, of Victoria Kansas, imported four bulls to the United States in 1873. These were the first recorded importations of Angus into the United States. The American Angus Association was organized in 1883. During the late 1800s and early 1900s Angus were found mostly in in the midwestern states. Today, Angus are found in every state in the United States. For many years Angus have led all other breeds in numbers registered.
Traits and Characteristics
Angus cattle are black in color. They have a smooth hair coat and are polled (no horns). They are an alert and vigerous breed. Angus cattle perform well in the feedlot. They produce a desirable carcass of high quality, well-marbled meat.
Nearly all Angus are pure for the dominant polled gene. When used in crossbreeding, nearly all the calves are polled. A few Angus carry a recessive gene for the red color. Sometimes a red calf is born to black parents. The red calf is not elegible for registry in the American Angus Association.
The Angus was used to create another breed of cattle. This breed combines some of the traits of the Angus and the Brahman. Here is a link to the
Animal Science Department: Oklahoma State University 1999