Among livestock there are some kind of champions and legends that are superior to other animals in the quality of the products received from them. These include the Aberdeen-Angus breed of cows, which in many respects is superior to others. Despite the fact that it was bred a long time ago, it enjoys wide popularity all over the world now.
Origin history
Aberdeen-Angus breed was bred by Scottish pastoralists in the 19th century. The selection was aimed at increasing the size of the livestock (local breeds were characterized by short stature and light weight) and increasing its early maturity, since at that time the demand for high-quality meat increased sharply. The work began at the beginning of the century, in the year 15, however, the pedigree traits were fixed only after more than half a century of persistent and consistent crossbreeding: the breed was internationally recognized in 1873. The result of the efforts was so successful that the Aberdeen-Angus breed took part in the breeding of many others, among which barzon, brangus, vocalap and africangus. In the modern world, Aberdeens are still used to improve livestock quality.
Advantages of the breed
Their list is quite long. Moreover, the superiority of these cows is manifested in very different directions:
- Quick adaptation to new living conditions. Aberdeen-Angus breed easily acclimates to temperate and cold climates. Cows develop in hot areas for a bit longer, but after adaptation they do not reduce either the growth rate or weight gain.
- Free grazing. If there is sufficient land, the Aberdeen-Angus breed does not need additional feed, and the growth does not decrease.
- Easy calving. Due to the fact that cows are small-fruited (calves are born from 16 to 20 kg by weight), their births pass quickly and without complications.
- High meatiness. The total weight of the bones does not exceed 18%, and in many cases does not reach this indicator.
- Sustainable transmission of pedigree traits. When a cow and a bull of Aberdeen-Angus breed, when breeding with producers of other breeds in the offspring, they leave behind properties that are valued for: early maturity and quality of meat.
- Fast ripening. With such a small weight at birth, bulls of the Aberdeen-Angus breed reach bottomhole parameters by two years of age.
- Fertility. Its rate reaches 95%, and reproductiveness remains almost throughout life.
- Longevity. On average, the livestock of this breed lives 25-30 years, but cases of a longer life expectancy are not uncommon.
But the main advantage of Aberdeen is the quality of their meat.
Cons of the breed
There are very few of them and they relate mainly to the exterior. Among such claims is the so-called sabbath of legs. However, if this vice is very important in horse breeding, then in the case of cattle , which does not take part in horse races, it does not really matter. Often they also indicate a carp-like back, that is, sagging at the withers and raised croup. Again an objection: this is a drawback for the horse, and not for the cow.
If you breed Aberdeen-Angus breed, you should probably pay attention to the characteristics of animal temperament. So, in cows, maternal instinct is very developed. Protecting calves, they can even rush to livestock specialists caring for the barn. In addition, with long free grazing without the presence of humans, livestock may run wild.
Meat quality
Compared to other beef cattle, the Aberdeen-Angus breed has more tender meat, similar in color to marble. This is due to the fact that the animals have a very thin subcutaneous layer of fat, but between the meat fibers it accumulates in large quantities.
The taste of beef of this breed varies greatly depending on the conditions of detention and the approach to slaughter. Firstly, it becomes more refined in animals that led a natural lifestyle, and were not constantly in the stall. Secondly, the question of castration. In the European tradition, gobies of Aberdeen-Angus breed go to the slaughter; England and America prefer to be single at an early age. Indeed, oxen have much finer fibers of meat, which makes it more juicy. However, they grow much more slowly and gain less weight by the carnal age. On the other hand, their free pasture is facilitated: they can safely be in a herd with cows.