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The Angus bull is one of the best breeds in the world in terms of its growth rates. Among other varieties, the Aberdeen Angus breed of cows is distinguished by the high quality of meat products. Marbled meat from Angus bulls is considered standard.
History of breeding and distribution of the Aberdeen-Angus breed
Angus bulls were brought to Russia from Scotland. This breed received its name from the place of its original breeding - the counties of Angus and Aberdeen.
In the 19th century, breeders improved key characteristics of these animals, which led to the creation of the first purebred herd of Angus bulls. Soon the breed crossed the country's border - a large shipment was sent to the USA, where the precocity of the animals quickly gained popularity among farmers. In addition, the excellent quality of the meat produced played a leading role in the spread of the Aberdeen-Angus breed around the world. Soon Australian and non-New Zealand farmers began to buy bulls, and then the breed took root in farms in Argentina. Today, Angus calves are also bred in Russia, Canada and England.
Description of the Aberdeen calf breed
Aberdeen Angus calves are a typical beef variety. Their milk yield is extremely small. A distinctive external feature is the polled appearance of the cattle (hornlessness) and black coat color, sometimes with a brownish tint.
Exterior
The meat type of productivity is reflected in the physique of Angus bulls. The breed standard is as follows:
- The animals are quite compact. The height at the withers of an adult cow rarely exceeds 120 cm; bulls grow up to 150 cm in height. The body length reaches 130 cm in cows and 140 cm in bulls.
- The silhouette is muscular and round. The withers are level with the back, the sacrum and lower back are level. The body is wide.
- The head of Aberdeen Angus cows is small. The forehead of the animals protrudes slightly forward, the muzzle is short. The back of the head is narrow. There are no horns.
- The neck of bulls is short, smoothly flowing into the shoulders.
- The color of animals is in most cases black. Let's assume a coat color with a brown tint.
- The chest is quite voluminous and deep.
- The limbs are a little short, but set straight.
- The skin is loose, elastic and thin, but appears thicker due to the presence of fiber underneath.
Exterior disadvantages include a carp-like appearance of the back, saber-like limbs and a heavy muzzle.
Productivity
The popularity of the Aberdeen Angus breed is based on its high productivity. Young Aberdeen cattle gain weight very quickly - newborn calves weigh on average from 15 kg to 20-25 kg (heifers and bulls, respectively), however, already at eight months of age their weight reaches 190-200 kg. This rapid weight gain is explained by the developed maternal instinct of Angus cows - calves grow quickly due to prolonged feeding with mother's milk.Until 8-9 months, bull calves are raised by suckling. By the time young Aberdeen Angus are separated from their mothers, the calves weigh around 220-240 kg.
Calves gain 0.8 to 1 kg per day. Thus, at the age of 3 years, Aberdeen Angus bulls weigh 400-500 kg.
The live weight of an adult heifer cow of the Aberdeen Angus breed averages 480-700 kg; in bulls this figure reaches 1 ton, especially during fattening. Neutered bulls weigh less.
The skeleton of Angus bulls is thin. The skeleton makes up only 15-17% of the total weight of the animal. The meat is fine-fiber and tender. Its structure is characterized by a high content of fatty layers, which gives the meat an external resemblance to marble.
Distinctive features
The leading characteristic of the Aberdeen Angus breed of cows is rapid fattening - Angus bulls acquire rounded shapes in the shortest possible time. In terms of early maturity, this variety is considered one of the best.
Pros and cons of breeding the breed
Before purchasing the next batch of cattle, breeders need to carefully weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of the breed in question. Careful familiarization with the features of a particular type will allow you to avoid mistakes in care and maintenance in the future. In addition, it is easier to calculate the possible profit.
The positive characteristics of Angus bulls include the following qualities:
- High productivity for meat type. Carcass slaughter reaches 70%.
- Excellent quality of meat products. The fat in the meat fibers is distributed evenly, in thin layers, without forming extensive clots.Therefore, Aberdeen Angus cows are considered the standard breed that produces excellent marbled meat. A significant part of it is used to prepare high-quality steaks.
- Precocity. Young animals quickly gain weight - from 150 to 200 kg in 6 months. Upon reaching two years of age, bulls and heifers are sent to slaughter.
- Longevity. Angus bulls live on average 25 to 30 years or more.
- Easy calving. In most cases, childbirth takes place without any difficulties, which is due to the low weight of the calves. The only exceptions are pathologies of intrauterine development, when the cubs have enlarged head sizes.
- High fertility rates. Aberdeen Angus cows are capable of producing offspring throughout their lives. Heifers become sexually mature at the age of 15 months.
- Good adaptation abilities. Angus cows easily acclimatize to the area, adapting to the climatic conditions of the region. Moreover, bulls are able to safely tolerate fairly low temperatures, which makes it possible to breed the breed in Russia. The herd can be kept outdoors for a significant part of the year.
- When crossing Aberdeen Angus bulls with other species, the offspring inherits their high meat productivity. In addition, polledness is also transmitted to them.
In addition, Angus cows have a fairly peaceful disposition. These are calm and good-natured animals that do not show aggression without unnecessary provocation. The only exception is the increased irritability of bulls during puberty.
The list of advantages of the breed is impressive, but the Angus bull breed is not without its disadvantages. These include the following animal characteristics:
- Rapid weight gain can lead to serious health problems if steers are not fed correctly. Representatives of the breed often suffer from obesity, so overfeeding them is not recommended.
- The dairy traits of Aberdeen Angus cows are very poorly developed. The average annual milk yield is, at best, 2 tons of milk.
- Saber legs. Due to the fact that Angus bulls weigh a lot, the animals often experience lameness. If bulls are overfed, they may even experience broken limbs.
- A heavy and massive head is also a disadvantage with the thin skeleton of Angus bulls. Its weight puts serious pressure on the cervical vertebrae of bulls.
- Despite the fact that Aberdeen Angus breeds are unpretentious in the breeding area, they are extremely demanding in terms of pasture area. Angus bulls require large spaces to develop optimally.
Features of maintenance and care
Caring for Aberdeen Angus cows is standard; these animals do not have any special requirements for the type of feed and place of breeding. They adapt to almost any weather conditions of the area, which allows you to save on the construction of additional buildings for maintaining the herd. The productivity of Angus bulls is maintained both in hot climates and in the northern regions of the country.
General recommendations for breeding Aberdeen Angus breeds include the following:
- For full development and weight gain, Angus bulls need free-stall housing.
- Walking in the fresh air should continue for as long as possible.Feeding fresh green food has a beneficial effect on the quality of bull meat products - the fatty layers in the fibers of the meat become thinner with this diet, which makes it more tender.
- Regular cleaning of the barn is mandatory. In order for Angus bulls to get sick less often, it is necessary to promptly remove manure and other debris from the premises. For these purposes, large farms automate the harvesting process by purchasing special equipment. It removes all garbage into the drains every 1 hour.
- The health of gobies largely depends on the quality of water. It is important to keep drinkers clean, clearing them of food particles. The optimal frequency of changing drinking water is at least once a day, preferably 2-3 times.
- The skin of Angus bulls is dark in color. This leads to the fact that on sunny days the animals can overheat. In this case, the herd is transferred to shaded areas near trees or large bushes. You can also build a special shed for walking livestock.
- If it is possible to release the herd to free grazing for a significant part of the year, adult individuals do not need to be fed in order to avoid obesity. Cattle are fed only in the winter months, when the bulls are no longer able to independently obtain food from under the thick snow.
- Young animals are fattened from the first months of life. Premixes, mixed feed and crushed grain can be used as additional feed.
- The Aberdeen Angus breed is quick to wean itself off people and can seem a little shy. Sometimes feral bulls try to escape from the pasture. The problem is solved by returning such individuals to the barn, where people are visible.
At the age of 2 years, Aberdeen Angus bulls are attracted to reproductive processes. Angus cows are highly fertile—healthy cows give birth annually. There are usually 1-2 calves in a litter. Due to their small size, calving occurs without any problems.
Breed-specific diseases
The Aberdeen-Angus breed has excellent immunity. Angus bulls have genetically good health, as a result of which the mortality rate of young animals is extremely low.
The greatest threats to Angus bulls are the following diseases:
- Dropsy of the brain (also neuropathic hydrocephalus) – the first sign of the disease is an increased head size in newborn calves. It is heavy and disproportionate to the length of the body. This developmental pathology significantly complicates childbirth - the large head of the fetus is almost impossible to remove from the birth canal without opening it.
- Arthrogryposis multiplex – a genetic pathology, as a result of which Angus calves are born with joint atrophy. Ultimately, the disease causes the bull's legs to become twisted and twisted, and the joints to become stiff.
- Notomelia – a genetic disease that manifests itself in an increase in the number of limbs due to the suppressed growth of the main ones. It is also possible for additional limbs to grow to the main ones.
- Contracture arachnodactyly – is expressed in abnormal bone fragility. The skeleton of calves is very fragile, which negatively affects the development of the animal - growth slows down and joint mobility decreases.
Conclusion
An Angus bull is always a profitable acquisition on the farm. The Aberdeen Angus breed is one of the standard breeds for the production of marbled meat, which is used to prepare top quality steaks. In addition, this type of cattle is suitable for use not only for pure breeding, but also for crossing with other breeds. Calves born from such unions have improved performance and inherit the best traits of Angus.
You can learn more about the features of breeding Aberdeen Angus bulls from the video below:
