Angus cattle were initially known as Aberdeen Angus because they originated in northeastern Scotland. They are most often black and polled, which means they lack horns. There is also a strain known as Red Angus. I believe black is the dominant color, and red is a recessive one.
Leon J. Cole and Sara V. H Jones of the University of Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station published this in a 1920 pamphlet on “The Occurrence of Red Calves in Black Breeds of Cattle:”
“One more point should be emphasized, namely that the red individuals appearing in such stock (Aberdeen Angus)...are just as truly ‘purebred’ as their black relatives, and there is no reason why, in all respects save color, they should not be fully as valuable. The fact that they are discarded while the blacks are retained is simply due to the turn of fortune that black rather than red became established fashion for the Aberdeen Angus breed. Had red been the chosen color, there would never have been any trouble with the appearance of blacks as off-color individuals, since red-to-red breeds true.”
Many people feel Angus beef is the highest grade. It is a sturdy breed and has high marbling content. They tolerate foul weather, are good-natured, and have a high carcass yield. They are usually tender with a vigorous flavor.
Note that Angus cattle can produce milk. They have been cross-bred with cattle usually associated with dairy production.
I see a lot of Black Angus cattle in the state, not so many Red Angus. I favor the Red Angus, because of their beautiful color. I got this fellow’s attention while driving near Whitehall.
