Angus Beef Breed

Angus Beef Breed

Aberdeen-Angus is the original name of the breed but they are usually called Black Angus or just Angus in the United States. This breed originated in Scotland in the areas of the Aberdeen shire and Angus. The cattle without the horns are called Angus Doddies. Hugh Watson is considered the founder of the breed because he was known for selecting the best black, polled Animals of the herd. His favorite bull was Old Jock, who was born 1842 and sired by Grey-Breasted Jock. Old Jock was given the number "1" in the Scotch Herd Book when it was founded. Another of Watson's notable animals was a cow: Old Granny who was born in 1824 and said to have lived to be 35 years of age and produced 29 calves. A vast majority of Angus cattle alive today can trace their pedigrees back to these two animals. On May 17, 1873, George Grant brought four Angus bulls to Victoria,Kansas. He took the bulls to the fair in Kansas City where they were the topic of much conversation at a time when Shorthorns and Longhorns were the norm. The black hornless animals were often called "freaks" by those who saw them. The bulls were used only in crossbreeding and have no registered progeny