The Welsh Black is a dual-purpose
breed
A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...
of
cattle native to
Wales. This breed is one of the oldest in Britain, going back to pre-Roman times. The Welsh Black was a prized possession of Britain's people upon the invasion of the Saxons.
History
Commercial exploitation of the breed meant that
drovers would drive them to English markets. Herds from south west Wales travelled towards
Hereford
Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...
and
Gloucester up the Tywi Valley to
Llandovery. Herds from South Cardiganshire reached Llandovery through
Llanybydder
Llanybydder (, sometimes formerly spelt ''Llanybyther'') is a market town and community straddling the River Teifi in Carmarthenshire, West Wales. At the 2011 Census, the population of the community was 1638, an increase from 1423 at the 2001 ...
and
Llansawel
Llansawel is a village and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, about ten miles north of Llandeilo. It covers an area of . The community is bordered by the communities of: Pencarreg; Cynwyl Gaeo; Talley; Llanfynydd; Llanfihangel Rhos-y-Corn; and ...
. The drovers would then return to Wales with large amounts of money, which made them targets of bandits and highwaymen. The result was the formation in 1799 of the
Banc yr Eidon in Llandovery, the Bank of the Black Ox, which was later purchased by
Lloyds Bank.
By the turn of the nineteenth century, 25,000 cattle were being exported from Wales every year. Before the 1960s, few cattle were exported outside the UK, but now can be found in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Germany as well in Saudi Arabia, Jamaica and Uganda.
Welsh Black cattle are on the list of endangered native breeds in Wales. Through 1970 this breed served a true dual purpose as there were two subspecies in the country. The Northern Wales subspecies was a stocky breed used for its meat, while the southern subspecies was a more dairy-like breed. As the modern demand for beef has increased a more hybrid species has been developed, which fits traditional needs and the modern demand for beef.
Cornish Black
It has been speculated that the extinct black cattle of Cornwall was a breed closely related to the Welsh Black. In the nineteenth century they were described as being the same size.
Characteristics
As the name suggests, the cattle are naturally black. They generally have white
horns with black tips, but these may be
removed, and there are also naturally hornless (''
polled'') strains. Red individuals occur occasionally – red and other colours were more common in the past.
Its hardy nature coupled with its habit of
browsing as well as
grazing makes it ideal for rough pasture such as
heathland and
moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and montane grasslands and shrublands biomes, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils. Moorland, nowadays, generally ...
, and for
conservation grazing.
Traditionally bred for both
milk and
beef, commercially it is now usually used only for beef.
See also
*
Gwragedd Annwn
References
External links
How to Identify Welsh Black Cattleat
wikiHow
Welsh Black Cattle SocietyBreeds of Livestock—Welsh Black Cattle€”Oklahoma State University
at the Welsh Black Cattle Society
Cattle breeds
Cattle breeds originating in Wales
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