The American Angus is an American

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable 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 seve ...

beef cattle Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production (as distinguished from dairy cattle, used for milk (production)). The meat of mature or almost mature cattle is mostly known as beef. In beef production there are three main stages: cow-calf opera ...

. It derives from the Scottish

Aberdeen Angus The Aberdeen Angus, sometimes simply Angus, is a Scotland, Scottish List of cattle breeds, breed of small beef cattle. It derives from cattle native to the Scottish counties, counties of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeen, Banffshire, Banff, ...

population, but may only be black; red-coated individuals may not be registered with the American Angus Association, but can be registered as

Red Angus The Red Angus is an international breed of beef cattle characterised by a reddish-brown coat colour. It derives from the Scottish Aberdeen Angus population and is identical to it in all but coat colour. Red Angus are registered separately from ...

History

Some stock of the Scottish

breed was exported to

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Canada, in about 1859, but nothing more is known of it. The earliest import to the United States was in 1873, when a Scottish landowner named George Grant brought some to his settlement at

Victoria, Kansas Victoria is a city in Herzog Township, Ellis County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,129. History The town site originated in the 1867 construction of the Kansas Pacific Railway into western ...

, where they were

cross-bred A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. A domestic animal of unknown ancestry, where the breed status of only one parent or grandparent is known, may also be called a crossbreed though ...

with his

Texas Longhorn The Texas Longhorn is an American breed of beef cattle, characterized by its long horns, which can span more than from tip to tip. It derives from cattle brought from the Iberian Peninsula to the Americas by Spanish conquistadors from the ti ...

stock. Further imports to the United States of some head were made from 1878 to 1883. In that year a

breed association Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members ...

, the American Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' Association, was established with 60 members in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

; the name was shortened to American Angus Association in the 1950s. Until 1917 both black and red cattle could be registered in the

herdbook A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry, the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders wh ...

of the association. Thereafter, red-coated individuals were barred from registration; since 1954 they have been registered by the Red Angus Association of America as

. The American Angus population in 2010 numbered about head, with almost breeding cows and over registered bulls, making it the most numerous beef breed of the United States. In 2021 the

conservation status The conservation status of a group of organisms (for instance, a species) indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing conservation ...

of the breed was reported to

DAD-IS DAD-IS is the acronym for the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System, a tool developed and maintained by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as a part of its programme for management of animal genetic resources for ...

as "not at risk".

Use

The American Angus is a

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

breed, and is reared only for that purpose. Comparative trials have not identified any commerciallysignificant difference between it and the Red Angus. Since 1978, beef meeting certain criteria may be marketed as "Certified Angus Beef", a quality mark of the American Angus Association; provenance from purebred American Angus cattle is not a requirement. Bulls have been used as sires for

crossbreeding A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. A domestic animal of unknown ancestry, where the breed status of only one parent or grandparent is known, may also be called a crossbreed though ...

; the cross with

Hereford Hereford ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of the ceremonial county of Herefordshire, England. It is on the banks of the River Wye and lies east of the border with Wales, north-west of Gloucester and south-west of Worcester. With ...

s gives rise to the Black Baldy, which displays

hybrid vigor Heterosis, hybrid vigor, or outbreeding enhancement is the improved or increased function of any biological quality in a Hybrid (biology), hybrid offspring. An offspring is heterotic if its trait (biology), traits are enhanced as a result of m ...

and the dominant characteristics of both breeds – it is polled, with a black coat and white face. The American Angus has contributed to the creation of various hybrid breeds including the Amerifax.

References

Cattle breeds originating in the United States {{bots, deny=Citation bot