Aberdeen-Angus: features of the breed and photos

Unlike experienced livestock breeders, many urban residents identify cows not in breed, but in suit. However, this criterion does not give an accurate idea of the performance and other important characteristics of the animal. After reading this article, you will learn about the main features of the cows of the Aberdeen-Angus breed : their pros and cons, feeding and reproduction. The following information will be very useful for beginning farmers.

A bit of history

These animals originated from the British working-class livestock, which for a long time were bred on a Scottish farm. Since 1775, cows have begun to actively improve, in every way trying to increase their productivity. Work on improvement continued for almost a hundred years. Their result was a new breed of animals, characterized by precocity, a unique exterior and excellent quality of meat. Today, the cow Aberdeen Angus is known far beyond its native Scotland. It is successfully bred in most of the world's states, including Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.

Exterior Features

This early ripening cattle refers to the meat type. Representatives of this breed visually differ from their relatives. They have fairly short legs and a rounded trunk. On a short broad neck with well-developed muscles there is a small head with an expressive forehead and an outstanding facial part. Aberdeen-Angus, whose photo can be seen below, has a well-developed strong bones. The cow's body is covered with a rather thin loose skin with a noticeable subcutaneous tissue. The main part of the livestock of these animals is black, but sometimes brown calves are born. The height of the adult is about 110-130 centimeters. The average weight of a cow reaches 550-600 kilograms. The adult bull Aberdeen Angus weighs up to 800-850 kilograms.

Productivity

The period of puberty in the calves of this breed occurs quite early. Most of them are already ready for insemination at the age of one and a half. Newborn calves Aberdeen-Angus weigh an average of 28 kilograms, but very quickly gain weight (about 800 grams per day). Therefore, by the age of six months, many of them reach 180 kilograms.

Low-fat meat of these cows is valued for excellent taste. It has a very delicate structure and a unique color, so it is often called marble. Light and rather thin bones make up no more than 17% of the total mass of the carcass of the killed animal. By analogy with representatives of other meat breeds, Aberdeen-Angus does not give a lot of milk. Usually this milk is enough only for feeding calves.

The main advantages of animals Aberdeen-Angus breed

These cows perfectly acclimatize to different weather conditions. Therefore, they can be cultivated with equal success in the northern and southern regions. The Aberdeen Angus breed is very popular among farmers. This is because its representatives are rapidly gaining weight. As for meat qualities, suits and early maturity, these characteristics are passed on to the offspring by inheritance. All of them are laid down at the gene level.

Relatively fast formation of muscles is explained by the peculiarities of the structure of the digestive tract. Cows of this breed have a stable immunity to infectious diseases. They are practically immune to strong temperature changes, and the fat layer protects them from frosts reliably. Meat obtained from these animals is highly valued in the modern world market. It is ideally suited for the preparation of high-quality steaks with a uniformly distributed fat layer.

The most important shortcomings of such cows

Despite the advantages described above, the animals of the Aberdeen-Angus breeds also have several significant disadvantages, which every beginner farmer should know. These cows have well developed leg muscles. But in relation to the total body weight, they are still too weak. Therefore, it is so important to monitor the nutrition of animals. Overfed obese cows often fall to their feet and even break them. Especially difficult to carry the weight of obese pregnant female. In such cases, various complications with otol are often noted. Among the main difficulties associated with the breeding of the Aberdeen-Angus cows, one can attribute the fact that grazing requires large areas. The best for their maintenance are farm or hunting farms.

What to feed the cows of the Aberdeen-Angus breed?

For the cultivation of such animals at home, it is not necessary to acquire all kinds of concentrates. Representatives of this breed is quite sufficient natural forage reserve pastures. These animals can be kept year-round on a free-range. Supplementary lure is introduced only in winter, when cows are no longer able to independently extract food under a layer of snow.

It is desirable that along the perimeter of the pasture there are forest or shrub thickets, and somewhere nearby there was a reservoir. Animals that graze in such conditions do not need human supervision and do not require additional care. As for the calves, their fattening begins almost from the first days of life. However, the situation is facilitated by the fact that they are grown on a sieve. It is thanks to the mother's milk that young animals receive all the vital nutrients they need. Therefore, Aberdeen-Angus calves are practically not sick. Young can be fed premixes, crushed grain and mixed fodder.

What is the difference between meat obtained from Aberdeen-Angus cows?

According to most European livestock breeders, quality marble meat can be obtained exclusively from bulls. Scottish farmers are sure that the best taste is that product that was obtained from castrated bull-calves. The muscle fibers of such animals are much thinner than in ordinary individuals. Beef, obtained from Aberdeen-Angus, is considered truly elite. This extraordinarily soft and juicy marbled meat has a thin evenly distributed fatty layer.

To improve the taste of this product, it is recommended to maintain it for a certain time for aging or maturing. For this, the meat is sent to a special room, in which there should be no drafts. There is maintained a constant temperature on the verge of freezing of the product. As a result, it becomes much softer, nutritious, juicier. This is because the connective tissue exposed to enzymes begins to decompose, enhancing the special taste of beef.