Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

This article will teach you how to distinguish Black Angus cows from other breeds.

Steps

1. 1 Search the internet for information on cattle breeds, find books on Angus or Black Angus.
2. 2 Study the characteristics of the breed. Please note the following:
   • Coloration: Angus cattle are characterized by a black coloration. In Angus unions there are some white areas only near the navel on the belly, but all animals registered as Angus cattle should be black from nose to tail.
     • There are about six different breeds that black cattle also have, this can lead to a person with no experience and knowledge in cattle breeding to be confused as to who is actually Angus cattle and who is not. , many breeds are black instead of the traditional coloration. The reason is this: The USDA (US Department of Agriculture) gave the go-ahead to the American Angus Association (AAA) after introducing a more aggressive campaign to sell beef, the only breed that could satisfy the marketing campaign was Angus. CAB (Certified Angus Beef) is a marketing scheme that AAA has come up with to market its livestock. The USDA is interested in ensuring that the CAB has characteristics that are inherent in black cattle, regardless of whether they have samples of the Angus breed in their blood or not. It was this that allowed the genetics of Angus to be introduced into other breeds to create a "thoroughbred" species (such as the Charolais).Thus, we can see the breeds mentioned above, having a black color, satisfying all the requirements and having great respect in the market. AAA also has an Angus Source® program, which allows you to qualify for the sale of meat as Certified Angus beef, regardless of other breeds in high esteem in the market.
   • Body type and characteristics: Angus cattle are massive (which is typical for every beef breed), but not nearly as muscular as Charolais, gelbvieh, Simmental cattle, Limousin cattle. Bulls have a muscular crest above their necks, while cows do not, this is an indicator of sex determination. Most Angus cattle are small animals. Historically, Angus cows have weighed only about 950 to 1200 pounds, while bulls weighed about 1800 to 2300 pounds. Today you can find a fair number of herds of cows that can weigh over 2,000 pounds and bulls over 4,000 pounds, however, there are still other herds that have remained smaller.
   • Head characteristics: breeders determine cattle by the appearance of the head. All Angus are hornless cattle; you will never find a purebred Angus with horns. Angus usually have a protruding type of ears, a wide forehead with a narrower and thinner muzzle. They have relatively wide lips like the Hereford cattle, but they are slightly thinner than the Hereford and with a slightly smaller nose. Some may say that the Angus head looks slightly smaller than other breeds such as the Charolais or Hereford, mainly because the head appears smaller in comparison to the rest of the body. The forehead is slightly wider than that of Shorthorn cattle, although in bulls the forehead width of Shorthorn and Angus is very similar. The head is also shorter in length than other breeds such as the Holstein Friesian, Charolais or Limousine.
   • Other Characteristics: Angus cattle are raised in Aberdeen, Scotland, where the climate is not very suitable for many cattle breeds. Angus cattle are generally hardy, highly adaptable (although smaller than Hereford, Highland or Shorthorn cattle) and tolerant of harsh weather. They mature quite quickly and are well known for their excellent quality carcasses. They have excellent calving qualities, good maternal, milking ability, which makes them ideal animals for raising on a ranch. However, their thin black skin is capable of absorbing heat too easily and thus the animals can suffer from heatstroke and exhaustion, making them less ideal for growing in tropical climates. Angus are excellent animals to raise in climates with mild summers and cold, snowy winters.
3. 3 Go on an excursion or trip and find farms and ranches where Angus cattle are raised. Take pictures of Angus cattle, and compare them to photos of Angus cattle on the Internet and to breeds in books.

Tips

• Try not to confuse Angus cattle with other breeds that may also be black in color (gelbvieh, Charolais, Brangus, Simmental, Limousin cattle, Maine Anjou and Salers). The difference between these breeds is that they tend to be more muscular than the Angus.
  • These inhabitants of the European continent, as a rule, have deep, wide and rather round hind quarters: "big priests" as the people call cattle.
    • Certain breeds, such as the Simmental, Brangus and Limousin, often have a more pronounced dewlap than the typical Angus.
    • Charolais often has light spots around the nose, eyes, ears, legs, and even on the back. Some black charolais may be black with light pigmentation with a hairless body on the nose, eyes and udder or testicles. This French breed also has a larger body-to-head ratio than the Angus.
      • You may need to find different photographs of each black cattle breed and compare them to a thoroughbred Angus bull or cow (preferably a bull).
• Angus cattle have no horns. They are hornless animals, you can see it on the top of the head.

Warnings

• Not all angus are friendly and you may notice that they can run away to the other side of the pasture if they see you walking next to a fence. If there is a bull nearby, or a cow is protecting the calf, be careful as both can be quite aggressive towards you.
• The lack of horns does not make them less aggressive.