What breed of cattle is known for its solid black coat and is a popular beef breed? The answer is Angus. Also called Aberdeen Angus, this naturally polled beef breed originated in northeastern Scotland, especially the counties of Aberdeen, Banff, Kincardine, and Angus.
Angus cattle are valued for efficient beef production, hardiness, and meat quality. The breed is naturally hornless, a trait known as polled. Although the original breed can be black or red, the word “Angus” is commonly associated with solid black cattle, especially American Angus, whose breed registry historically emphasized black animals.
The first significant Angus cattle reached the United States in 1873, when George Grant brought four bulls to Kansas. More imports followed, and the American Aberdeen-Angus Breeders’ Association was founded in Chicago in 1883. In the United States, red cattle were removed from the main Angus registry in 1917; Red Angus later developed as a separate registered breed.
A common mix-up concerns the label “Certified Angus Beef.” It is a trademarked quality program, not proof that every qualifying animal is a purebred Angus. Angus cattle are also frequently crossed with Herefords, producing the black-coated, white-faced Black Baldy.