|
The History and Development of the World“s Finest Beef Breed
The Aberdeen-Angus breed was developed in the early part of the 19th century from the polled and predominantly black cattle of North east Scotland known locally as "doddies" and "hummlies". As with other breeds of cattle and sheep in Britain, establishment followed improvements in husbandary and transport. The earliest families trace back to the middle of the eighteenth century but it was much later that the Herd Book (1862) and the Society (1879) were founded.The early history of the breed is the history of its breeders, progressive lairds and farmers, of whom three were outstanding.
Hugh Watson became tenant of Keillor in Angus in 1808. He gathered stock widely and produced cattle of outstanding quality and character.
William McCombie came of a family of graziers and in early life was dealing in large numbers of cattle. He took the farm of Tillyfour in Aberdeenshire in 1824 and founded a herd of Keillor blood. His well documented close breeding produced outstanding cattle that he showed in England and France to establish the reputation of the breed.
Sir George Macpherson-Grant returned to his inherited estate at Ballindalloch, on the River Spey, from Oxford in 1861 and took up the refining of our breed that was to be his life's work for almost 50 years. Both McCombie and Macpherson-Grant became Members of Parliament.
By line breeding and selection for type, the early pioneers established in Angus, Aberdeenshire, Speyside and the Laigh of Moray, the greatest of beef breeds. Stock from this area continued to lead the breed well into the 20th century while Aberdeen-Angus cattle became spread throughout Scotland, England and Ireland.
The establishment of the breed in the USA took place at the end of the 19th century. By 1901, they were registering more pedigree cattle than in Britain and now register 40 times more. Very soon the breed was to be found in other English speaking countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and in South America, especially Argentina. Today, all those countries have greater populations of pure Aberdeen-Angus than the British Isles.
During the first half of the 20th century, Britain was regarded as the fount of Aberdeen-Angus genetics and leading breeders came here, and to the Perth February sales in particular, for seed stock. The export market was most rewarding. However, over this period, the size of the cattle was reduced to the disadvantage of commercial producers here and overseas. The 1960's saw the introduction to the UK of large muscled draught-bred Continental cattle and the marketing of beef through supermarkets where quality was neglected in the interest of economy.
At the same time, the need for growthier cattle was recognised world-wide and our export markets rapidly disappeared. The breed in the 1960's found itself facing difficult times. Some progress was made by selecting larger types among British, and particularly Irish, lines and a few good New Zealand and Australian imports also made their mark.
But salvation has been found in North America. Our Herd Book records its first Canadian imports in 1972. Unable for veterinary reasons to import live from the USA, we have over the last 25 years brought in a considerable number of males and females from Canada, in many cases these being offspring of leading performance recorded American sires. Semen and embryos have come in direct from the USA.
Today, the breed is a blend of these North American bloodlines of Scottish pedegree and the British lines. We have the calving ease and the temperament, the fleshing and the marbling that makes us the most popular temperate beef breed in the world.
For British breeders, the only market is the commercial beef producer, and through them the consumers of the best beef. These breeders have at their disposal the old tools of breeding and selection which were used at Keillor, Tillyfour and Ballindalloch plus the techniques of AI and embryo transplant, and the aid of sophisticated performance records.
|
