7 Best Cross To Use On Angus Cows

Crossing Angus cows with other breeds can help increase production in several areas. There are a lot of reasons to use an Angus cow, and the best way to get one is by crossing it with another breed. An Angus cow is a great animal for any farmer or rancher, but if you want to get the most out of your herd, you need to cross them with other breeds.

About Angus cattle

7 Best Cross To Use On Angus Cows

Angus cattle are known for their hardiness, adaptability, and high-quality meat. They were originally bred in Scotland in the 19th century, where they had to contend with harsh weather and mountainous terrain. The cattle were bred to be small but sturdy, able to walk long distances and graze in rough conditions. Angus is a highly popular breed in North America, especially in the USA.

Their hardiness means they can thrive in most climates and conditions, making them an ideal breed for farmers who want an animal that can survive without much care or attention. They have been exported all over the world and are now raised in many countries around the globe such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South America, and Russia among others. Their leanness is also a positive trait because it gives them more muscle mass and less fat than other breeds. This makes them easier to process after slaughtering, which again increases profits for the farmer. In addition to being hardy and low-maintenance animals, Angus cattle produce some of the highest quality meat available on the market today thanks to their genetic makeup which includes traits such as lean muscle mass as well as high levels of marbling which results in tenderness when cooked properly.

The cows usually have weights of 550 kilograms or 1,210lb while bulls usually have an average weight of 850 kilograms or 1,870 lb. The cattle have large muscle content and are regarded as medium-sized. These breeds of cattle also mature very early as compared to other native breeds from Britain such as the Hereford and The North Devon.

Characteristics of Angus Cows

Angus cattle are known for their black color and polled head. Polled refers to animals that lack horns on their heads, which allows them to be more comfortable and easier to handle than horned breeds. They have a compact and low-set body, which makes them easy to work with on a farm or ranch setting. The Angus has fine quality flesh and a high dressing percentage—meaning it yields a large amount of good quality meat for its size.

In addition to their good looks, they have a few other characteristics that make them stand out from the crowd. Angus cattle tend to be docile animals with a placid temperament that makes them easy to manage. They also have an excellent ability to adapt to different environments, which makes them popular among farmers who want to raise cattle in areas where it is difficult for traditional breeds to survive such as mountainous regions or places where there is a large amount of rainfall throughout the year.

Furthermore, Angus cattle tend not only to survive well under adverse conditions but also thrive under such conditions.

Economic Advantages of  Rearing Red Angus Cattle

In order to meet up with the ever-changing demands of the cattle market, breeds need to be flexible enough. Therefore a combination of the different strengths of breeds is a great advantage in this case. Red Angus brings in the following advantages when used to cross with another breed:

#1. Uniformity in the red color makes marketing much easier.

#2. The superior quality of Angus beef, as well as the high yield of carcasses, has made Angus cattle the most preferred choice of cattle breeds in the production and marketing of high-quality beef. And this quality or property has made it possible for this breed to meet up with specific requirements and needs of markets that have special requirements while using a very low cost of production. The quality of beef and the amount of beef produced gives the advantage of either exporting on a large scale or trading locally and getting turnoffs quickly.

#3. Crossbred females are important for maternal performance which includes fertility and calving ease. The maternal qualities of the Red Angus cattle are indisputable. These super fertile breeds begin to produce calves before they become 2 years and this is an advantage because they also have longevity of their life span which also is an economic advantage. And because they mature early sexually, it is easier for them to blend well with different breeds of cattle that mature much later.

Another advantage is that the Red Angus calves have very low weights at birth. This results in fewer to no problems while birthing the calves and it also makes it possible to have shorter intervals between calving. For the cattle breeder, this means more live calves on the farm which contributes much more to the overall profits.

#4. Angus bulls are well known for their large scrotal size which is measured per kilo live weight and subsequently greater semen production.  A study has also been able to create a connection that indicates that the large scrotal size in bulls is directly and positively related to the fertility of the sisters and daughters.

Farmers, crossbreeders, and veterinarians should be careful never to crossbreed the black and red breeds of Angus cattle. This is because since they are not different genetically, there is a very high possibility of risking genetic disorders.

Cattle Breeds That Can be Crossed With The Angus Cattle

To reduce the occurrence of dystocia which is the difficulty in calving, it is advisable that Angus cattle are crossbred. Apart from that, they should also be crossbred due to the fact that they have dominant polled genes, so when they are cross-bred, they create polled calves.

The crossbreeding of the Red Angus with many other breeds such as the Hereford has proved to be a very unique kind of compliment because it leads to the production of amazing Red Baldy females.  In a similar manner, the crossing of the Red Angus and Gelbvieh has proven to be a popular cross in many countries and is in high demand because of the kind of new breed they produce.

#1. Crossing Red Angus With Brahman

The after-effect of this type of cross-breeding is that while the Red Angus maintains its influence by improving the quality of the meat, the Brahman breed is able to maintain its ability to adapt to different things. The compliance of the Angus cattle and their ability to manage their temperament by accepting institutions as well as polled calves are real advantages of the Red Angus in this environment.

#2. Crossing Red Angus With Santa Gertrudis

This cross is one of the best crosses one could get with the Angus cattle. The Angus cattle bring in some special traits as well as early maturation along with polled genes to the table as they still maintain and retain their red beef for marketing advantage.  A great cross where the environment requires some Bos Indicus traits.

#3. Crossing Red Angus With Herefords

If only pure British genes are required for the crossing, this is the best possible choice. The Red Angus still maintains its red beef quality for marketability and at the same time gives heightened coloring and poll genes to the Herefords.

#4. Crossing Red Angus With Shorthorns

The crossing of these two breeds well known for the quality of their meat and weight and highly regarded as maternal breeds leads to increased heterosis which leads to the production of calves with greater hardiness as compared to the original parents.

#5. Crossing Red Angus With Limousin

The genetic makeup of the Limousin cattle breed is highly complimented by the Red Angus since the Red Angus contributes to early maturation and also provides the poll solid color with amazing growth.

#6. Crossing Red Angus With Simmentals

This is a very popular cross in countries such as Australia. While the Red Angus offers early maturity, the Simmental breed offers growth advantages. The Red Angus also offers poll genes with very solid coats.

#7. Crossing Red Angus With Gelbvieh

The Gelbvieh is a breed from Europe, and the genetic makeup of the Red Angus is always matching with those of European breeds to produce amazing effects irrespective of the European environment.

Angus cattle breed as earlier mentioned is primarily reared or grown for beef production and consumption only. It is of great advantage in this aspect because due to the marbled appearance of the beef, since it is interlaced with fat, it is marketable as being of very high and superior quality. Because of this property of the beef of the Angus cattle, many markets especially those in Australia, Japan where it is very popular, and even the United Kingdom have made it their main source of beef.

What is the best feed for Angus Cow?

Angus cattle are bred to be the best at producing meat. To achieve this, they need to be fed a special diet that meets their nutritional needs.

Angus cows should receive a balanced diet of hay, grass and grain. Hay is the most important part of their diet because it provides roughage that helps in digestion and gives them energy. The hay should be cut from plants such as alfalfa, clover or timothy. Grass is also an important part of their diet because it provides vitamins and minerals that help with growth and health. Grains are also included in their diets as they provide protein and calories needed for growth.

How much does a Angus cow eat per day?

Cows are ruminants, meaning they have multiple stomachs. This allows them to consume large amounts of food at one time, as well as digest the food over a long period of time.

Generally, Angus cows will voluntarily consume about 5 percent of their body weight each day. So an average Angus cow weighs 1,200 pounds and will eat a diet of about 60 pounds of hay per day. That’s 5 percent of their body weight, which is pretty good.

The consumption rate can vary depending on the type of feed and how much protein it contains—if their diet is primarily grass or hay, for example, they’ll eat less than if their diet includes grain or other supplements that offer more nutrients per ounce.

At what age is an Angus bull fully grown?

An Angus bull is fully grown at about 18 months, though some can take up to 2 years. It may seem like a long time to wait until your bull reaches its full potential, but this is actually a very reasonable amount of time for such a large animal to grow into its body weight and muscle mass.

How long do Angus cows live?

Angus cows are pretty tough, but they’re not immortal. The average life expectancy of an Angus cow is between 12 and 15 years if you take good care of them.

The reason for this is that Angus cows are bred to be lean, muscular, and efficient in their grazing habits. This means that they don’t waste energy on unnecessary fat stores—which means they don’t have a lot of insulation against the cold or heat when necessary.

They need a lot of space to roam, and they do best on a diet of grasses and hay. You should feed your Angus cow every day at the same time, as they like routine and will benefit from knowing what to expect during each day.

Cost of Angus Cow

 The cost of an Angus cow will depend on whether you buy a young calf or an adult cow, as well as the age and size of the cow when you purchase it. The price can also vary depending on whether you buy your animal from a local farmer or through a livestock auction house.

The average cost to purchase an Angus cow from a local farmer is between $1,200 and $1,500 dollars per head. However, if you purchase an adult female from a breeder who specializes in breeding purebred Angus cows, the price could be closer to $2,000 dollars per head depending on its age and size when purchased.

When purchasing your animal through an online auction site like Ebay or Craigslist, however, you may end up paying much more than what you would pay at a local farm because these sites often charge fees for each transaction they facilitate which can add up quickly if you’re trying to buy multiple animals at once.

Final thoughts

Angus cattle are known for being very hardy and long-lived. They are considered to be “preferred” by farmers because they produce more meat than other breeds with less feed. This means that farmers can get more money from their Angus cattle, which makes them more profitable in the long term.

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