Red Angus Vs. Black Angus

Black Angus is considered one of the most popular breeds of cattle. Although, according to the Red Angus Association of America, most cattle breeds in the world are red, the Red Angus breed is often less popular than its black counterpart.

  1. History

    • Angus cattle originate from Scotland, particularly the Aberdeen and Angus areas, but began making their way to the United States in 1873, according to Cattle.com. Since then, the Black Angus breed grew in popularity.

    Black Angus

    • The popularity of Black Angus cattle can be attributed to its founder, Hugh Watson of Keillor, a rancher who arbitrarily decided that black would be the official color.

    Red Angus

    • The presence of Red Angus cattle was the result of inbreeding between Angus cattle and English longhorns in order to create large cattle that could be put to work.

    Popularity

    • Because of Watson̵7;s arbitrary decision of color, the Red Angus breed declined in popularity, especially when the American Aberdeen-Angus Breeders Association excluded non-black breeds from their registry until 1917. In following years, Red Angus breeders have struggled to raise awareness of their breed with efforts like the Red Angus Association of America, which was established in 1954.

    Quality

    • Red Angus and Black Angus generally only differ in color. Both breeds are polled (born without horns) and are known for their high quality of beef.