What Is the Difference Between Angus & Heifer Cows?

Heifers

• A female of the Bos genus is referred to differently depending on whether or not it has had a calf. In fact, a cow that is under three years old that has not had a calf is not customarily called a cow, but a heifer.

  As heifers are younger cattle, beef made from heifers may be presented at restaurants as more tender or better quality meat.

Angus Breeds

• Angus, under the context of cattle, is the name of a breed that originates in Angus county of northeastern Scotland. Angus county has been noted in history for its moderate climate, which produced an ideal pasturing environment. As such, farmers of northern Scotland bred the Aberdeen-Angus, or Angus for short, from the Angus county's "doddie" and Buchan district's "humlie" cattle.

  The American version of the Angus cow is a mix including the Scottish Aberdeen-Angus and the Texas Longhorn. The resulting breed are hornless, black cattle that survive the winter better than their predecessors and thus weigh more in the spring.

Angus Origin

• The Angus breed arrived in the late 18th century, coinciding with improvements in Scottish agricultural improvement. The doddie and humlie cattle strains were eventually interbred and became one breed that shared similarities with both of its ancestors. Thus, the Angus gained its trademark color and lack of horns.

  Through continuous breeding efforts, the Angus breed eventually was groomed to the preferences of its market, until the introduction of another breed threatened its existence. The Shorthorn breed was mixed with the Angus in the early 19th century to the verge of Angus extinction. Under William McCombie of Tillyfour, the Angus breed survived and gained notoriety.

Angus Beef

• Angus beef is celebrated as a particularly high quality meat. Thus, Angus beef fetches a high price.The demand for Angus beef has even led one steakhouse chain to name itself "Black Angus" and serve Angus meat as its specialty dishes.

  The main parts of an Angus cow, from which the most meat is cut, are the round, chuck, and rib areas. They make up 27 percent, 26 percent, and 9.5 percent of the harvest, respectively. Of the total harvest, 31 percent of the cuts are steaks, 31 percent are roasts, and 38 percent is ground beef and stew meat.