The market for beef in the United States of America is substantial. Meeting this demand exceeds the capacity of local suppliers and some beef that is sold in America is imported. However, the country's most renowned beef breed is a local variety, namely Irish black and Irish red cattle. This breed has been developed at home in the USA, and these animals have an established reputation for superlative breeding and standard of carcasses.
The breed originated during the 1960s when a breeder in Iowa, Maurice Boney, started developing it by concentrating mainly on Friesian cattle with a minor presence of Aberdeen Angus ancestry. Some of the Friesian sires came from Ireland, which is the history behind the name. It has taken about 50 years for the breed to reach its present industry status in terms of its superior breeding potential and quality of meat.
Boney's priority in his breeding program was to keep the genetics as pure as possible. He tried to maintain homozygous traits (where both parents have the same characteristic) rather than involve heterozygous possibilities. As he explained, his approach ensured that the breed's gene pool remained more consistent than that of others. This ensures predictable results in breeding.
The majority of these animals have black hides, although some are red. The hides are of a high standard. A possible reason for the occasional red animal is the importation of cattle from the UK. In the 1700s, Scottish Angus herds were intermixed with English Longhorn cattle to achieve bigger, stronger animals. The red coloring was transmitted too.
The red coloring is linked to a recessive gene. This means that individuals may carry the gene but still have black hides. Any characteristic of the animal is associated with two genes. A recessive gene will only be noticeable if it is both genes for that specific phenotype trait. This is possibly how the gene for red hides was imported to the USA.
The meat of has a distinctive taste and is generously marbled with fat. The carcasses are rated higher, too. The meat is 80-90% Choice grade or better. It can therefore be sold to any sector of the industry, and be used for any purpose.
Cattle farmers pay attention to the breeding potential of the animals. The female Irish black or red cattle have relatively wider pelvises, so they do not usually present problems in giving birth. They exhibit significant fertility and their gestation period is also short, at about 280 days. This means that they can produce more offspring during their lifespan. Their udders are exceptional and produce much milk. The sires breed calves with a low weight at birth.
Individuals reach an impressive size. Calves reach between 1000 and 1500lb. The feed-to-gain ratio is about 5lb of feed to 1lb of gain. This ratio is an important consideration for industry operators since herds are mass raised to supply an immense market.
The success of Irish black and red cattle illustrates what is possible using natural methods of deliberate breeding. At a time when genetic modification is establishing an increasing presence in agriculture, people may still learn from the example of Maurice Boney. The question is as to how genetic modification can improve an already superior piece of steak.
The breed originated during the 1960s when a breeder in Iowa, Maurice Boney, started developing it by concentrating mainly on Friesian cattle with a minor presence of Aberdeen Angus ancestry. Some of the Friesian sires came from Ireland, which is the history behind the name. It has taken about 50 years for the breed to reach its present industry status in terms of its superior breeding potential and quality of meat.
Boney's priority in his breeding program was to keep the genetics as pure as possible. He tried to maintain homozygous traits (where both parents have the same characteristic) rather than involve heterozygous possibilities. As he explained, his approach ensured that the breed's gene pool remained more consistent than that of others. This ensures predictable results in breeding.
The majority of these animals have black hides, although some are red. The hides are of a high standard. A possible reason for the occasional red animal is the importation of cattle from the UK. In the 1700s, Scottish Angus herds were intermixed with English Longhorn cattle to achieve bigger, stronger animals. The red coloring was transmitted too.
The red coloring is linked to a recessive gene. This means that individuals may carry the gene but still have black hides. Any characteristic of the animal is associated with two genes. A recessive gene will only be noticeable if it is both genes for that specific phenotype trait. This is possibly how the gene for red hides was imported to the USA.
The meat of has a distinctive taste and is generously marbled with fat. The carcasses are rated higher, too. The meat is 80-90% Choice grade or better. It can therefore be sold to any sector of the industry, and be used for any purpose.
Cattle farmers pay attention to the breeding potential of the animals. The female Irish black or red cattle have relatively wider pelvises, so they do not usually present problems in giving birth. They exhibit significant fertility and their gestation period is also short, at about 280 days. This means that they can produce more offspring during their lifespan. Their udders are exceptional and produce much milk. The sires breed calves with a low weight at birth.
Individuals reach an impressive size. Calves reach between 1000 and 1500lb. The feed-to-gain ratio is about 5lb of feed to 1lb of gain. This ratio is an important consideration for industry operators since herds are mass raised to supply an immense market.
The success of Irish black and red cattle illustrates what is possible using natural methods of deliberate breeding. At a time when genetic modification is establishing an increasing presence in agriculture, people may still learn from the example of Maurice Boney. The question is as to how genetic modification can improve an already superior piece of steak.
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