This is a printer-friendly popup window. Close when finished.
Angus FAQs
The latest and greatest about the world's largest beef breed registry
1. When and where were Angus cattle first seen in the U.S.A.?
George Grant imported four Angus bulls from Scotland to Victoria, Kansas, in 1873. The black polled bulls, probably from the herd of George Brown of
Westertown, Fochabers, Scotland, made a lasting impression on the U.S. beef industry.
2. How many Angus cattle were registered last year?
260,907 head of Angus cattle were registered in fiscal 1999. This was the 13th consecutive year of growth in Angus registrations and a 19-year high for the
Association.
3. What states have the most Angus cattle?
The top ten states in registrations for the 1999 fiscal year were:
|
4. What characteristics make Angus more desirable than other breeds?
Angus cattle offer many advantages to the beef producer.
- Mature cows crossed with Angus bulls have virtually no calving problems, regardless of their expected progeny differences (EPDs). Using proven calving ease Angus bulls will greatly reduce calving difficulties with first-calf heifers as well.
- Nearly every calf sired by an Angus bull will be polled. Breeders save time and expense by eliminating horns on their calves.
- The dark pigment in Angus and Angus-cross cattle helps prevent cancer eye and snowburned or sunburned udders.
- Fertile, high-milking, easy-fleshing cows that require minimal care are a trademark of the Angus breed.
- Angus and Angus-influenced feeder cattle are in demand with cattle buyers. They are efficient in the feedlot and have been proven to grade Choice with fewer days on feed than other breeds.
- Angus market animals produce desirable carcasses with well-marbled, fine textured beef and minimum trim.
- Crossbreeding with a planned two- or three-breed rotational system is proven to provide heterosis or hybrid vigor. Angus cattle can contribute greatly to nearly any crossbreeding plan. Since heterosis is expressed most in improved cow performance, the convenience traits and mothering ability of Angus-influenced mother cows is desirable for many producers. Angus and Angus-cross cows represent about 60% of all the U.S cowherds.
- Premiums may be paid for cattle meeting Certified Angus Beef™ product specifications.
- The American Angus Association's easy-to-use performance records and EPDs are beneficial to members. The American Angus Association Sire Evaluation Report helps breeders select the right bull or female for their operation and evaluate their herds' genetic needs.
5. What are Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs)?
Expected Progeny Differences, or EPDs, are highly accurate means of predicting how an
animal's offspring will perform. They describe genetic differences between animals within a breed. For example, a bull's birth weight EPD will help predict how much his offspring will
weigh at birth in relation to the birth weight of an average Angus calf. EPDs are based on the performance of the animal and performance of its ancestors, relatives and progeny.
6. What are the requirements for Certified Angus BeefTM (CAB)?
Market animals that are at least 51% black that exhibit Angus-type characteristics are eligible
for CAB evaluation. They must meet all eight of the following criteria to be certified by USDA Graders and labeled with the Certified Angus Beef brand.
- Modest or higher degree of marbling
- Medium or fine marbling texture
- "A" maturity
- Yield grade 3.9 or leaner
- Moderately thick or thicker muscling
- No hump on the neck exceeding 2 inches
- No evidence of internal hemorrhages
- No dark cutting characteristics
7. How do I contact Certified Angus Beef, LLC?
Information concerning the Certified Angus Beef program can be found on the Internet at www.cabprogram.com. If you want to find out more about the product itself or purchase product, www.2eatcab.com is the site for you.
To learn more about CAB specifications, employment opportunities, licensed feedlot partners, supply development activities or to order CAB, log on to one of the sites or call CAB headquarters in Wooster, Ohio, at 1-877-2-E-A-T-CAB.
8. Is Certified Angus Beef grown organically?
Although CAB specifications do not require that product is produced organically or hormone
free, Angus producers are always careful to use inputs and practices that are not harmful to the animal, the consumer or the environment.
9. How do I join the American Angus Association?
There are four types of Association memberships: regular membership, junior membership, associate membership, and non-resident membership.
Regular membership applications can be accessed online at www.angus.org or by contacting the Association. A one-year membership for $50 may be issued in the name of an individual, a farm or ranch name, a partnership or a corporation. Regular members receive registration and voting privileges, along with a subscription to the Association's official publication, the Angus Journal. Annual renewal of regular membership is $40.
Junior membership is available to young Angus breeders until they reach 21 years of age. For a junior membership application contact the Association. Junior membership requires a one-time $20 fee.
Associate memberships are offered to commercial cattlemen who own and use registered Angus bulls. Associate members may participate in all phases of the Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR) program, but they do not have rights to register cattle or to participate in the Association's election of delegates. Associate membership fee is $10 annually.
Residents of countries other than the U.S., its territories or possessions, or Canada may apply to become non-resident members of the Association for $10. Non-resident members register and transfer Angus under the same rules as regular members.
10. What are the benefits of joining the National Junior Angus Association?
The National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) offers a world of opportunities to youth. Members of the NJAA are eligible for:
- Registering cattle with the Association
- Receiving two issues of the Angus Journal annually
- Participation in junior activities including conferences, shows and other contests
- Showmanship competitions
- Leadership training (officers and directors)
- National Junior Recognition Program
- Scholarships
- Information on fitting, tattooing, judging, advertising and promotion
11. Where can I find names and addresses of Angus producers?
Many registered Angus breeders advertise in the Angus Journal. They can be found in the Journal advertiser's index. For a subscription, look on www.angusjournal.com or write to the Angus Journal, 3201 Frederick Ave., St. Joseph, MO 64506. Ranches who have registered their websites with www.angus.org can be found through "member links" on the site.
12. What kind of software is available for Angus producers?
Angus Information Management Software (AIMS) was designed and written by the American
Angus Association. The Windows-based program is used to simplify Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR), which can be transmitted by disc, direct modem or e-mail. AIMS is available to all American Angus Association members.
The software provides quick access to pedigree, performance and EPD information. Updated EPDs for all of your animals are available. AIMS offers a simulated breeding feature to help you determine what sire to use, and helps predict EPDs for calves from a selected sire. Ratios, rankings and adjusted weights can also be calculated.
These are just a few of the features of AIMS software. For more information, or to purchase AIMS software, contact the AIMS Department at the American Angus Association. You can e-mail at aims@angus.org or view the www.angus.org link "Angus Info. Mgt. Software."
13. How can I use the Internet to find Angus cattle for sale and advertise my own cattle for sale?
The Angus Resource Clearinghouse Network (ARCNet) site helps potential Angus cattle
buyers search for upcoming sales, commercial Angus females, and Angus-influenced feeder cattle. Producers are welcome to submit information about their sale cattle including weaning
and vaccination information, sire registration number, past feedlot performance and carcass data. The American Angus Association provides this service free of charge to producers and
livestock barns with Angus or Angus-cross feeder calves or replacement females for sale. The site can be found at www.angus.org .
The quickest and easiest way to find registered Angus bulls that fit your operation is through the ARCNet Bull Listing Service. Potential customers can search for bulls by EPDs, sire groups, or location by state.
14. Where can I buy Angus merchandise?
Angus merchandise, from T-shirts to pens, can be purchased from the American Angus Association, the NJAA and the American Angus Auxiliary. Gifts and order forms can be
accessed online at www.angus.org or by contacting Marjorie Perkins, Ways and Means Chairwoman at (830) 236-5897.
Product sheets of promotional Angus merchandise are available from the Association's public relations department.
15. What are tattoos and does the Association require them?
Tattoos are an easy way to identify cattle. They are permanent and accurate when correctly
applied. The Association requires every animal to be properly tattooed in order to be eligible for registration. When tattooed correctly, an animal will have a tattoo in the upper third of each ear, centered horizontally.
Proper identification at birth and legible tattoos are essential to maintain accurate herd records.
To learn more about tattooing procedures and systems, request a printed brochure from the public relations department.
16. What is the role of a regional manager?
The 12 regional managers are full-time staff members of the American Angus Association.
They work with cattle breeders in their designated regions to promote Angus cattle, help breeders improve management practices and help people get started in the Angus business.
Regional managers also work with breeders to make sure their advertising needs are being met through the Angus Journal and Angus Beef Bulletin.
Regional managers can often be found working Angus shows and sales or representing the American Angus Association at livestock conventions.
Anyone from the veteran Angus breeder to the youngster looking for his or her first Angus heifer is encouraged to contact the local American Angus Association regional manager for assistance or advice.
For a "clickable" map of names, regions and contact information, click here http://www.angusproductions.com/api_regional_set.html.
Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Hawaii: Rod Wesselman (509) 765-9219 rwesselman@angus.org
California, Nevada, Arizona: John Dickinson (916) 924-1844 jdickinson@angus.org
New Mexico and Texas: Matt Perrier (817) 920-5032 mperrier@angus.org
Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma: Matt Caldwell (785) 228-1364 mcaldwell@angus.org
Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Alaska: Ron Frye (406) 373-9333 rfrye@angus.org
South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska: Jim Shirley (605) 692-1613 jshirley@angus.org
Iowa and Missouri: Don Laughlin (660) 652-3500 laughlin@angus.org
Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi: Richard Dyar (256) 659-6305 rdyar@angus.org
Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio: Chuck Grove (804) 525-4687 cgrove@angus.org
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin: Jerry Cassady (217) 586-2009 jcassady@angus.org
Delaware, Maryland, New England States, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia: Bill Powell (301) 271-2767 bpowell@angus.org
Florida, Georgia, North & South Carolina: David Gazda (706) 227-9098 dgazda@angus.org
|
This is a printer-friendly popup window. Close when finished.