The History of Seven innovative families chose to use Red Angus in 1954 to establish the industry’s first performance registry. Throughout its history, the Red Angus Association of America has maintained this objec- tive focus and has earned a well deserved reputa- tion for leadership and innovation. By making the right choices over time, and ignoring the short term pressures of industry fads, demand for Red Angus genetics by the industry is at an all time high. “Red Angus are of exactly the same origin as (black) Angus .” - Dr. Herman Purdy, “Breeds of Cattle”

THE ORIGIN OF “ANGUS” EARLY ANGUS HERDBOOKS introduced into Aberdeen Little is known of the exact early ori- in the eighteenth century when the larg- The first Aberdeen Angus herdbook, gin of the cattle that would become the er English Longhorns, predominantly published in 1862 in , entered Aberdeen Angus breed. Although some red in color, were crossed with the small- both reds and blacks without distinction. historians feel that polled cattle existed er native polled cattle in order to provide The practice of registering red and black in Scotland before recorded history, most for animals sufficiently large to be used cattle in the same herdbook is still prac- authorities feel that the early ancestors for draft purposes. ticed today in Britain and every other for the breed resulted from the inter- Shortly after the turn of the nineteenth major beef producing country in the breeding of small, dun-colored hornless century many Scottish breeders looked world, except the United States. cattle introduced in the eighth-century very favorably on the use of the Aberdeen Angus were introduced into by raiding Norseman with the indige- improved breed as a method America in the 1870s and soon attained nous horned cattle of Northeastern to upgrade native stock. This crossing high popularity. The first American Scotland. Although the cattle tended to was so widely practiced that unim- herdbooks, published in 1886 and 1888 be black, in his book, Modern Breeds of proved Aberdeen Angus cattle of the respectively, made no record as to the , H.M. Briggs states “the cattle region were threatened with extinction. color of individual animals. In 1890, found in Northern Scotland were not of Since the first Angus Herdbook was not twenty-two reds were registered in the uniform color, and many of the cattle of published until 1862, it can be presumed American Aberdeen Angus Herdbook of the early day had varied color markings that the introduction of improved some 2,700 individuals entered that year. or broken color patterns. Many of the Shorthorn blood in the early part of the In 1917, the American Aberdeen Angus cattle were polled but some few had nineteenth century had a positive impact Association barred the registration of the horns.” on what was to become the modern reds and other colors altogether. This Englishmen Robert Bakewell is rightly Aberdeen Angus breed. severe discrimination against the red known as the “Father of Animal color in an effort to assure a pure black ANGUS - RED OR BLACK? Breeding” for his work starting in 1760 strain brought a marked decline in the breeding cattle as well Hugh Watson of Keillor, Scotland is number of red calves born in American as and horses. By setting a definite universally recognized as the father of herds. ideal and then breeding the best to the the modern Aberdeen Angus breed. That the red cattle were an untapped best regardless of relationship, he proved When he started his farming activities in genetic resource was summed up well desirable characteristics could be fixed 1808, he received six of the “best and by Leon J. Cole and Sara V. H. Jones of and true breeding strains could be estab- blackest cows, as well as a bull” from his the University of Wisconsin Agricultural lished. The implementation of these father’s herd. That same summer, he also Experiment Station in their 1920 publica- principles resulted in the formation of visited the leading Scottish cattle mar- tion on “The Occurrence of Red Calves modern breeds as we know them. In kets acquiring ten heifers and a bull that in Black Breeds of Cattle:” 1784, breeders of Shorthorn cattle showed the Angus characteristics he was “One more point should be emphasized, became the first to implement Bakewell’s striving to breed. According to Briggs, namely that the red individuals appearing in methods; while in Scotland, Hugh “the (purchased) females were of various such stock (Aberdeen Angus)...are just as Watson in 1808 and William McCombie colors, but the bull was black; Watson truly ‘’ as their black relatives, and in 1829 are credited with the earliest use decided the color of his herd should be there is no reason why, in all respects save of Bakewell’s principles in the breeding black and he started to select in that color, they should not be fully as valuable. of Aberdeen Angus. direction.” Although black became the The fact that they are discarded while the Eric L.C. Pentecost, a noted English most desired color for the breed, because blacks are retained is simply due to the turn breeder of Red Angus cattle, hypothe- red is a recessive gene, it would remain of fortune that black rather than red became sized that one source of red color was in the genepool. established fashion for the Aberdeen Angus breed. Had red been the chosen color, there would never have been any trouble with the appearance of blacks as off-color individuals, since red-to-red breeds true.” IT WAS PERFORMANCE FROM THE BEGINNING In 1945, various cattlemen throughout the United States started selecting and breeding reds cropped from the best black Aberdeen Angus herds in America. In 1954, seven visionary breeders gath- ered to establish a unique breeder’s organization known as the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA). Rejecting the norms of the times, the RAAA was designed around the new scientific principles of performance test- ing. Founding member George Chiga Open A.I. explained, “The establishment of Red Angus (Association) was more than an Artificial Insemination has proven to accumulation of numbers. It was dream- be one of the most powerful tools in the ing of a new approach.” In August of beef industry’s genetic progress. HOW THE RED 1954, the Association’s first president, However, prior to the 1970’s, most breed Waldo Forbes, Sr., summed-up the vision associations enforced strict regulations of the founding members: making the technology impractical for COLOR WORKS many breeders. However, the RAAA in “The policy of the (Red Angus) Association 1954 set its own course in which A.I. was is to discourage the more artificial practices open and unrestricted within the Red in purebred cattle production and to place its Angus breed. faith instead in objective tests, consisting for Objective Evaluation the most part of comparisons within herds of Red Angus was the first to incorpo- factors of known economic importance and rate performance data in the showring, known heritability... By making this an inte- holding the first “performance” show in gral part of the registration system, Red 1956. It was not until the 1990’s that Black red carrier Angus cows Angus breeders feel that even faster progress some breeds started to use objective data produce red calves. can be made toward the ultimate goal of in the showring as an additional evalua- more efficient beef production.” B = dominant black gene tion tool for the judge, besides the tradi- b = recessive red gene tional visual appraisal of animals. According to RAAA’s first executive Although Red Angus is not known as a bb = homozygous red secretary, Sally Forbes, “Waldo was “show breed”, the Association does BB = homozygous black above all interested in developing a sponsor a National Show each year with Bb = heterozygous black, red carrier breed performance program rather than the judge being provided objective data building a new breed for its own sake for traits of economic relevance to the and the charter members of the industry. Association were...much of the same bb BB mind.” So, from the beginning, perform- The Common Denominator Red Black ance data was required for registration RAAA’s founders saw crossbreeding of all cattle. The ultimate goal was to ini- as an opportunity to expand commercial Bb tiate a system to objectively evaluate and utilization of the breed, and as early as Black Red Carrier select cattle based on traits of economic 1961, began promoting the use of Red importance, and to build an Association Angus in planned crossbreeding sys- b b that would adopt and embrace scientific tems. This was approximately ten years Red x Red innovation. before the industry even started to b bb bb 100% progeny will The RED ANGUS accept crossbreeding as a tool for com- be red (even if any mercial cow/calf production. In 1970, bb bb red parent had a ASSOCIATION of AMERICA b black parent) (RAAA) Red Angus continued its industry lead- has long been noted for its far- ership by starting and promoting an F-1 sighted vision of beef production. Over a program. The influx of Continental b b variety of fronts Red Angus has either breeds in the late 1960’s and 70’s offered Black Red Carrier x Red led the industry, or been an early another foothold for breed growth due B Bb Bb 50% progeny will be adopter of new technologies. This mav- to the complementary traits Red Angus red and 50% will be erick attitude allowed the RAAA to black. Reds will be offered these European imports. 1999 b bb bb pure red and blacks adopt philosophies and technologies that marked another first as the RAAA will all be red carriers. were deemed too risky or unconvention- worked with other breed associations to al by other associations. Here is a sample promote the benefits of heterosis and b b of some visionary policies enacted by the breed complementarity. RAAA: B Bb Bb Black (non red carrier) Open Registry x Red It Was Always About In 1980, the RAAA broke ranks from 100% progeny will be Performance black (red carriers). the other British breeds by instituting a B Bb Bb In 1954, when the Association took category registration system. This far this bold move to build a Performance sighted program still kept the 100%, Registry, the scientific community had Category 1-A cattle separated, but it B b not even settled on using 205 days to additionally allowed breeders to develop Black Red Carrier x serve as the age to which weaning B BB Bb Black Red Carrier Category 1-B cattle through a process of 75% progeny will be weights would be adjusted. While breeding-up. Implementation of black and 25% will reporting weaning data has become sec- Category II exhibits RAAA’s “color- b Bb bb be red. Of the ond nature for Red Angus breeders, very blacks, two-thirds blind” approach to beef production and (or 50% of total few breed associations mandate per- allowed Red Angus breeders to utilize progeny) will be red formance data as a requirement for regis- the Black Angus animals to expand the carriers, and one- tration... even today, when the value of third (or 25% of total gene pool by creating outcross genetics. progeny) will be non performance based selection has been so Through Category III, pedigree and per- red carriers. clearly demonstrated. formance data is maintained on founda- tion animals, hybrids, and composites. Serving the Beef Industry Red Angus is Real Angus Leadership Has Made A Difference From its inception, the RAAA identi- In 1995, Red Angus unveiled the fied the breed’s primary customer as the industry’s first genotypic and source ver- Red Angus are Angus; yet the Red commercial beef industry. In keeping ification program, the Feeder Calf Angus breeders’ history of leadership with this focus, RAAA developed Red Certification Program (FCCP). The inno- and innovation have made a profound Angus Marketing Programs, which vative FCCP has the honor of being the difference in the red strain. Red Angus offers a wide range of services designed first USDA Process Verified Program breeders have maintained a commercial to add value to customers’ investment (PVP). Today, calves wearing the Red focus allowing them to avoid the short- in superior Red Angus genetics. When Angus FCCP tag, come with the three term fads that have negatively affected commercial producers receive the trans- USDA process verified claims of: so many other breeds. The Red Angus fer on a registered Red Angus bull, a Traceability to minimum 50% Red Angus gene pool offers a consistent source of complimentary one year subscription to bloodlines, Source Verification to Ranch traditional Angus traits, including car- American Red Angus Magazine is pro- of Origin, and Group Age Verification. cass quality, maternal characteristics, vided. calving ease, and moderate size. In addi- Value Based Marketing tion, Red Angus offer uniformity, good Total Herd Reporting RAAA is believed to be the first breed disposition, and outstanding feeding In 1995, RAAA again broke ranks association to offer its members and characteristics. All of these are backed with the status quo with the implemen- commercial customers a value-based by the industry’s most precise, reliable tation of an inventory based perform- pricing grid with a major packing com- and comprehensive genetic predictions; ance reporting system and fee structure. pany. and service after the sale that includes a Total Herd Reporting (THR) requires the comprehensive commercial marketing Built on Economic Relevance production of every registered Red program. Angus female to be reported annually, as As many beef breed associations Summary well as the performance of every Red entered a race in the 1990’s to see how Angus calf raised through weaning, as a many EPDs they could produce, Red Times have certainly changed. The requirement for registration. If a cow Angus took a different path. RAAA’s “reds” have gone from being undesirable and her calf are not accounted for in a goal was to comprehensively describe and discarded for much of the twentieth given year, the cow is inactivated in the reproduction, growth and carcass traits century, only because of their color, to database. with the fewest EPDs possible. To being a preeminent source of Angus achieve this goal, the concept of genetics. Red Angus’ fifty plus year com- Profit starts at Reproduction Economically Relevant Traits (ERT) was mitment to its founding members’ vision The RAAA has led the industry with pioneered in which only EPDs directly of more efficient beef production its commitment to objectively describe related to a revenue or expense would be through the use of the scientific princi- traits related to reproduction. Released developed. In 2004, Red Angus became ples of performance testing has been in 1995, the first of this new class of the first breed to provide a genetic selec- realized. EPDs was Red Angus’ Stayability esti- tion tool for the expense side of ranchers’ Due to the numerous natural advan- mate. Based on data that can only be profit equation. The Mature Cow tages with which the Red Angus breed is gathered with a THR system, in 2001 Maintenance Energy Requirement EPD endowed, and based on the continued Red Angus published the industry’s first (ME) predicts the energy required for a philosophy of the Red Angus Association comprehensive reproductive sire sum- bull’s daughters to maintain their body of America, it appears that a great breed mary. Included in the summary were condition. has come into its own. The future of the genetic predictions for Calving Ease breed as the common denominator in Direct, Heifer Pregnancy, Maternal progressive cattle producers’ - Calving Ease, and Stayability. ing systems is unlimited.

RED HIDE COLOR HAS THREE DISTINCT ADVANTAGES:

1) Red is the most populous color of cattle breeds world wide. Red Angus provides a continuity and uniformity of color to any crossbreeding system. 2) Red is more heat tolerant than black and the bronze pigmentation gives great resistance to cancer eye and sun burned udders. The majority of the world’s cattle are in areas that need heat tolerance, so the red color is a definite advantage. 3) Being crossed red always breeds true. Red Angus carry no diluter genes and thus avoid the grays that result when crossbreeding with blacks.

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