Belted Galloway

Belted Galloway or Belties are a breed of cattle that originated from the crossroads of Scottish Galloway cattle with a not determinable with certainty the origin second race. The cattle have the long fur of Galloway with a striking white belly strip ( belt ) and no horns. Above all, they are bred as a meat breed.

Properties

Belted Galloway have a long-haired coat that consists of a dense undercoat and a long wavy outer coat. You are able to throughout the year to stay in adverse weather conditions outside. Since they store their heat mainly through the two layers of fur and not fat, they have comparatively lean meat. Bulls weigh about 800 kilograms with a height at the withers of 130 cm, cows have an average weight of 550 kilograms with a height at the withers of 120 cm. The cattle are characterized by the fact that they can be kept on pastures that would reject other races, and also exclusively still produce quality meat with grass, where she Tests show that more different plant species eat than other cattle breeds. They live in comparison to other cattle breeds long and can be 17 to 20 years old. The small framed, subscript animals are easy calving.

History

Belted Galloways are documented for the first time in the 16th century in the Scottish province of Galloway detectable, their exact origin of races can not be uniquely determined despite genetic studies. Together with the Galloways suspect many researchers mainly Dutch Lakenvelder cattle. What is certain is that they are not descended from a crossing with a dairy breed and are genetically closer now with Aberdeen Angus and Murray Grey as with Galloway cattle.

After the Scottish Galloway Cattle Society refused to lead a herd book for Belted Galloway, and the breeders of regular Galloway from Dun color shock had the same problem, they founded in 1921 the " Dun and Belted Galloway Breeder's Association ". In the first herd book in 1922 were 200 Belties. After the Galloway Cattle Society since 1951 animals from Dun recognized color variety, the breeder whose left their old home and the Association for the Belties its name to " Belted Galloway Cattle Society ". Of the so-called founding herds exist today Mochrum and Lullenden in Scotland.

Dissemination

Currently, about 1500 Belted cows are out (black, dun and red- belted ) in the main herd book. They are therefore conducted by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy as " under observation ". Black ( black ) Belties are by far the most common, red (red ) and dun ( dun, yellow brown) but are also available.

The most numerous are Belted Galloway in the U.S., where the animals were introduced in 1939 for the first time; in 2010 there were approximately 14,000 registered pedigree animals. In the U.S., especially farmers on the East Coast breed the race with herds in New England, the Midwest and the Southwest. In states like California, Oregon and Texas, there are individual herds. In Australia the breed is spread all over the country and available to the subtropical regions into it. They are popular in other English speaking countries like the United Kingdom or Ireland.

Status

While international Belted Galloways are managed as separate race, BDG recognizes ( Federal Association of German Galloway Breeders Association) only " Galloway " as a racial designation, performs a common herd book for both Galloway and permits " purebred " crosses between Belties and Galloway. An exception in Germany forms the FRZ (Association of Schleswig- Holstein Beef Cattle Breeders Association), of Galloway, Belted Galloway and Galloway German ( cross between Belted Galloway and ) different.