The beef industry in the USA is enormous. Supplying it with meat is beyond the ability of local farmers and some American beef is imported from elsewhere. However, the breed of cattle with the most impressive reputation is none other than the locally developed Irish black and Irish red variety. Irish red cattle are a homegrown example of superior breeding performance and meat quality.
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 approach was to try to maintain the purest possible genetic material in his herd. He did this by preserving homozygous traits. A homozygous trait is one which stems from both parents having the same genes for a specific characteristic of their offspring, instead of the heterozygous possibility, which is the opposite. His stated intention was to maintain a uniform gene pool. This in turn leads to more predictable outcomes in breeding.
Most of the individuals belonging to this breed have black coloring, while occasionally a red one appears. The standard of the hides is relatively high. About three centuries ago in Scotland, Scottish farmers crossbred English Longhorn cattle with their Aberdeen Angus herds to produce animals which were physically stronger and larger. This is a possible reason why some examples of Boney's breed have red hides.
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 Irish black and red cattle has a pleasant taste and marbling. It is graded 80 to 90% Choice or higher. Carcasses receive similar ratings. The meat is thus saleable to any industry sector and can be used in any processing activity.
Farmers are also interested in the breeding performance of the animals. The females have broader hips, so there are seldom birthing complications. The gestation period is a relatively short 277 days, so the average female calves more times in her life than other breeds. Fertility among females is high, and so is the ability of their udders, enabling a high yield of milk. Males have a long lifespan and sire calves with a low birth weight.
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 reputation and quality of Irish black and Irish red animals shows what the traditional methods of selective breeding can accomplish, and people should take note of Boney's achievement. This is in light of the recent emergence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their subsequent cultivation in agriculture. It remains to be seen how genetic modification can enhance the primest fillet in the USA.
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 approach was to try to maintain the purest possible genetic material in his herd. He did this by preserving homozygous traits. A homozygous trait is one which stems from both parents having the same genes for a specific characteristic of their offspring, instead of the heterozygous possibility, which is the opposite. His stated intention was to maintain a uniform gene pool. This in turn leads to more predictable outcomes in breeding.
Most of the individuals belonging to this breed have black coloring, while occasionally a red one appears. The standard of the hides is relatively high. About three centuries ago in Scotland, Scottish farmers crossbred English Longhorn cattle with their Aberdeen Angus herds to produce animals which were physically stronger and larger. This is a possible reason why some examples of Boney's breed have red hides.
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 Irish black and red cattle has a pleasant taste and marbling. It is graded 80 to 90% Choice or higher. Carcasses receive similar ratings. The meat is thus saleable to any industry sector and can be used in any processing activity.
Farmers are also interested in the breeding performance of the animals. The females have broader hips, so there are seldom birthing complications. The gestation period is a relatively short 277 days, so the average female calves more times in her life than other breeds. Fertility among females is high, and so is the ability of their udders, enabling a high yield of milk. Males have a long lifespan and sire calves with a low birth weight.
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 reputation and quality of Irish black and Irish red animals shows what the traditional methods of selective breeding can accomplish, and people should take note of Boney's achievement. This is in light of the recent emergence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their subsequent cultivation in agriculture. It remains to be seen how genetic modification can enhance the primest fillet in the USA.
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