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About
The Breed  Nutritional
Information Recipes |
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 Belted
Galloway look like no other breed of cattle. They
are predominately black, but sometimes red or brown, with a wide
white band around their middle. They are commonly referred
to as Beltie’s by their owners. The Belted Galloway has
a thick hide with long hair. This insulation allows them
to develop thick and lean muscle mass without the typical layer
of fat on lazy feedlot cow. The breed is remarkably gentle,
yet hardy. The first references to a ‘sheeted’ cow were
seen as early as the 11th century. The first recorded history
of the Belted Galloway occurs during the 16th century in the
Galloway district of Scotland. This is a hilly coastal
land buffeted by the winds of the North Sea with rich grass growing
in the hills.
The British still raise a solid-colored, polled, shaggy-coated
Galloway cattle generally considered to have evolved from an
early Celtic breed. Precisely when and where breeding of the
Belted variety of Galloway began is unknown. We actually
purchased this web domain from an English breeder who had a blue
ribbon champion bull by the name of Robbie Bruce of Berrybush.
In the US, the Beltie is a true niche breed. The total
US herd is estimated at little over 12,000 head. For some
perspective, the total US beef herd is estimated to be over 97,000,000.
Concentrations of the Beltie are found in the North East and
now in the Midwest. Most
Beltie ranchers practice grass feeding to some degree.
Angel Acres is a member of the Belted Galloway Society. All
of our cattle are registered with their lineage tracked. We
follow the Society guidelines for proper breeding and benefit
from their guidance on raising the best tasting grass fed beef
in the country. |
