BELTED GALLOWAYS:
THE
“OREO-COOKIE” COW
The “Belted Galloway”, a
hardy breed of Scottish Cattle, is distinctive because of the belted,
white band evenly distributed around the mid section of the otherwise
totally black animal. Many breeders and cattle fanciers refer to the
“belties” as Oreo-cookie cows.
Galloways have
a long and distinctive heritage as being considered one of the oldest
cattle breeds in the world. Belted Galloways belong to the family of
Galloway Cattle which today include solid whites, and blacks. Back in the
1700’s when this breed was first being selected and bred for its many fine
qualities, other colors existed; reds, duns, spotteds and brindles were
commonly seen. However, by the mid 1800’s, cattlemen had made the decision
to choose solid black as the preferred select-breeding coloration. The
Belted coloration became popular around the turn of the 19th
century, and in 1921, a registry was established for the belted coloration
of Galloways.
The
distinguishing factors for Belted Galloways require that to be considered
a true “beltie” and registered as such, the cattle must have a wide, even
band of pure white fur completely encircling the animal’s mid section. The
rest of the cow, back and front, must be solid black with no white
anywhere else on its body or face. Belted Galloway breeders are watchful
in selecting breeding animals to make sure that white feet, which is
considered an undesirable breed marking, to be bred out.
Canada saw the
first imports of this attractive breed in the early 1950’s, by H. Gordon
Green. Eastern Canadian provinces such as Ontario and Quebec today, have
the largest concentration of these animals; Saskatchewan and Alberta have
very few breeders, which make Belted Galloways much sought after in the
Prairie and Western provinces.
This extremely
hardy and dual-purpose breed are considered perfect cattle for the harsh
and long Canadian winters which exist in most of Canada. Belted Galloways
are very hardy, covered in a dual hair coat that all Galloways possess. A
short, velvety and water resistant undercoat acts like a downy insulation,
protecting these cows from dampness of any kind. The long, course, and
curly outer guard hairs protect them from cold, making these animals a
wonderful breed for adaptation in Northern climates. Even their ears have
unusually long fur resembling attractive fringe, protecting their ears
from frostbite.
Galloways are
considered to be extremely superior and efficient feed converters, who
will consume less and forage independently well on more varieties than
many other cattle breeds. Their meat is well marbled and known to be
considerably low in saturated fat content. Belted Galloways are also
considered to be excellent milkers as well. Their superior mothering
abilities and the activeness of the newborns succeed in making for a high
survival rate. They are also distinguished for their docility and ease of
handling, and for their genetic predisposition and resistance to diseases
such as pink-eye, as well as the many foot problems experienced by other
breeds of cattle.
One drawback
of the breed is that Belted Galloways do take a longer time than other
commercial cattle breeds to mature and gain their fully grown weight range
of 1000 to 1100 pounds. Because of their slower growth, cows should not be
first bred until the age of two years as they will likely experience
birthing difficulty resulting from their small size as a yearling. Average
single-calf weight is around 70 lbs, and a healthy, well marked weanling
can bring around $1500 and up at present market prices. Canadian high
standards of this breed have aided the production of these Canadian born
offspring’s popularity in the United States, where purchases of Canadian
calf crops are high in demand and often pre-sold to American breed
fanciers.
Although the
appearance of the Belted Galloways makes them largely a distinct hobby
cattle, the breed clearly possesses many sought after qualities aside from
attractive coloration, that makes them a viable commercial venture. Many
ranchers seek to find a good dual purpose breed that will thrive and have
utilitarian aspects making them worth breeding and raising; but as well,
cattle fanciers looking for something that is a little different, pleasing
to the eye, and unique amongst the ordinary, run-of-the-mill herd cattle
will find “belties” to more than fit the bill. Belted Galloways are
certainly considered to have all the desired cattle traits by those who
raise them, and their popularity and demand certainly attests to their
profitability and marketability.
Belted Galloway
Cattle is certainly a breed that has garnered itself this excellent
reputation, for all the many wonderful qualities in the breed description.
And besides, what cattle fancier could resist the Oreo Cookie Cow?!