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?!
