Introduction to New Zealand Angus Association

YOU ARE NOW ONE OF APPROXIMATELY 250-300 STUD CATTLE BREEDERS WHO HAVE MADE THE INFORMED CHOICE TO BREED ANGUS CATTLE.

The New Zealand Angus Association Inc

The New Zealand Angus Association is an Incorporated Society which aims to promote the use of the Angus breed within New Zealand and maintain the ongoing integrity of the breed. The Association is governed by a council of ten members with the assistance of the Breed Manager. Each councillor represents a geographical area (Ward) and is elected on an annual basis with the President holding office for a two year period. The council meet on a regular basis to discuss the Association's direction and set policy.

The Association maintain and update the New Zealand Pedigree Register using the BREEDPLAN performance recording system. It provides breeders with valuable performance reports enabling them to further enhance their stud farming objectives. It also undertakes national promotion, provides assistance with individual advertising & promotion (see promotions section) and offers a wide range of farm-based services. The Association provides input into industry-wide issues and co-ordinates breed marketing opportunities. Along with an Annual magazine and bi-monthly newsletters, an annual herd book and Genetic Evaluation report of registered bulls and cows are published and distributed to all breed members as part of the 'membership package'. The herd book entries are the recorded progeny of approximately 19,000 stud Angus cows farmed nationwide.

As an Angus breeder you can expect:

> Cattle well suited to New Zealand's farming systems.
> Cattle with great adaptability to the varying conditions of altitude, topography, climate, nutrition and management.
> Cattle with the resilience to cope with feed shortages and to recover quickly from drought and harsh winter conditions.
> Easy calving, high growth rate sires capable of producing progeny meeting market requirements - In a large organised cross breeding trial in New Zealand, females mated to Angus sires showed fewer problems at calving than those mated to a selection of seven other breed sires.
> Calves which grow rapidly and efficiently on pasture or in a feedlot, reaching heavy weights when about eighteen months of age.
> Dams which are known for their fertility, hardiness and proven ability to get in calf quickly and consistently.
> Dams which calve without assistance and produce fast finishing progeny.
> Dams who are good foragers, with a long life span and constant production.
> Angus beef that consistently achieves more desirable results in carcass quality determinants such as marbling, fat depth, meat colour and pH assuring a tastier and more tender product. (For further details on Angus beef please refer to the section on AngusPureª.)

This very popular, well-known beef breed was founded early in the nineteenth century. Polled cattle, they roamed the countries of north-east Scotland for centuries. Formally recognised in 1835, the breed rapidly expanded with the introduction of steam shipping and trains enabling Scottish breeders to send their cattle to previously untapped markets in England. The late nineteenth century saw show successes in London and Paris give the breed a tremendous boost, spreading them rapidly throughout Britain and Ireland and to all major beef-producing countries of the world, first arriving into New Zealand in 1863.

The New Zealand Aberdeen Angus Cattle Breeders Association was inaugurated in Hastings in 1918. The year 1969 saw the name change to The New Zealand Angus Association. The first National Angus Sale was held in Hastings in 1919, moving two years later to Dannevirke. The breed grew rapidly, with entries in the sale increasing from 44 bulls in 1926 to 387 in 1962. In 1975 the National Angus Show & Sale moved to Palmerston North where it continues to be a feature of the Meat New Zealand Beef Expo week.

Over the years importation of cattle and more recently importation of semen and embryos has seen New Zealand Angus breeders utilising stocks from the United Kingdom and North America. This is today a two-way process. Total beef breeding cow numbers in 2001 in New Zealand were reported to be 1.5 million and Angus/Angus Ðcross cattle accounted for 33% of the beef cattle cow numbers.

Appearance: In New Zealand a medium and full-bodied breed with good muscling.

Breed Features: Naturally polled and black in colour. Very hardy, good foragers, and able to thrive on lower quality feed. Angus are particularly suited to extensive grazing. Females are relatively long-lived and make ideal dams in all conditions. A successful beef breed.

Breeding, Growth & Carcass: Recognised for their high fertility and regular breeding, dams are also known for their good mothering ability and easy calving with moderate birth weights. Bulls are promoted as excellent terminal sires for cross-breeding with dairy and other beef breeds. Angus display superior carcass qualities with a high proportion of lean meat to fat and bone. Well-developed hind quarters produce well marbled, lean meat with moderate fat coverage, which imparts flavour and juiciness when cooked. Throughout the world Angus breed Societies have developed their own branded product names to promote Angus meat qualities. These top meat cuts are branded as AngusPureª here in New Zealand.