The Aberdeen Angus, sometimes simply Angus, is a Scottish breed of small beef cattle. It derives from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeen, Banff, Kincardine and Angus in north-eastern Scotland. In 2018 the breed accounted for over 17% of the beef production in the United Kingdom.
A bull near Melton Constable, in Norfolk
Historic salt print of a bull at an agricultural fair in Paris in 1856
Judging bulls at the Royal Sydney Easter Show of 1935
Cow and calf in the Gadental [de], in Vorarlberg in Austria
Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production. The meat of mature or almost mature cattle is mostly known as beef.
In beef production there are three main stages: cow-calf operations, backgrounding, and feedlot operations. The production cycle of the animals starts at cow-calf operations; this operation is designed specifically to breed cows for their offspring. From here the calves are backgrounded for a feedlot. Animals grown specifically for the feedlot are known as feeder cattle, the goal of these animals is fattening. Animals not grown for a feedlot are typically female and are commonly known as replacement heifers.
While the principal use of beef cattle is meat production, other uses include leather, and beef by-products used in candy, shampoo, cosmetics, and insulin.
A young bull of the Blonde d'Aquitaine breed.
Japanese wagyu bull on a farm north of Kobe
Cattle in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso