Red Angus

Red Angus are Angus. The red gene has always been in the breed, recessive to black, and for years red calves were registered alongside black ones. When the American Angus Association stopped registering them in 1917, breeders who wanted the colour formed their own association in 1954.

So the carcass traits, the calving ease and the maternal reputation are the same, because the foundation is the same.

The colour earns its keep in heat. A red hide reflects more solar radiation than a black one, which shows up as less heat stress in southern herds and is a real reason to choose them below a certain latitude.

The trade is at the sale barn. Black-hided calves fit more branded programs and generally draw a wider set of buyers, so a red calf can sell for less than an identical black one for no reason other than colour.