These results do not surprise Galloway breeders and confirm the USDA research finding that Galloway beef is the tastiest in the United States and either first or second juiciest and most tender, and they achieve this on grass pasture.
They do all of this while maintaining their hardiness, calving efficiency and gentle disposition.
Why is this so? It’s those ancient genes coming to the fore again.
The Galloway evolved in a tough, harsh environment: cold, wind, snow, little “lush” feed, a lot of coarse grasses and shrubs and little human contact.
They are said to be the “oldest, purest remaining cattle breed” and they evolved their own unique traits shaped by that harsh environment. They evolved a unique double-haired coat, coarse on the outside and soft mohair-like on the inside. The coat influences the Galloways’ fat distribution — less outer fat as fat is not needed for insulation, but a high degree of marbling within the meat. It produces flavoursome, juicy, tender meat as proven by US Department of Agriculture testing.
The coarse grasses/shrubs produced a non-selective grazing habit as proven by the Mols Institute in Denmark and a high level of feed efficiency as demonstrated at OLDS College Canada through almost 30 years of trials.
The lack of human contact meant any genetic predisposition to calving difficulties was eliminated, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Galloways truly are bombproof.
Their hardiness, meat qualities and gentle disposition make them an ideal breed for people new to the beef industry, as well as producers of fine beef.
Galloways ARE the genuine alternative.
Give Chris, a master of genetic science, and Greg Stuart of Minto Galloways, who have been producing full blood (100 per cent) Galloways for 35 years, a call to see how you can get some “Galloway greatness”.
