Horned and color genetics

[bigbluegrass]

I bought a black angus cow a few years back. Real nice cow, probably around 1150-1200 Ibs always raises a nice calf. I don't have a scale but I would say her calves wean at around 500 lbs or more. She is nice and long, not too tall. I was told she was purebred and "could be registered". I wasn't really interested in registering her, just wanted her to make me some baby steaks. I crossed her with a Jersey bull. I know it is a little odd, but I have registered Jersey cows and it made sense to get a Jersey bull so I can have registered Jersey babies. The heifers usually sell like hot cakes - bull calves not so much :lol: So anyway, that is what I did, right or wrong. I thought it would be an interesting cross and well it is interesting, just not what I expected. The bull calf that was born was red and black striped and has horns. They are actual horns. I thought I would get a calf that was black (at least mostly black, maybe a light muzzle) and polled. The bull is full Jersey. The cow is full angus. So my question is: is this just a one in a million (not literally) thing? Or is this cow not really full black Angus? Maybe she has something else in her and I was lied to :lol: :help: What do you folks think? Genetics confuse me andI know some of you are very good with this sort of thing.

 

[dun]

I bought a black angus cow a few years back. Real nice cow, probably around 1150-1200 Ibs always raises a nice calf. I don't have a scale but I would say her calves wean at around 500 lbs or more. She is nice and long, not too tall. I was told she was purebred and "could be registered". I wasn't really interested in registering her, just wanted her to make me some baby steaks. I crossed her with a Jersey bull. I know it is a little odd, but I have registered Jersey cows and it made sense to get a Jersey bull so I can have registered Jersey babies. The heifers usually sell like hot cakes - bull calves not so much :lol: So anyway, that is what I did, right or wrong. I thought it would be an interesting cross and well it is interesting, just not what I expected. The bull calf that was born was red and black striped and has horns. They are actual horns. I thought I would get a calf that was black (at least mostly black, maybe a light muzzle) and polled. The bull is full Jersey. The cow is full angus. So my question is: is this just a one in a million (not literally) thing? Or is this cow not really full black Angus? Maybe she has something else in her and I was lied to :lol: :help: What do you folks think? Genetics confuse me andI know some of you are very good with this sort of thing.

That's sure what it sounds like to me. Not so much the color, although that too is suspect, but the horns is the sure giveaway

 

[Black Coos]

I agree with Dun, Angus are natural dehorners, always have been...

 

[randiliana]

I agree with dun. Sounds like she might not be purebred Black Angus.

She's carrying the red gene, and the horned gene. Red is possible with BA, but not the horns.....

 

[bigbluegrass]

Thanks for the replies. I was afraid of that when the calf showed up with horns. Her previous calves were all polled, but they were angus/angus or maybe I should say she was bred to an angus bull, since it appears she is not angus. Probably won't matter too much on this one since I am just going to eat him.

 

[Susie David]

Got to have two horned genes to pass along...Angus are polled and do not carry a horned gene...unless there is one floating in there from a cross breeding generations ago. Strange how the genes will come together when least expected.
We got a brockle faced calf from a cow that has thrown six solid blacks in a row and the little gal has scurrs.
Nature isn't always easy to figure out.
DMC