Red Polled vs Red Angus

[MoGal]

Okay, I've trampled all over both breed websites and need help.

What is the difference between these two types of cattle? They are both english. Both look like red angus, but Red Poll is a breed all of its own.

Does anyone know what the difference is between the two breeds?

Thanks for your help.

 

[stocky]

i am sorry, i dont know enough about red poll to know the difference

 

[cherokeeruby]

Red Poll has a white switch and originated in England. Red Angus primarily from Scotland and has a reddish switch.

 

[jerry27150]

red poll used to be a two way breed, but i agree there doesn't seem to be much difference

 

[Sugar Creek]

I have both Red Polls and Angus here on our farm. The Red Polls have better dispositions as a rule, have more milk and their calves are very consistant with little calving problems. The Angus are better muscled and the calves are blockier and vigorous. These breeds do resemble one another aand share some characteristics but are actually unrelated.

The Red Poll is a very pure line of cattle dating back to mid 19th century England with very little admixture of other breeds.

When crossed you get a lot of hybrid vigor in the calves despite the similarity in the appearance and characteristics of the two breeds.

I really like the Red Polls, primarily for their gentle nature and the star tenderness gene they carry for their meat.

 

[J. T.]

Red Angus sprang from the Black Angus breed as a mutation. They have been developed soley as a beef breed where the Red Poll was developed as a dual purpose (dairy and beef) breed. The Red Poll generally aren't as heavily muscled and like someone has already stated, they usually have a white switch.
J. T.

 

[myersfarm]

i was very lucky about red poll i worked on a red poll dairy farm with my uncle couple summers and they are very nice i rasie angus cows now and wish i had a few red poll bulls just to throw in there to make more milk...red polls very gentle easy calfing and when crossed give alot milk and make alot muscle on the dairy breeds john

 

[Sugar Creek]

The red color of the Red Angus did not arise as a mutation. It has been present from the beginning of the breed. One of the famous early breeders of Angus cattle, Watson? , liked black and selected for them and mainly blacks were imported to America. The red gene is still carried by some black Angus.

 

[myersfarm]

sugar creek your 100% right...the name was hugh watson..who liked the black color and decided it was the right color for angus...wonder how many reds he had in his herd when he decided ......lol...john

 

[MoGal]

Thank you all for your help.

There's a reg red poll breeder about 80 miles from me and I've decided to purchase one of their bulls and can use it on my charx cows, should do well.

Have a great day all!!!

 

[DOC HARRIS]

i was very lucky about red poll i worked on a red poll dairy farm with my uncle couple summers and they are very nice i rasie angus cows now and wish i had a few red poll bulls just to throw in there to make more milk...red polls very gentle easy calfing and when crossed give alot milk and make alot muscle on the dairy breeds john

I am just curious. Are you raising Beef cattle for a beef enterprise or Dairy cattle for a milk enterprise? If you have Angus cows and want something to "throw in there to make more milk..." --I would suggest you send an inquiry to the American Angus Assn. in St. Joseph, Mo. and they can send you a list of current Angus Bulls whose available semen can be used AI. You can probably improve your calf crop a great deal by making use of Angus bull(s) with high Maternal (milk) EPD's and elevate your Angus herd quality at the same time! A "Win-Win" opportunity! - - - -Unless, or course, you are desiring 'white switches'. :roll:

 

[mtnman]

No heterosis in that mating DOC, I wouldn't recommend it.

You seem pretty on-board with many of your answers here. This one seems off to me. You wouldn't be a closett Angus Breeder, would you?

mtnman

 

[DOC HARRIS]

Ha Ha

No heterosis in that mating DOC, I wouldn't recommend it.

You seem pretty on-board with many of your answers here. This one seems off to me. You wouldn't be a closett Angus Breeder, would you?

mtnman

:lol: Ha Ha Ha - - -no, mtnman, I am not an Angus Breeder - closet or otherwise. I am a former Ag Teacher and Dr. of Chiropractic ( since 1955 - Retired now). I have been a Beef cattle enthusiast all my life - raised on a beef farm in Mo. and got my degree from University of Missouri, then taught Agriculture for five years in Mo. and Colorado. I have done all the "good" stuff that one does with cattle (Even proud of the fact that I was asked to be the Herdsman for J. C. Penny Homeplace Angus Farm in Mo., but decided to teach instead. Needed the $$$.) Been kicked, stepped on, squeezed, butted, charged, rolled on, rope burns, jerked around, smacked in the mouth with a switch full of manure - -you know - -all the Good stuff! Even Auctioneered a little! And I LOVE it still. When you can understand the scientific basis for why you do what you do--then it makes sense.

I suggested Angus Bull(s) for myersfarm because he said " I raise Angus cows now" When he mentioned Red Poll - that's why I asked him if he was in the BUSINESS of Beef or Dairy. My philosophy is he should "anchor" some dominance in his Angus Cows for keeping replacement heifers (increasing his milk EPD's) with Angus bull(s) before playing "one-trait" breeding games with dairy bulls. He can increase his entire BEEF quality in one generation using AI, including Maternal, (with ANY Beef breed )- - -and THEN go into high quality Heterosis EPD's with another Beef breed - Hereford, Gelpvieh, Simmental, Red Angus, Limousin, without wasting ten years or so aimlessly trying this or that. Life is too darned short to waste time playing guessing games.

I can see how you thought that I was a little skewed in my suggestion to myersfarm. I should have been a little more straight forward, I guess. That is the old "Ag Teacher" coming out! :roll:

 

[myersfarm]

doc harris i for got to mention i also have reg angus bulls dont know how there rated now but i had a new design 036 son and a scotch cap son.. since i have old reg papers the 036 son had a milk of plus 18 the scotch cap son was a plus 15 thats what most my cows and heifers are out of those two bulls..i now have 2 summit highcrest bulls but would still like a little more milk....i would breed him to a few of my unrelated cows and get a bull then use him on my herd....would have to worry about calfing easy but would sure help the milk more then any reg angus bull would what do you think

 

[DOC HARRIS]

doc harris i for got to mention i also have reg angus bulls dont know how there rated now but i had a new design 036 son and a scotch cap son.. since i have old reg papers the 036 son had a milk of plus 18 the scotch cap son was a plus 15 thats what most my cows and heifers are out of those two bulls..i now have 2 summit highcrest bulls but would still like a little more milk....i would breed him to a few of my unrelated cows and get a bull then use him on my herd....would have to worry about calfing easy but would sure help the milk more then any reg angus bull would what do you think

Let me get back to you tomorrow (Wednesday) by E-mail. I have a few ideas but it would probably be a pretty long post, and I don't wish to aggravate the other breeds. - - - -several options!! :idea: :idea:

 

[msscamp]

red poll used to be a two way breed, but i agree there doesn't seem to be much difference

Would you please explain about the 'two way breed' statement? Are you referring to the beef or milk statement another poster referenced, or is it something else entirely? Thanks!

 

[MoGal]

2 way in the sense they are beef and dairy.

 

[jerry27150]

mogal is right they can be used for either milk or beef

 

[Sugar Creek]

While Red Polls were originally dual purpose (milk and beef) cattle for some time in the United States they have been bred for their beef characteristics. They have not been promoted as aggressively as some other breeds but do have a lot of useful qualities ( Docile, milk, uniformity, easy calving ) that work very well in crossbreeding programs [Red Angus and Gelbviah are what I am using] I just like them

 

[DOC HARRIS]

doc harris i for got to mention i also have reg angus bulls dont know how there rated now but i had a new design 036 son and a scotch cap son.. since i have old reg papers the 036 son had a milk of plus 18 the scotch cap son was a plus 15 thats what most my cows and heifers are out of those two bulls..i now have 2 summit highcrest bulls but would still like a little more milk....i would breed him to a few of my unrelated cows and get a bull then use him on my herd....would have to worry about calfing easy but would sure help the milk more then any reg angus bull would what do you think

myersfarm - did you receive my e-mail which I sent to you on June 1?? I haven't heard from you and I just wondered if you received it. DOC HARRIS