The Galloway is one of the most ancient recognized breeds of cattle, having been bred to graze on the poor-quality grass on the hills of the Scottish Moorlands.  Nobody is certain how Belted Galloways developed their distinctive "belt".  Conventional wisdom has it that Scottish Galloways were probably cross-bred with the handsome Dutch Belted dairy cattle, inheriting the grazing efficiency and hairy coat of the Galloway and the distictive white stripe of the Dutch-Belted.  If true there must be a fasinating tale of cattle-theft that has since been lost to posterity, because the Dutch Belted was the cow of the Dutch royal family and they did not share them with anybody!  Belted Galloways have always been popular in Britain, with even the great Winston Churchill having owned a herd.  Belties were first imported from to the US Scotland in 1941.  The Scots were quick to announce that "they can take our cows, but they'll never take our freedom!"

 

Galloways are medium to small for a beef breed, and somebody who is used to big dairy Holstein cattle would think that they are downright tiny!  That small stature translates into great calving ease, and even a first-calf heifer rarely has to have help giving birth while Holsteins and other breeds regularly have to have calves pulled during birth.

 

Galloway cattle were never popular with feedlot operations due to their slow growth rate compared to Hereford and Angus cattle, but that same slow growth rate would enable farmers who primarily grazed their cattle to both stock more of them and to graze high hill land that other cattle disliked.  The Beltie is renowned for it's ability to produce on grass only.  

 

Their temperment is very docile and unexcited, though the cows possess strong maternal instincts and can be very protective of their calves, particularly at infancy.  

 

The first thing people notice about belties is their striking appearance, and the sight of a herd of these striped beauties grazing together often stops traffic on our road.  As winter approaches a beltie will grow a thick, shaggy coat that takes the place of a thick fat layer other breeds develop for insulation.  The lack of this fat layer makes for very healthy beef.  It also makes a beltie hide a popular and distinctive rug.

 

While belties are commonly refered to as "oreo cows" due to their usual black hair with a white stripe in the middle they do also occur in a grayish-brown (referred to as "dun") and red color, though these are more rare.  Ironically a black Belted Galloway steer could be sold as "certified Angus" beef even though they have been seperate breeds for almost a thousand years.  That's because beef can be labelled "certified Angus beef" if the beef animal is at least 51% black, a standard a black beltie would meet despite not having a drop of Angus blood in its pedigree.  While Certified Angus also has other standards that do ensure high-quality beef, it has little to do with the breed of their animals.

 

Our Belties, on the other hand, are completly grass-fed and yet have excellently marbled beef which provides rich, forage-grazed flavor while maintaining tenderness and also being much healthier.