Belted Galloway facts 🐄 traditional Scottish breed of beef cattle 🐄

Описание: The Belted Galloway is a traditional Scottish breed of beef cattle. It derives from the Galloway cattle of the Galloway region of south-western Scotland, and was established as a separate breed in 1921. It is adapted to living on the poor upland pastures and windswept moorlands of the region. The exact origin of the breed is unclear, although the white belt for which they are named, and which distinguishes the breed from black Galloway cattle, is often surmised to be the result of cross-breeding with the similarly-coloured Dutch Lakenvelder breed.
Belted Galloways are primarily raised for their quality marbled beef, although they are sometimes milked or kept for ornament.
Galloway cattle are naturally polled. The most visible characteristics are its long hair coat and the broad white belt that completely encircles its body. Its coarse outer coat helps shed the rain, and its soft undercoat provides insulation and waterproofing, enabling the breed to spend winter outside. Black Belteds are the most prominent, but Dun and Red Belteds are also recognised by breed societies, the latter being comparatively rare and sought after. The dun colour is caused by a mutation in the PMEL gene, the same mutation that causes dun and silver dun in Highland cattle. Belted Galloways are generally of a quiet temperament, but still maintain a maternal instinct and protect calves against perceived threats.
They are well-suited for rough grazing land and will use coarse grasses other breeds would shun. They have on occasions attacked people.
The Belted Galloway is reared mainly for beef; it may also be used for vegetation management. An old strain is listed as the "Original Belted Galloway Cattle" in the Ark of Taste of the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity.