Galloways Australia, formed in 1999, is a breed association protecting and promoting 3 totally separate cattle breeds. The original and ancient Galloway, the Belted Galloway, a Galloway Lakenvelder composite, a breed since circa 1690 and the White Galloway, a Galloway White Park Shorthorn composite, first bred around 110 yrs. ago.
The evolution of the Galloway in the harsh, south-west Scottish environment produced some very commercially attractive traits, these traits, to varying degrees, are shared by the Belties and Whites. The Galloway, in its cold wet environment, evolved a unique double haired coat, a long coarse outer layer and a mohair-like inner layer. The coat’s insulating properties allowed the Galloway to modify its fat distribution as it doesn’t require high levels of insulating external fat, instead it evolved storing fat within its muscles, marbling fat. Galloway marbling fat is fine grained without large blobs as in Wagyu, giving a tasty, juicy, flavoursome eating experience without “oiliness”. The meat is fine grained, firm, finely marbled, juicy and tender. It is also high in Omega 3, low in saturated fat, high in minerals, low in cholesterol. Galloways naturally marble on grass without the need for grain feeding/finishing.
Other commercially attractive traits include feed efficiency – the Galloway had to eat whatever was available in a sparse environment, they will eat coarse herbage, sticks and weeds and fatten where other breeds would struggle. Being compact, mid-sized cattle further enhances feed efficiency. The feed efficiency is complemented by a non-selective grazing habit, a mix of grazing and browsing again, a result of their evolution. Because Galloways were always a hill breed, in difficult terrain, they evolved a high level of calving and weaning efficiency as any cow having calving difficulties was effectively culled by nature, removing any genetic predisposition from the breed.
So if you are looking for cattle breeds that are compact, feed efficient, have a non-selective grazing ability, possessing high levels of calving and weaning efficiency and produce fine grained, well marbled, high quality meat having high levels of Omega 3 and low levels of saturated fat then take a long hard look at the Galloway breeds. If you have a breed requiring increased levels of these traits then take a long, hard look at the Galloway breeds.
But wait! How does Galloways Australia know of these commercially attractive traits? Because of Australian chemical and MSA testing, testing in Canada and Denmark and USDA testing published in The Journal of Animal Science. It’s not breed association talk; it is science. The Galloway breeds are truly great cattle. They look great and have great temperament as well.
So – Get some Galloway Greatness.
Contact Galloways Australia, gallowaysaustralia@gmail.com or visit the Galloways Australia website www.gallowaysaustralia.com.au – be surprised by what you find.
