As we near the end of the blogs on some of the world’s best beef breeds, I thought I would look into the breed that has its own special characteristic, which sets it apart from the others.
Belgian Blue, famous for its impressive muscling, originated from the central and upper regions of Belgium in the 19th century, from crossing native cattle with Shorthorn bulls imported from the UK and were first used as both a dairy and beef breed. It is also known as Belgian Blue-White, Belgian White, Blue Pied, Belgian White Blue, Blue and Blue Belgian and even though it takes its name from its blue-grey mottled hair colour, it can actually vary from white to black.
Between 1950 and 1960, there was a preference for animals with heavier muscling and in the 1960’s a breakthrough came with the development of the double muscling characteristic, setting this breed apart from all the rest and resulting in the modern breed of Belgian Blue as it is known today.
Simply put, Belgian Blue possess a gene which suppresses the production of myostatin, a protein that prevents muscle growth, and with their large frame and rounded body outline and prominent muscles, it is this visible characteristic that makes them look quite different.
Although a Belgian Blue calf is born heavier than other breeds with twice the number of muscle fibres, they are not born with that extreme muscle; it starts developing at four to six weeks of age. Their bone structure is the same as other cattle and with their ability to convert feed into lean muscle, they have a reduced fat content resulting in a greater meat to bone ratio. And because of their increased muscle yield, the Belgian Blue requires a higher protein diet and during finishing they need high-energy feed.
With a short gestation period, they give more days in milk. There are no calving issues, and the calves are easy to teach to drink and as they grow, they become great feeders.
Over the last 60 years, the Belgian Blue have gained popularity and can be found in many parts of the world. They are suitable for crossbreeding and are used over Jersey and Friesian herds in New Zealand.
Another breed, known also for their excellent temperament and outstanding growth rates!
