Belted Galloway Cows - Our Beef Cattle

People that visit our farm are always fascinated by our strange-looking cattle. These peculiar looking cows are called Belted Galloways. Most farmers just call these cows Belties for short. This rare breed of cattle originally comes from the highlands of Scotland. They are sometimes called an “Oreo” cow because of their unusual color pattern. Our Belted Galloways are black cows with a white belt that totally wraps around the mid section of their body. A black colored front and back with a white stripe in the middle makes the cow look like an Oreo cookie.

The Belted Galloways are beef cattle. They are not milking cows. We like this breed of cattle for many reasons. First, they don’t have horns. They are naturally polled, so you don’t have to worry about them goring each other. These cows also have a really nice personality. They are friendly cows that are very calm and do not get spooked easily. The cows are very protective of their calves(forming a strong bond), making them great parents. The calves are small at birth, weighing around 50 pounds. Because the calves are so small, you rarely have difficulties when they give birth. That can save you lots of money on veterinarian bills.

Another great feature of our Belted Galloway cows is that they are equipped to handle very poor weather conditions. The Belted Galloways have a double layer of hair that protects them from the cold, wind, rain and snow. They are perfectly suited for the type of weather that’s common in the Scotland highlands. They are very sure-footed and can climb hills with no problems. They also do very well living on poor quality land. They will graze on vegetation that most other breeds of cattle would avoid.

We’ve never butchered our Belted Galloway cows for food(they are our pets), but have heard from experts that say the meat is better tasting than most other types of cattle. Their beef is very lean and flavorful. Since they have such thick hair, these cows don’t need the extra layer of fat that most other cows must have to survive in colder weather. That’s why their meat is so exceptional tasting. Belted Galloway steaks are some of the best tasting meat you can buy.

If you ever get a chance to visit our discus hatchery in person, you might want to take a few minutes to view some of our rare Belted Galloway cows.