The Belted Galloway is a heritage beef breed of cattle originating from Galloway in the west side of southern Scotland, adapted to living on the poor upland pastures and windswept moorlands of the region. The exact origin of the breed is unclear although it is often surmised that the white belt that distinguishes these cattle from the native black Galloway cattle may be as a result of cross breeding with Dutch Lakenvelder belted cattle. It is the belt that gives them their name. Belted Galloways are primarily raised for their quality marbled beef, although they are sometimes milked and purchased to adorn pastures due to their striking appearance.
In the United States, Belted Galloways are often nicknamed Oreo cows because their color pattern is reminiscent of an Oreo cookie, the sandwich cookie consisting of two chocolate disks with a cream filling in between. The black and red coat colors are caused by the same alleles of the MC1R gene, ED for black and e/e for red, as in most other breeds of cattle.
Belted Galloways, also informally known as Belties, are currently listed with the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy as a "recovering" breed, which means there are more than 2,500 annual registrations.
In the United States, Belted Galloways are often nicknamed Oreo cows because their color pattern is reminiscent of an Oreo cookie, the sandwich cookie consisting of two chocolate disks with a cream filling in between. The black and red coat colors are caused by the same alleles of the MC1R gene, ED for black and e/e for red, as in most other breeds of cattle.
Belted Galloways, also informally known as Belties, are currently listed with the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy as a "recovering" breed, which means there are more than 2,500 annual registrations.