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Friday, July 30, 2021, 12:15 pm
Hungary’s lesser known Murrey Gray may be a substitute for the world’s most famous bovine breed, the Aberdeen Angus – this has been revealed by recent research that also involved researchers from the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences (MATE). Based on the results, there was only a noticeable difference in color between the two cultivars. Murray Gray has a higher heat tolerance due to its silvery appearance, so this breed could be a response to climate change in modern cattle farming – we learned from the MATE statement.
In a joint experiment between the British Cattle Breeders Association and the Murray Gray Breeders’ Association, Aberdeen Angus and Murray Gray cattle were compared in terms of keeping and feeding, first on a fattening farm at Hubertus Agráripari Bt. The researchers were primarily looking for an answer to what kind of meat quality and taste the two strains produced under the same dwelling feeding conditions.
Prof. Dr. Peter Horn The academic, honorary university heir to the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Hungarian University Foundation for Agricultural and Life Sciences, adopted the Murrey Gray group in Hungary based on his previous experience. The academic emphasized that beef cattle breeding is struggling with the problem of climate change around the world, to which the Hungarian profession responded with this research.
We thought Morey Gray – who hails from the hottest parts of Australia – could be a sort of alternative to Aberdeen Angus.
Prof. Dr. Peter Horn added.
The research, some of which was conducted in the laboratories of the MATE Kaposvár campus, confirmed the experts’ expectations, as it was found that there was a marked difference in color between the two varieties. Prof. Dr. Joseph StiflerProfessor Emeritus on the MATE Kaposvár Campus, President of the British Beef Breeders Association, explained that Aberdeen Angus is less tolerant of heat due to its red and black colour, so it warms up to 5-10 degrees better than Murrey Gray, which has a silvery gray look. As a result, at higher temperatures, the Murrey Gray breed will have a 10% better weight gain for calves, which means at least 20 pounds in 200 days.
To round off the venture, Aberdeen Angus and Morey Gray also jousted over dishes, making for an excellent steakhouse of meat. The difference was hard to find, even by expert taste.
I’ve tasted both and don’t notice a difference between the two meats. This is exactly the good result. The best steaks are made from Angus, but as this blind tasting proves, Murrey Gray meat has the same nutritional value
– pointed out the breeder András Michalecz, who raises both types of cows.
Although Murrey Gray is an excellent alternative to Aberdeen Angus, experts say it will certainly not replace Angus, the world’s leading beef breed, in the short term. However, with normal crossing, in addition to red and black, gray Angus may appear over time.
Cover Photo: Getty Images
