Color is generally Black with some white allowed in back of the navel.

The Red recessive gene occasionally appears in a black herd and without exception breeds true.

The red animal has no black genes and a red bull on a red cow will produce a red calf. The majority of Welsh Blacks are horned although naturally polled cattle are available in increasing numbers in both red and black.
The hardy Welsh Black has a thick hair coat that can remain long or sleek depending on the climate, tough, hard, black hooves less prone to injury, no pinkeye or sunburned udders, and a rumen capable of breaking down very coarse fibre.
They thrive on diets and in conditions that would not maintain less well-adapted breeds.

The Welsh Black Female

The Welsh Black cow truly exemplifies the breed's economic characteristics. Her performance earns the slogan "The Brood Cow Breed"

Welsh Blacks have been selected for milk production throughout history. Cows give an even flow of milk with 4% butterfat over long lactations enabling them to maximize the benefits of the crossbred calf.

Genetic fertility is envied and can be maintained at the standard 283 days under tough range conditions. Many heifers cycle under one year of age.

The quiet, easily handled cow is considered in her prime at 10 years. Some Canadian cows have produced 14 calves by 16 years of age and are still producing.

A mature cow weighs 1100 - 1400 pounds and has a large pelvic arch, resulting in very minimal calving difficulties even with the large beef-type terminal sires used in crossbreeding.

The Welsh Black cow has the ability to deliver a large calf easily, supply plenty of milk over a long lactation and breed back regularly with a minimum of management inputs. Lower costs for housing, supplemental feed, and labor enhance the Welsh Blacks economic advantage.

The Welsh Black Bull

Mature Welsh Bulls weigh from 1900 to 2500 pounds. Birth weights generally range from 70 to 90 pounds with 1 or 2 assists per 100 calvings.

Welsh Blacks are among the fastest growing of all British Breeds, both in rate of gain and weights for age, and their excellent feed conversion achieves this gaiin, more economically than most.

With a thick hide and dense hair coat, these cattle will feed and finish without the need to lay down a thick outer fat layer. They will slaughter at about a year of age in the 1100 - 1300 lb. range, with a lean carcass with excellent marbling and above average cutability.

For cross breeding the Welsh Black Bull offers a quick growing crossbred calf that will produce a quality carcass at today's preferred weight.

The most important contribution of the Welsh Bull is through his replacement heifers with immediate profitable improvement in any herd's reproductive performance. The black baldy and black percentage crosses have achieved an enviable record as the "near perfect" commercial brood cow. For the cow-calf man Welsh Black can show the way.

4-H

Welsh Black crossbreds have been shown at 4-H shows since 1974 with many notable successes. Both the Canadian Welsh Black Society and the Alberta Welsh Black Association have initiated achievement awards for 4-H members who show Welsh cross animals in appreciation of their promotion of the breed.

Import - Export

Embryos and semen have been imported from New Zealand and Wales to increase the gene pool in recent years. Live animals and genetics have been exported to Austrailia, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, and the U.S.A.

Bull Test Station

Welsh Black bulls have been tested under government supervision since 1982. The Alberta Welsh Black Association operates an annual bull test.

Bull testing enables breeders to measure and therefore identify the genetic gain potential of individual animals or different bloodlinies under uniform environmental and management conditions compared to their contemporaries.

The young bulls are fed a growing ration and finish the test ready to go to work. Testicular development is monitored and hip height and backfat measurements are taken.