Belted Galloways are a beef breed that originated from Scotland. There is written record of Belted Galloways from as far back as 1530, giving reason to assume they may be one of the oldest known beef breeds to man. The Belted Galloways are naturally polled and have a very friendly temperament. The average weight of Belties for a mature bull is from 1800 to 2100 pounds; a mature cow would be from 1100 to 1400 pounds; new born bulls are 70 to 80 pounds; and new born heifers are 60 to 70 pounds.

In Scotland they lived in the wooded, and mountainous southwestern region near the seacoast. Since the Belted Galloways were being forced to "make a living" in such rough terrain and having virtually no protection from the weather they developed very heavy double coats of long wavy hair which protected them from the cold biting wind from the sea. The coats are made of an undercoat that is short and soft, and a long shaggy overcoat. Because of this doublecoat, the Belted Galloway does not form the layer of fat beneath the skin as do other beef breeds. This makes an astonishing difference in the amount of fat in the meat. It is normal for there to be only 1/4" of trim fat where as most breeds have 1" or 2" or even more waste! The meat is marbled finely and is low in fat. Belted Galloway steers are evaluated by Butchers at Choice or Choice+.

This hardy breed has great grazing abilities. They can pasture in rocky and wooded areas and they improve the ground that they are grazed on. Belted Galloways come in 3 different colors - black with a white belt, red with a white belt, or dun (chocolate) with a white belt. The Black with a white belt is the most commonly seen color . . . and from where the nickname of "Oreo Cookie Cows" comes from.