That's what I called to ask my dad yesterday. Now, I know that my dad has been a farmer for 86 years and was an agriculture teacher for 20 years; so what made me think I'd just get a short answer...
ME: Hey, Dad. What's the breed of cow that has a black body and ears but a white face? I thought I remember you calling them a black baldy, but I Googled it. There doesn't seem to be a breed named that.
DAD: Yeah, that's a black baldy. It's not an actual pure breed, but that's what farmers call it. The black baldy is a cross breed between an Angus and a Hereford. They do that to get the best of both breeds. It's best in the first generation cross. See, if you can get 900 pounds of beef from the Angus and 900 pounds of beef from the Hereford, you might get a calf that would go up to 1,000 pounds. The male gene has the dominate black hair, and the female gene has the dominate white face. So, the bull would have been an Angus, and the mama cow would have been a red Hereford... good hybrid... gentle like the Hereford, strong like the Angus... other breeds are done the same way... and on and on...
Anyway, you get the point... once a farmer/teacher, always a farmer/teacher...
So... how about my curious little black baldy! Isn't she a pretty little heifer!
This little painting was fortunate to be part of an Etsy treasury (collection of related art pieces and vintage items) called Bold. Click to have a look.
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