Netherlands #1 Cattle Breeds

1-The Dutch Black Pied (HF) (aka Holstein-Friesian; Zwartbont (HF) in Dutch) did not always look the way it does today. Originally, cattle of Friesland and Holland were mostly red (with or without white markings). It is believed that they are now black pied in coloration because of the influence and selection of black pied Juttish cattle from Denmark. Each spring in the early 17th century, Friesland dairy cattle were stabled in Holland for milking. Then, herds of skinny cattle driven from Jutland (of Denmark) and Schleswig-Holstein (of Germany) arrived to meet the additional demand for beef. Great numbers of Friesian cattle died during the cattle plagues of the 18th century. So the skinny black pied runts from Denmark and Germany were used selectively to help restore the national Dutch herd. HF = Holstein-Friesian 2-The Dutch-Friesian (aka Black Pied Dutch-Friesian; Zwartbont Fries-Hollands in Dutch) has been used for establishing almost all the Black Pied cattle populations in the world today — including the Holstein. Dutch-Friesians are dual-purpose dairy/beef animals and, by 1920, Black Pied Dutch-Friesians accounted for about 50% of the national cattle population in the Netherlands. During the 1970’s, the German Holstein-Friesian, and the American and Canadian Holstein became intertwined (up to 75% genetically) with the Dutch-Friesian breed. (Large numbers of pregnant German Holstein-Friesian heifers were imported; sires and semen of the American and Canadian Holstein were also imported and used.) The goal was to quickly transform this dual-purpose national Dutch Black Pied breed into a single-purpose dairy breed — which then became the Dutch Black Pied (HF). However, the Dutch-Friesian was not completely abandoned. A herdbook of pure Dutch-Friesians — free from all this Holstein influence — was established in 1983 by devoted breeders. This Friesland-Holland herdbook is known as the Fries-Hollands Rundvee Stamboek (FHRS). NOTE: Friesland, North Holland and South Holland are three of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. HF = Holstein-Friesian 3-The Witrik (aka Aalstreep, Ruggelde, Witrug; Dutch Whitebacked in English) is a color-sided variety of Dutch cattle. Witrik color-sided patterns range from predominately colored and white-backed – to – white with color-sided spotting. Witrik colors also vary; they can be: black red blue fawn (occasionally) The Ruggelde (aka Aalstreep, Witrik, Witrug; Dutch Whitebacked in English) is a historical name for the Witrik, a color-sided variety of Dutch cattle. The Ruggelde has a classic color pattern that is highly hereditary. When crossed with other individual breeds – the pattern is transmitted. 4-The Groningen Whiteheaded (aka Zwartblaar, Zwartwitkop, Rodblaar, Rodwitkop; Groninger Blaarkop and Gronings Blaarkop and Blaarkop and Rodblaar and Rodwitkop in Dutch; Groninger in German; Groningue in French) is an authentic breed that has been recorded since the 16th century and may have been an influence on the development of the British Hereford. Zwartwitkop = black with white head Rodwitkop = red with white head. The Blaarkop, or Bloarkop in the local dialect, whose name translates as “Blister Head,” is a unique, and originally Dutch, breed of cattle bred for the special qualities of its milk fat. It is a very robust breed that is well-suited to conditions in the Netherlands. They are ideal as a dual purpose breed since they can produce both good quality milk and meat under relatively meager conditions. The fatty acid structure is extraordinary, giving the meat and dairy products a complex and distinct flavor. The meat has a slight sour flavor. Leiden farm cheese, butter and buttermilk are traditionally produced from the milk of Blister Head cattle. The Groningen Blister Head is one of the oldest Dutch breeds, dating back to the 14th century. Since the Middle Ages livestock have been depicted in paintings, including the red and black Blister Heads cattle. The Blister Head is a small to medium-sized breed with a distinctive square head. The horns are generally small and curved. The coat is solid black or red with a white face, white belly and neck, and a white tip at the end of the tail. Around the eyes are black or red “blisters” for which the animal is named. Its physical features make the Blister Head a joy to see in the Dutch landscape. In the province of Groningen at the beginning of the 20th century, at least 50% of the total cattle were Blister Heads. Although breeders were originally mainly in Groningen, the animals were also often kept in the cap of North Holland, in South Holland in the area around Leiden and the Rhine region of Utrecht in order to provide the growing cities with butter, cheese and meat. For this reason, the taste of the Blister Head breed is associated with the quality of butter, cheese and meat that comes from the rich, clover-filled grasslands on thick (peat) clay soil. The distinctive fatty acid structure is probably the result of a combination of breed and grazing conditions. More recently the breed has spread to the river regions in the provinces of Overijssel and Gelderland. The percentage of Blister Head among the total cattle population of the Netherlands has always been minimal, from about 5% in 1950 to just 1% in 1980. The Netherlands Center for Genetic Sources considers animals with at least an 87.5% blood purity to be purebred. By this definition, the Blister Head breeding stock in the mid-1970s consisted of approximately 20,000 purebred animals, with very few crossbred animals. By 2004, the number of purebred stock was just 1321, a number that remained stable into the 2010s. The size of the purebred population for breeding stock continues to be a point of concern for saving the breed from disappearing. There were approximately 3000 (nearly) purebred female breeding animals in 2010, many kept on small-scale organic dairy farms. The continued existence of the Blister Head is tied to the small-scale farmers who maintain this robust native breed, who are threatened by the expected increase in milk production in the EU after the abolishment of milk quotas in 2015, making it more difficult to compete against industrial milk producers who use commercially-adapted dairy breeds. Without attention, the Blister Head cattle that is historically linked to the Dutch landscape may be lost. 5-Holstein Friesians (often shortened to Holsteins in North America, while the term Friesians is often used in the UK) are a breed of dairy cattle originating from the Dutch provinces of North Holland and Friesland, and Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany and Jutland. They are known as the world's highest-production dairy animals. Holstein Friesian Cattle Holstein cow Holstein cow Other names Holstein Cattle Country of origin Netherlands, Germany, Denmark Distribution Worldwide Use Dairy and meat (ground beef and roast beef) Traits Coat Black and white patched coat (occasionally red and white). Notes Originally a dual-purpose breed, used for both dairy and beef. Cattle Bos primigenius The Dutch and German breeders bred and oversaw the development of the breed with the goal of obtaining animals that could best use grass, the area's most abundant resource. Over the centuries, the result was a high-producing, black-and-white dairy cow. With the growth of the New World, markets began to develop for milk in North America and South America, and dairy breeders turned to the Netherlands for their livestock. After about 8,800 Friesians (black pied Germans) had been imported, disease problems in Europe led to the cessation of exports to markets abroad. In Europe, the breed is used for milk in the north, and meat in the south. Since 1945, European national development has led to cattle breeding and dairy products becoming increasingly regionalized. More than 80% of dairy production is north of a line joining Bordeaux and Venice, which also has more than 60% of the total cattle. This change led to the need for specialized animals for dairy (and beef) production. Until this time, milk and beef had been produced from dual-purpose animals. The breeds, national derivatives of the Dutch Friesian, had become very different animals from those developed by breeders in the United States, who used Holsteins only for dairy production. Breeders imported specialized dairy Holsteins from the United States to cross with the European black and whites. For this reason, in modern usage, "Holstein" is used to describe North or South American stock and its use in Europe, particularly in the North. "Friesian" denotes animals of a traditional European ancestry, bred for both dairy and beef use. Crosses between the two are described by the term "Holstein-Friesian". Breed characteristics Holsteins have distinctive markings, usually black and white or red and white in colour. On rare occasions some have both black and red colouring with white. Red factor causes this unique colouring. 'Blue' is also a known colour. This colour is produced by white hairs mixed with the black hairs giving the cow a blueish tint. This colouring is also known as 'blue roan' in some farm circles. They are famed for their large dairy production, averaging 22530 pounds of milk per year. Of this milk 858 pounds (3.7%) is butterfat and 719 pounds (3.1%) is protein. A healthy calf weighs 40 to 50 kg (75-110 pounds) or more at birth. A mature Holstein cow typically weighs 680-770 kg (1500-1700 pounds), and stands 145-165 cm (58-65 inches) tall at the shoulder. Holstein heifers should be bred by 11 to 14 months of age, when they weigh 317-340 kg (700-750 pounds) or 55% of adult weight. Generally, breeders plan for Holstein heifers to calve for the first time between 21 and 24 months of age and 80% of adult bodyweight. The gestation period is about nine and a half months. History Near 100 BC, a displaced group of people from Hesse migrated with their cattle to the shores of the North Sea near the Frisii tribe, occupying the island of Batavia, between the Rhine, Maas, and Waal. Historical records suggest these cattle were black, and the Friesian cattle at this time were "pure white and light coloured". Crossbreeding may have led to the foundation of the present Holstein-Friesian breed, as the cattle of these two tribes from then are described identically in historical records. The portion of the country bordering on the North Sea, called Frisia, was situated within the provinces of North Holland, Friesland and Groningen, and in Germany to the River Ems. The people were known for their care and breeding of cattle. The Frisii, preferring pastoral pursuits to warfare, paid a tax of ox hides and ox horns to the Roman government, whereas the Batavii furnished soldiers and officers to the Roman army; these fought successfully in the various Roman wars. The Frisii bred the same strain of cattle unadulterated for 2000 years, except from accidental circumstances. In 1282, floods produced the Zuiderzee, separating the cattle breeders of the modern day Frisians into two groups. The western group occupied West Friesland, now part of North Holland; the eastern occupied the present provinces of Friesland and Groningen, also in the Netherlands. The rich polder land in the Netherlands is unsurpassed for the production of grass, cattle, and dairy products. Between the 13th and 16th centuries, the production of butter and cheese was enormous. Historic records describe heavy beef cattle, weighing from 2600 to 3000 pounds each. The breeders had the goal of producing as much milk and beef as possible from the same animal. The selection, breeding and feeding have been carried out with huge success. Inbreeding was not tolerated, and (distinct) families never arose, although differences in soil in different localities produced different sizes and variations. 6-The Improved Red Pied Beef Breed (aka Dutch Improved Red Pied; Verbeterd Roodbont Vleesras - VRV in Dutch) had its herdbook established in 1988. This breed, descended from the Meuse-Rijn-Yssel, was created when milk quotas forced breeders to improve the beef qualities of the Red Pieds in order to use them for maintaining the size of their herds — which had become smaller due to these quotas. The Verbeterd Roodbont Vleesras (VRV) – (aka Improved Red Pied Beef Breed and Dutch Improved Red Pied in English) began with Meuse-Rhine-Yssel (MRY) bulls that were selected for doubled-muscling and then used for AI breeding in the MRY population. This was done because the MRY has been influenced by the use of Red Holstein blood since the 1970's. This use has caused them to lose their beef qualities. While the bulls in this recently derived breed are double-muscled – the cows can be either double-muscled or heavy muscled. (Some blood of foreign beef breeds has also been introduced.) AI = artificial insemination 7,8-The Dutch Belted (Lakenvelder) breed of dairy cattle is, according to records, the only belted breed of cattle tracing back directly to the original belted or "canvassed" cattle which were described in Switzerland and Austria. These "Gurtenvieh" were evidently moved by Dutch nobility from the mountain farms of canton Appenzell and County of Tyrol Mountains during or soon after the feudal period. The Dutch were very protective of their belted cattle and would generally not part with them. The cattle were highly prized for their milking and fattening abilities. The breed began to flourish in the Netherlands around 1750. Now, the cow is too rare to become a popular type of beef. Dutch Belted Dutch Belted Cow.jpg Dutch Belted cow Conservation status critical Nicknames Lakenvelder Country of origin Netherlands Use Dairy Traits Weight Male: 910 kg (2,000 lb) Female: 410–680 kg (900–1,500 lb) Cattle Bos primigenius Current races are more productive, but there are small scale initiatives to preserve the race. Some Dutch belted cows produce over 9000 liters of milk per lactation. There is also a rare breed of domestic poultry called Lakenvelder that has this same belted colouring with a solid black neck hackle and black tail but with a pure white body. Breed Characteristics The Dutch Belted cow is primarily a dairy breed. Average size ranges from 410 to 680 kg (900 to 1,500 lb), with bulls weighing as much as 910 kg (2,000 lb). Cattle have a base color of either black (most common) or a dusky red, and the breed’s most distinguishing characteristic is the wide "belt" of white around its middle, placed between the shoulders and the hips. The breed is not naturally polled. As a dairy breed, Dutch Belts produce with greater efficiency on grass and forage than the average breed, and intensive management practices are not required. Cows can produce 9,100 kg (20,000 lb) of milk per year. Fat globules in the milk are naturally very small, rendering the milk partially homogenized and easily digested. Butterfat content ranges from 3.5-5.5%. The breed’s fertility / reproductive efficiency is claimed to exceed that of the Holstein. Calving difficulties are not common. Because of the stockier frame of the breed, crossbreeding will produce a higher beef yield than through the average dairy cow, rendering the Dutch Belted a viable all-purpose breed. History The original belted cattle originated in Austria and Switzerland. By the 17th century, these ancestors of the Dutch Belted breed were moved to the Netherlands by Dutch nobility. The “belted” color pattern was highly desirable in the Netherlands, and the nobility who owned these cows are also claimed to have bred the belted color pattern into other livestock, including Hampshire pigs, Dutch rabbits, and Lakenvelder chickens. Dutch Belted cows were imported into the USA in the 1830s, where they were exhibited as a rare breed by P.T. Barnum in his travelling circus. The 1886, the Dutch Belted Cattle Association of America herdbook was established, and still continues today as the oldest continual registry for the breed worldwide. The breed became well established in the USA and continued in popularity until about 1940, but during the 1900s, numbers of Dutch Belted cattle declined worldwide to the point of near-extinction. In the USA, the breed’s decline in popularity was exacerbated by a government herd reduction / buy-out program, which encouraged selling dairy cattle for beef to bolster milk prices. Preservation Efforts The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy lists the Dutch Belted as "critical" on the Conservation Priority list. The population in the USA is estimated at less than 300, with fewer than 1,000 worldwide.Cross-breeding in the Netherlands has resulted in dilution of original stock, and the US population of Dutch Belted cattle is now considered purer and more true to the original genotype than are the cows in the Netherlands today. Currently, a "Breeding Up" program designed to increase numbers and genetic diversity of the Dutch Belted is in place. The program breeds registered Dutch Belted bulls with grade cows. By the fifth generation, offspring are considered 96.88% pure and eligible for full registration with the DBCAA. 9-The Meuse Rhine Issel originates from the Netherlands and Germany. In the Netherlands, it was developed in the region of the three rivers from which it gets its name. In Germany it comes from the regions of Westfalia, Rhineland and Schleswig Holstein, and is known there as the Rotbunt. Meuse Rhine Issel cow Photo courtesy of Dairy Dreams, www.dairydreams.co.uk The last part of their name is sometimes spelled "Yssel" or "Ijssel". The Meuse Rhine Issel is also known as Rotbunt, Roodbont, Maas-Rijn-Yssel, Rotbunte holländische, Mosane-rhénane-ysseloise, Dutch Red-and-White, Red Pied Dutch, MRI and MRY. In 1874 the Dutch herdbook was formed and the German breed societies followed in 1900. They were run as one breeding area across the border until 1914. During the 1920's, the Dutch bull called Sjoerd 1 925 was used extensively in the Rhineland area and played a large part in establishing a good MRI type there. Between 1920 and 1950, Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Denmark founded their own Red and White Dual Purpose breeds, based on the Dutch and German stock. The breed in its early years was bred as a dual purpose animal for beef and dairy, but recently breeders have concentrated on its dairy qualities although the beef is still excellent MRI cattle were first imported into the UK and Ireland in the early 1970's and have increased in numbers to around 31500 today. Current milk pricing structures ensure a huge demand for this extremely profitable breed, where yields of 8000 to 9000kgs at 4.0% protein are not uncommon. Characteristics Meuse Rhine Issel are medium sized breed with a solid build, they are red and white in colour with good length and depth to the body. They are an adaptable hardy breed and have good disease resistance, they perform well on rough pasture. They are very docile in temperament, the cows have a relatively short gestation period and calve easily. The average weight for a cow is about 675 kgs with a rump height of 132 centimetres. For a bull the figures are probably around 1050 kgs and 143 centimetres respectively. Statistics Higher milk quality - Protein production approaching 4% - Fat production over 4% - The right type of protein (high Kappa Casein-B for cheese making) Good milk yields - Up to 10000kgs is not unknown, large numbers of cows giving yields of 7500kg Longevity Proved in all UK conditions Higher calf values - Strong will to live - Take readily to bucket feeding - Active, lively - Sturdy and disease resistant - Good feed conversion - Good beef quality, ideal for bull beef Distribution The Meuse Rhine Issel can be found in many parts of Europe including the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Denmark, the UK and Ireland plus it has been exported to Australia, New Zealand and North America.The Brandrood (aka Brandrod; Brandrood Jsselvee in Dutch) is a color variety of the Meuse-Rhine-Yssel breed. They have a coat of dark red with little white and a blue-black nose. The Baggerbont (which literally translates to dredging fur in English) is, like the Witrik, a color designation, not a breed, of Dutch cattle. The Baggerbont is red or black pied with spotted legs. 10-History of red-pied Friesian cattle In the past, Dutch cows were predominantly red-pied in colour. In those days, the red-pied Friesian cow was one of the breeds originating from the province of Friesland. The breed is found in the Netherlands as early as the Middle Ages. In 1750, the cattle plague hit the Netherlands and three-quarters of the livestock died. To compensate this loss, black-pied cows were imported from Denmark and Germany. These animals formed the ancestors of Friesian-Dutch cattle. At the end of the nineteenth century, the Dutch cow was very popular abroad due to its high milk production. From North America mainly, there was great demand for exclusively black-pied cattle. American stock-breeders regarded black-pied cattle as the purest breed and continued breeding with these Dutch cows. A cow with an even higher milk production was bred: the black-pied Holstein-Friesian. As from that time black-pied cattle was regarded undeservedly as superior in quality and milk production. In the second half of the twentieth century, this productive milking cow overruns the world - including the Dutch market. The number of red-pied cows in the Netherlands declined dramatically and only a small group of farmers held on to the breeding of red-pied cows. In 1904, the Dutch Cattle Herdbook (CRV) decided to exclusively register black-pied cattle. That colour had to become a distinctly recognizable racial characteristic, especially abroad. The Friesian Cattle Herdbook (FRS) struggled with the same problem. They chose the happy medium: mixed coloured cattle were bred out of the herdbook, but the red-pied animals (at that time, only three per cent of the registered animals) were retained under the name of Friesian Red-pied. Hermke drievoud In 1957, the Association Breeders of Red-pied Friesian Pedigree Cattle was established. At that time, red-pied Friesian-Dutch cows numbered around 2,500 in the herdbook. Owing to the rise of the productive black-pied Holstein-Friesian, the number of red-pied Friesian cattle strongly decreased. It was time to take action. For that reason, the Foundation of Red-pied Friesian Cattle was established in 1993. The foundation formulated a breeding programme in cooperation with the farmers and stored sperm of pure red-pied Friesian cattle in the gene bank. Currently, there are only around five hundred red-pied Friesian cows. Only a part of these cows are pure-bred: they descend in the male line from the bull Vondeling I, born in 1914. This bull was abandoned because of the anti-red policy of the herdbook and became the symbol of the red-pied Friesian cattle breeding. 11-Fries-Hollands (FH) is een koeienras dat in Nederland zijn oorsprong kent. Vroeger bestond een groot deel van de Nederlandse veestapel uit deze meestal zwartbonte dieren. Nu zijn er nog ongeveer 5000 dieren in Nederland en staat dit ras op de lijst van de zeldzame huisdierrassen bij de Stichting Zeldzame Huisdierrassen. Een klein aantal dieren is van oudsher roodbont en soms zelfs muis (grijs). Het zijn zogenaamde dubbeldoel koeien, dit houdt in dat dit ras geschikt is voor zowel de melkproductie als de vleesproductie. Tegenwoordig zijn de meeste Nederlandse boeren gespecialiseerd in melkveehouderij of vleesveehouderij. Melkveehouders in Nederland hebben voornamelijk Holstein-Friesian koeien. Dit ras is voortgekomen uit het Fries-Hollands ras. De beste melkkoeien van dit ras werden eind 19de eeuw naar Amerika geëxporteerd en daar verder gefokt tot het melktypische Holstein-Friesian ras. Melkveehouders die nog zuiver Fries-Hollands vee melken zijn aangesloten bij de Vereniging voor het behoud van het Fries-Hollands melkveeras (FH-vereniging). Ook in andere landen treft men verwante rassen van het FH vee aan. In Duitsland is vergelijkbaar het Deutsche schwarzbunte Niederungsrind (DSN) en in Groot-Brittannië zijn dit de British-Friesians. In Ierland worden ook veel British-Friesians en FH koeien gemolken. Bestand:Frieslands trots, het stamboekvee-508784.ogvMedia afspelen Polygoonjournaal uit 1957. Frieslands trots, het stamboekvee. Bestand:Fries rundvee-stamboek jubileert Weeknummer 69-39 - Open Beelden - 28145.ogvMedia afspelen Polygoonjournaal uit 1969. Stierenkeuring van Fries stamboekvee in de Frieslandhal te Leeuwarden.