French #3 Cattle Breeds

( 186 femelles en 2010 ! ) 1-The Aure et Saint-Girons or Casta is an endangered French breed of domestic cattle. The breed name derives from its two principal areas of origin, the Vallée d'Aure in the département of the Hautes-Pyrénées, and the area of Saint-Girons and the Couserans in the Ariège. The name "Casta" derives from its chestnut colour. Casta8- SIA2010.JPG Conservation status FAO (2007): endangered-maintained Other names Casta Auroise Saint Gironnaise Country of origin France Distribution Midi-Pyrénées Use formerly triple-purpose, meat, milk and draught Traits Weight Male: 900 kg Female: 600 kg Height Female: 135 cm Skin colour pale Coat grey or chestnut-brown Horn status horned in both sexes Cattle Bos (primigenius) taurus History The Casta originates in the French Pyrénées. It is among the oldest breeds of the Midi. Traditionally, two types were recognised, from two different areas of the range: the Auroise, from the Vallée d'Aure in the département of the Hautes-Pyrénées; and the Saint-Gironnaise, from the area of Saint-Girons and the Couserans in the Ariège. The breed was found throughout the high Pyrénées, from the area of Tarbes in the west to Foix in the east. The breed was officially named the "race bovine d'Aure et de Saint-Girons" in 1900. A herd-book was established in 1901 or in 1919. During the 1960s there was some limited cross-breeding with the Bazadais breed of the Gironde. Between 1930 and 1958, the population of the Casta fell from about 30 000 to less than 9 000 head. In the years after the Second World War, numbers fell still further, and by 1983 only 76 cows in 12 farms could be found. The breed was listed by the FAO as "endangered-maintained" in 2007.In 2005, the population was estimated at 427 head; in 2014 it was 320. Characteristics The Casta is usually grey, but may also be chestnut-brown. The skin and mucous membranes are pale. The horns are lyre-shaped. Bulls weigh about 900 kg and cows about 600 kg. Cows stand about 135 cm at the withers. Uses The Casta was originally a triple-purpose breed, kept for meat, for milk, and for draught work. It is now raised mainly for meat. The milk has a high fat content, and is used in the production of Bethmale (fr) cheese. 2-The Charolais (aka La race Charolaise and Charolaise in French) originally had a more blocky appearance with a yellowish tinge to its coat — but today the breed has a longer body and legs, with a creamy-white coat and a pink nose. The Charolais can be found worldwide as a beef animal and in use for beef crossbreeding programs. The Charolais is a breed of taurine beef cattle from the Charolais area surrounding Charolles, in Burgundy, in eastern France. Charolais are raised for meat; they may be crossed with other breeds, including Angus and Hereford cattle. Charolais have demonstrated excellent growth ability, efficient feedlot gains and superior carcass quality. 3-The Corse (aka Corsican; La race Corse in French) is found on the island of Corsica — a territory/region of France. The Corsican (aka Corse; La race Corse in French) originally had the same coloring as the extinct aurochs of Europe — but over time they have become more varicolore. 4-The Ferrandaise is an endangered French breed of domestic cattle from the département of Puy-de-Dôme, in the Massif Central mountains of Auvergne, in central France. It is named for the city and commune of Clermont Ferrand, the capital of Puy-de-Dôme. Conservation status FAO (2007): endangered-maintained Other names Ferrande Ferrandine Pierre-sur-Haute Country of origin France Distribution Massif Central Traits Weight Male: 900–1100 kg Female: 650 kg Height Female: 138 cm Coat red pied, sometimes black pied Horn status horned in both sexes Cattle Bos (primigenius) taurus Characteristics The Ferrandaise is large, solid and robust. It is docile, long-lived, frugal and resistant, and calves easily. It is well adapted to rough and poor terrain, and in particular to the soil and climatic conditions of the mountains of its native area. The coat is normally red-and-white, or occasionally black-and-white. Three coat patterns are detailed in the breed standard: barrée, pied, with patches of white on a coloured ground; poudrée, white speckled with colour on the head and flanks; and bregniée, colour-sided. The muzzle and mucosa are pale, the horns lyre-shaped. Although cattle of the Ferrandaise type had long been known in the northern part of the region of Auvergne (now part of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), the name "Ferrandaise" only came into use in the second half of the nineteenth century; before that, they were known as the race bigarrée, or roughly "the mottled breed". In the later part of the century the variability of the coat of the Ferrandaise was seen as a defect, and from 1899 the only permitted coat colour was pied red-and-white. A herdbook was established six years later, in 1905. The breed was mainly concentrated in two areas, around Clermont-Ferrand (for which it is named) and around Ambert, both in the département of Puy-de-Dôme, but its range extended into the Loire and the Haute-Loire to the south and east, and into the Corrèze to the west. In the first quarter of the twentieth century the Ferrandaise numbered some 200 000 head. Numbers fell in the years following the Second World War, both because of the mechanisation of agriculture, which meant that there was decreased demand for draught cattle, and because of the official policy of reduction of the number of French minority breeds established in 1960 by Edmond Quittet, the Inspecteur général de l'agriculture (fr). From around 1960 the Ferrandaise was cross-bred to some extent with Montbéliarde and Salers cattle. By 1962 the population had fallen to 42 000, and fifteen years later, in 1977, fewer than 170 remained. In that year a breeders' association, the Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Race Bovine Ferrandaise, was formed, and with the help of the Institut de l'élevage (fr) and the Parc naturel régional des volcans d'Auvergne (fr), a recovery project was launched. By 2001 numbers had increased to some 500 registered females, with frozen semen held from about 26 bulls.The Ferrandaise was listed by the FAO as "endangered-maintained" in 2007; in that year there were 1236 cows and about 50 bulls in 186 farms, with about 30 other bulls available for artificial insemination. In 2014 the total population was reported to be 1939. 5-The Froment du Léon (aka La race Froment du Léon in French) is an ancient Breton (aka Brittany) land-race that is similar to the Guernsey and was first described as a distinct breed in 1859 Froment du Léon The Froment du Léon is an endangered French breed of dairy cattle from the coastal region of northern Brittany, in the north-west of France. It is named for the historic Viscounty of Léon, in the départements of Côtes-d'Armor and Finistère in the extreme north-west of Brittany. It is valued for the quality of its milk, which is yellow and high in fat, and is particularly suitable for making into butter. In the early years of the twentieth century there were some 35 000 Froment du Léon cattle. A herd-book was opened in 1907. 179 Froment du Léon cows participated in the Concours Général Agricole de Paris between 1914 and 1939. In 1950 the breed population was about 25 000, but fell rapidly thereafter due to competition from other dairy breeds, first the Normande and later the Friesian. In 1968 there were only 2500 head, and by 1977 no more than 50 cows remained. From about 1960 there was some limited cross-breeding with Guernsey stock from the United Kingdom and from Canada. A new breed society, the Syndicat d'Éleveurs Froment du Léon, was formed in 1981, and a recovery and conservation project was launched following the discovery in 1978 of a small number of surviving animals in the historic Goëlo (fr) region of the Côtes-d'Armor. The Froment du Léon was listed by the FAO as "endangered-maintained" in 2007. By 2010 there were 276 cows in 97 farms. In 2014 the total population was reported to be 314 The coat of the Froment du Léon is wheat-coloured; there may be some white markings. The muzzle and mucosa are pale. Cows weigh about 500 kg and stand about 130 cm at the withers. The Froment du Léon is a dairy breed. Milk production is around 3500 kg in a lactation of 305 days. The milk is rich in beta-carotene, which gives it a yellow colour. It has a high fat content, almost 5.5%, which makes it particularly suitable for butter-making. Ferrandaise breed Herd-Book creation : 1905/ new : 1980 Nb. Breeding females (2007) : about 729 Trend : increasing Location : Massif Central (Central Mountains) 6-Gascon Cattle is a breed of cow. Two different types of this breed of cattle are: à muqueuses noires and aréolé. These were combined in 1955 into a single herdbook, but in 1999 they were once again made two different breeds. Characteristics The Gascon have many characteristics that make them different from any other breed of cow. Hardness to their fur is one. The hardness of the fur enables the Gascon to tolerate cold weather better than other cows. Plus it is very thick meaning it is able to shed water well. The ease of calving is another. Unlike other cows, Gascon cows are in labor for a much shorter time period. Also, cows that have an easy time giving birth will settle to the bull more quickly which would give the mother cow a longer productive life. Another characteristic of the Gascon is that their calves get stronger and gain more weight faster than other types of cows. Gascon cows don't need to eat as much as other types of cows because they don't usually have many food sources making them adapt to these conditions, but still be able to maintain condition and settle in calf more quickly. Gascon cows have a gray coat, but are born red getting their gray coat at about the fourth month of life. Bulls are gray, but have black shading underneath. Mature cows weigh 550 to 700 kg and stand 135 cm at the shoulder; bulls average 145 cm in height and 800 to 950 kg in weight. History Gascon cattle were originally bred in the French Pyrenees, where the harsh climate and limited resources led to the adaptations found in this breed. Because of these adaptations, Gascon cattle can survive and work hard in basically any condition.Because they spend their winters in the low lands and their summers high on the Pyrenees, they are used to huge changes in the climate. 7-The Limousin (aka La race Limousine in French) is a popular beef breed and has been exported for use to over 60 countries. Limousin cattle For other uses, see Limousin (disambiguation). Limousin cattle are a breed of highly muscled beef cattle originating from the Limousin and Marche regions of France. The breed is known as Limousine in France. Limousins were first exported from France in significant numbers in the 1960s and are now present in about 70 countries. They are naturally horned and have a distinctive lighter wheat to darker golden-red colouring, although international breeders have now bred polled (do not have horns) and black Limousins. Limousin Country of origin France Distribution World-wide (about 70 countries) Use High yielding production of lean beef. Also crossbreeding. Traits Weight Male: 1,000–1,100kg Female: 650-700kg Coat Light wheat to darker golden-red. Black Limousins also bred. Horn status Naturally horned but often dehorned as calves. Polled Limousins also bred. Cattle Bos (primigenius) taurus Initially used mainly as draft animals, interest in Limousins as a source of high quality meat grew about two hundred years ago. The first Limousin herd book was then established in France in 1886 to ensure the breed's purity and improvement by only recording and breeding animals that satisfied a strictly enforced breed standard. Thanks Limousins have become popular because of their low birth weights (ease of calving), higher than average dressing percentage (ratio of carcase to live weight) and yield (ratio of meat to carcase), high feed conversion efficiency, and their ability to produce lean, tender meat. A major multi-breed study reported that Limousins converted feed into saleable meat more efficiently and significantly faster than popular British breeds, and marginally faster than other popular continental European cattle breeds. Conversely, the other cattle breeds produced proportionally more low-cost by-product and waste, which resulted in their live weight growth being faster than Limousins. Limousins are especially favoured for crossbreeding with cattle such as Angus, Hereford and Shorthorn because of their ability to contribute hybrid vigour, and improve the yield and feed conversion efficiency of these British breeds, which produce higher levels of fat and marbled meat. The history of Limousin cattle begins in the period known as the Pleistocene (2.6 million to 12,000 years ago), when many megafauna roamed the Earth. One of the megafauna that survived until the 17th century was the aurochs, the distant ancestor of modern cattle. Cave painting of aurochs at Lascaux, France. Cave paintings estimated to be 17,300 years old of many figures, including aurochs, were discovered in 1940 in Lascaux in the Dordogne region of south-western France. Because of their appearance, the aurochs depicted in the paintings were popularly, but incorrectly, believed to have been the immediate ancestors of Limousins. Thanks Three subspecies of aurochs are formally recognised, with the Eurasian subspecies reaching Europe about 250,000 years ago, where it survived until the 17th century. Eurasian aurochs were also domesticated into cattle breeds of European form (Bos taurus, also known as Bos primigenius taurus) commencing about 8,000 years ago in a region known as the Fertile Crescent in the Near East. These cattle began to enter Europe during and after the Neolithic expansion. Recent studies of the DNA of European cattle and fragments of Eurasian aurochs, in particular female mitochondrial DNA and male Y chromosomes, indicate that the link between modern Limousins and their presumed Eurasian aurochs ancestors is more complex than originally thought. While many European cattle breeds probably evolved from domesticated Near East ancestors, their genetics were heavily influenced by different herd management approaches across Europe. Analysis of central European cattle, including Limousins, indicates that the origin of male and female DNA can be traced directly to cattle domesticated in the Near East. This is in contrast to the DNA of northern European cattle, which suggests that wild Eurasian aurochs were at one time mated to domesticated cows, and of southern European cattle, which indicates that wild Eurasian aurochs cows were mated to domesticated bulls. DNA studies have identified close genetic relationships between Limousin cattle and other south-west European breeds. One study reported a possible common origin or recent gene flow between the Limousin and Charolais cattle breeds. whereas other studies indicated that a closer genetic relationship exists between Limousin, Gasconne, Aubrac, Bazadais, Salers, and Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle. One historian reported that the Limousin breed's origins can be traced to the blonde Garonne breed in the 5th century AD. The Garonne breed from the south-west of France was merged into the Blonde d'Aquitaine breed in 1962. The grey Gasconne breed with which Limousin cattle have a close genetic relationship is also reported to have arrived in the south-west of France with the Visigoths also around the 5th century AD. Limousin cattle are identified as members of an "intensively selected" "blond and red" branch of hardy, heavily muscled and fine-boned working cattle found in south-west Europe. The branch, which is one of several that have influenced cattle breeding in France, comprises a number of Spanish, Portuguese, and French cattle breeds, which possibly evolved from those introduced during a past occupation of Iberia.[noNo scientific studies have been published that identify the origins of, or demonstrate a possible common ancestral link between, all "blond and red" family members. Limousin cattle evolved in the French region now known as Limousin. The region comprises the historical French provinces of Limousin and Marche, which include the departments of Corrèze in its entirety, most of Creuse, and parts of Haute-Vienne. Limousin cattle adapted to the local hilly conditions of acidic soils and weakly mineralised granite, with large variations in temperature. These factors led to the development of a hardy breed with an unusually thin but solid bone. The first written evidence of the existence of Limousin cattle dates from the late 18th century. At the time, Limousins were well known for their qualities as draft animals. A market had developed for Limousin beef in large French cities, notably under the impetus of Turgot, then intendant of the Limousin region. In 1770, the lieutenant general of police of Paris, Antoine de Sartine, sent a note to see if he could "count on Limousin after Easter" to supply Paris. The animals involved in this trade were cull animals that were fattened at the age of 8 to 10 years before being shipped by road to Paris or Bordeaux, a trip of 12 to 14 days. In 1791, Jacques-Joseph Saint-Martin, an agronomist from Limoges, acknowledged the importance of Limousin cattle in the markets of cities such as Paris, Lyon and Toulouse. Limousin cattle actually came from the departments of Charente, Dordogne, Haute-Vienne, Vienne, Lot, Corrèze and Creuse. The market for Limousin cattle declined slightly in the early 19th century, but livestock still remained a major activity in the region. There was a large variation in the agricultural systems operating in the Limousin region, defined by three types of district. These were productive, grain-producing areas, called "d'engrais", undeveloped, marginal, predominantly forested land called "forestiers", and developing land called "d'élèves". Cattle, in particular cows, were used extensively for all types of agricultural work. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Limousin region was characterised by the mediocrity of its animals. Texier-Olivier Louis, prefect of the Haute-Vienne, observed that Limousin cattle weighed 300 to 350 kg and measured 1.5 metres at the withers.The defect was considered to be attributable to poor genetics, nutrition and breeding practices. In competitions, Limousin cattle were among the worst performers. The breed was considered to be a working breed, but poorly shaped and with poor milk. In order to improve the breed, some Limousin breeders tried to cross their animals with Agenais,[note Norman or Charolais cattle, which were better shaped. The Limousin breed was also not immune to the wave of Anglomania affecting France in the middle of the 19th century. Some wealthy farmers maintained Durham cattle, which were prized by the elite of thetime.However, this practice was criticised by the agricultural society of Limoges. The society encouraged farmers to continue selecting animals that were most consistent with the characteristics of the Limousin breed, which was perfectly adapted to the region's environment, rather than trying to adapt other breeds. Furthermore, the vast majority of Limousin breeders could not afford to raise livestock in addition to their working animals, as was the case on larger properties that practiced crossing with Durham cattle. Finally, the marginalisation of English animals in competitions from the late 1860s reinforced the case to improve the breed by itself.The French Limousin Herd Book was then created in 1886 in order to ensure the breed's purity and improvement by recording only those animals that satisfied a strictly enforced breed standard. The real revolution of the 19th century was improved grazing At the beginning of the 19th century, a bonus was introduced to reward farmers who retained their best bulls, even though they were not productive. The increase in weight of the animals began with improved grassland. The second half of the 19th century saw the arrival of fertilizers and improved pastures such as clover and ryegrass, which not only improved the productivity of existing fields but also transformed the moorland pasture. Vineyards affected by phylloxera were also being returned to pasture. The results were not immediate. In 1862, cattle sold at La Souterraine weighed about 600 kg. The decline of Anglomania in favour of economic pragmatism, and the criticism and fall of the aristocracy[note 4aided the development of Limousin cattle. The Limousin breed became renowned for the quality of its meat and the exceptional performance of its carcase, and was voted best European breed in 1857, 1858 and 1859 during the food animal competitions held in Poissy. The crowning moment was the honour received by the bull Achilles Caillaud to open the competition in Paris for all breeds in 1886 (the year the Limousin Herd Book was created), and the grand champion prize of all breeds won three years later by Charles Léobardy for his team. The First World War slowed down the growth of the Limousin breed, which carried through the inter-war years despite a reorganisation of the Herd Book in 1923. Herd Book registrations grew slowly, from 600,000 animals in 1890 to 800,000 in 1940. The Limousin breed almost disappeared when the French government planned to combine it with the Garonne, Quercy and Blonde des Pyrenees breeds, during the formation of the Blonde Aquitaine breed in 1962. All of these cattle belonged to the "blond and red" branch of cattle. Limousin breeders fiercely opposed the merger and the Limousin breed was retained. The Limousin breed resumed its growth in the 1960s. The size of the French Limousin herd has increased sharply in recent years, with a 50% increase in numbers in France in 15 years. Today it is the second largest French beef breed, behind Charolais and ahead of Blonde d'Aquitaine. In 2004, of about 900,000 Limousin cows, 63,000 were recorded in the Herd Book. At that time, 20,000 bulls were used for breeding, 10% through artificial insemination, and 1,600 were recorded in the Herd Book. France's Limousin herd grew by 2.6% in 2014 to 2.69 million heads as of Dec. 31, including 1.09 million cows. 8-( 215 femelles en 2010 ) The Lourdais (aka La race Lourdaise in French) is a triple-purpose breed whose herdbook was started in 1894. The horns and hooves of the Lourdais are both yellow. The Lourdaise is an endangered French breed of domestic cattle. It is named for the town of Lourdes, in the Hautes-Pyrénées département of the region of Occitanie, and originated in the surrounding country, particularly in the cantons of Argelès, Bagnères-de-Bigorre and Ossun. It was formerly a triple-purpose breed, kept for its milk, for its meat and for draught work. It was widely distributed in the Pyrénées of south-western France. It came close to extinction in the 1980s, but has since recovered following conservation efforts. It remains critically endangered. Lourdaise head of a cream-coloured cow with small twisted horns and a pale pink muzzle Country of origin France Use formerly triple-purpose, meat, milk and draught; now mainly meat Traits Weight Male: 900–1100 kg Female: 600 kg Height Female: 135 cm Skin colour white Coat white or creamy white Horn status lyre-shaped Cattle Bos (primigenius) taurus History The Lourdaise originated in the rural areas surrounding Lourdes, now in the Hautes-Pyrénées département of Occitanie. It was particularly associated with the cantons of Argelès, Bagnères-de-Bigorre and Ossun, but was widely distributed in the area. It was the principal cattle breed of the traditional regions of the Bigorre and of the Lavedan. A herd-book was established in the 1890s, and in 1896 it held a total of 850 animals. At the beginning of the twentieth century there were some 25 000 head; more than 200 bulls were approved for public use as sires. Breed numbers fell drastically in the years following the Second World War, for three reasons: the mechanisation of agriculture meant that there was decreased demand for draught cattle; specialised single-purpose breeds, such as the Braunvieh and Friesian for milk and the Charolaise and Limousine for beef, were introduced to the area; and in 1960, Edmond Quittet, the Inspecteur général de l'agriculture (fr), established a policy of reduction of the number of French minority breeds. By 1983, only 30 Lourdaise cows remained.5Conservation efforts were begun, with contributions from the Parc National des Pyrénées, the French Ministry of Agriculture, and the regional administration of Haute-Pyrénées. The Lourdaise was listed as "critical-maintained" by the FAO in 2007. In 2014 the total population was reported to be 268. Characteristics The Lourdaise is white or cream-coloured. The skin is white and the muzzle and mucous areas are pale. The inner side of the thigh and the surround of the eyes and of the muzzle is white.Use The Lourdaise was formerly a triple-purpose breed, kept for its milk, for its meat and for draught work. Milk production is estimated at 3000 l in a lactation of 305 days; fat content is about 3.8% and protein about 3.3%. There is enough milk for naturally-fed milk veal production. 9-Maraîchine cattle is a French breed, originally from the south of the Vendée department, in the Loire region. Its coat is grey or red, and its nose is black. It is a rather big breed, with lyre-shaped horns and areolate eyes. It is a local breed, well adapted to humid pastures and the moors of the Poitou-Charente. It comes from an ancient population called “poitevine” or “vendéenne”, originating in the west of France, and is also the origin of the parthenaise and nantaise breeds. This breed almost disappeared in the decades after the Second World War, being replaced by others that were more productive and better adapted to industrial farming methods. In the 1980ies some institutions and breeders became interested in the breed, and started a rescue project. In 2009 there were more than 1000 females. It is a milk breed with a high fertility rate, which also produces meat of good quality. Additionally, it is used as a working animal, for pulling carts and farming equipment. 10-Marine landaise Vache marine landaise Vache marine landaise Région d’origine Région Drapeau de la France France Aquitaine Caractéristiques Taille Petite Robe brune, fauve, uniforme, parfois pie Autre Diffusion Locale race préservée Utilisation Entretien des espaces naturels en zones humides modifier Consultez la documentation du modèle La vache marine landaise est une race bovine française à très petit effectif, bénéficiant d'un programme de sauvegarde et entretenue dans des espaces naturels humides du littoral des landes de Gascogne, dans les Landes et en Gironde. Sa vocation essentielle est environnementale. Description Dotée de petites cornes en lyre, elle mesure de 1,20 à 1,30 m au garrot pour à peine 300 kg. Dans le type originel aujourd'hui disparu, la marine était à robe froment, à muqueuses rosées et à extrémités claires, comme les autres races du groupe bovin blond du Sud-Ouest parmi lesquelles on la rangeait, donc comme les anciennes races basquaise ou d'Urt, béarnaise et lourdaise. Aujourd'hui, elle offre une robe fauve charbonnée à brune et un mufle brun qui témoignent des introductions déjà anciennes d'animaux à muqueuses brunes, ibériques ou bretons pie-noir. Le caractère pie est porté par certains animaux. 11-( 494 femelles en 2010 ) The Mirandaise is an endangered French breed of domestic cattle from the département of the Gers, in the historic region of Gascony, now part of the region of Occitanie in south-western France. It is named for the commune of Mirande, in the Gers. The Mirandaise is characterised by an unusual colouration of the areas around the anus and vulva, which are dark in the centre and pale towards the edges. This areola has given the breed its other name, the French: Gasconne aréolée. It is a different breed from the smaller Gasconne, which does not have the same colouration. Mirandaise head of a pale-coloured cow Conservation status FAO (2007): endangered-maintained Other names French: Gasconne aréolée French: Gasconne auréolée Country of origin France Distribution Gers, Occitanie Use formerly draught, now meat Traits Weight Male: 900 kg Female: 650 kg Height Male: 150 cm Female: 138 cm Coat grey or blonde Horn status horned in both sexes Cattle The Mirandaise is an endangered French breed of domestic cattle from the département of the Gers, in the historic region of Gascony, now part of the region of Occitanie in south-western France. It is named for the commune of Mirande, in the Gers. The Mirandaise is characterised by an unusual colouration of the areas around the anus and vulva, which are dark in the centre and pale towards the edges. This areola has given the breed its other name, the French: Gasconne aréolée. It is a different breed from the smaller Gasconne, which does not have the same colouration. Mirandaise head of a pale-coloured cow Conservation status FAO (2007): endangered-maintained. Other names French: Gasconne aréolée French: Gasconne auréolée Country of origin France Distribution Gers, Occitanie Use formerly draught, now meat Traits Weight Male: 900 kg Female: 650 kg Height Male: 150 cm Female: 138 cm Coat grey or blonde Horn status horned in both sexes Cattle Bos (primigenius) taurus History The origins of the Mirandaise are not known. It was traditionally used as a draught animal in the heavy and difficult soils of the département of the Gers, and is thought to have originated in the area of the Vallée du Gers between Fleurance and Masseube. Its range extended southwards as far as the foothills of the Pyrénées, in the départements of the Haute-Garonne and the Hautes-Pyrénées. A herd-book was established in 1894. Numbers fell in the years following the Second World War, when the mechanisation of agriculture meant that there was decreased demand for draught cattle. By the late 1970s no more than 150 cows and one bull remained. The Mirandaise was listed by the FAO as "endangered-maintained" in 2007. In 2014 the total population was reported to be 616. Characteristics The Mirandaise is large and powerful, and tolerates heat well. It is fertile and long-lived, and fattens easily. It is rustic and well adapted to exploit steep terrain not suitable for arable farming. The coat is white, sometimes tinged with grey or red. The muzzle, switch and hooves are black, the horns lyre-shaped and pale-coloured with black tips. The Mirandaise is characterised by an unusual colouration of the areas around the anus and vulva, which are dark in the centre and pale towards the edges. This areola is not seen in the Gasconne breed, which also has dark hair on the inside of the ear, while the Mirandaise has a pale inside to the ear. It is also considerably larger than the Gasconne. Use The Mirandaise was traditionally a draught breed. Calves considered unsuitable either for draught work or as breeding stock were sold for meat at about three months. The Mirandaise is now raised principally for meat, particularly for naturally-fed milk veal. 12-The Montbéliarde is a breed of red pied dairy cattle from the area of Montbéliard, in the département of Doubs, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of eastern France. It is used mainly for dairying and particularly for cheesemaking. History The name Montbéliarde was first used by Joseph Graber in 1872, when exhibiting a group of cattle at the Langres agricultural competition. Before this the local stock from indigenous multipurpose breeds such as Fémeline and Tourache (later known as Comtoise) had been improved by Mennonite farmers from Switzerland, and named Franco-Swiss. In 1889, the breed was accepted officially, and a stud book was founded. Since 1980, the breed has been selected for good roughage conversion. After 1900, many cattle were sold to the Midi region and Algeria. In the 1970s, Red Holstein was crossed into the breed. At the same time, they sporadically crossed with Fleckvieh bulls, but this was not very successful. In the 1990s, Montbéliarde cattle were used for crossing into the Danish Red cattle and Vorderwalder Cattle breeds. Characteristics Vache-race-Montbéliarde. The animals are red pied with white heads and short horns, and of dairy type. Mature cows weigh 600 to 700 kg (1,300 to 1,500 lb) and stand about 145 cm (57 in) tall at the withers, and mature bulls weigh 900 to 1,200 kg (2,000 to 2,600 lb). The milk is particularly well suited to cheesemaking because of a high frequency of kappa casein BB variants, giving higher yields of cheese. Being of less extreme dairy type than modern Holsteins, the cows have lower milk yields, but better longevity and fertility and lower cell counts in the milk, indicating lower mastitis incidence.Uses Montbéliarde cattle are mainly a dairy breed, but have better beef characteristics than Holstein cattle. Nearly 400,000 milk recorded Montbéliarde cows are in France with an average adult lactation of 7486 litres at 3.9% butterfat and 3.45% protein. The milk protein is of a type well suited to cheesemaking, and some herds are fed a hay-based diet to produce milk specifically for this purpose. Cull cows and bull calves are worth more than Holsteins. The breed has spread to many countries and is becoming popular for crossing with Holsteins to give improved longevity and fertility. Montbéliarde cattle are a red and white pied cattle breed from the Montbéliard region of France, used mainly for dairying and particularly for cheesemaking. Nearly 400,000 milk recorded Montbéliarde cows are in France with an average adult lactation of 7486 litres at 3.9% butterfat and 3.45% protein.