Here you can find the breed information and breed specific characteristics of all the different cattle breeds organised per country. Each breed has unique characteristics that make it well-suited for a specific purpose.

Finland

  • Information

    Breed name: Western Finncattle

    Local breed name: Länsisuomenkaria

    Breed size: 1510 cows, > AI bulls

    Species: Bos Taurus

    Breed associations: Faba Coop

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Dual purpose breed

    - Unicoloured (red-brown), polled

    - Relatively high milk yield

    - High fertility (high twinning rate)

    - Good processing properties of milk

  • Information

    Breed name: Eastern Finncattle

    Local breed name: Itäsuomenkarja (kyyttö)

    Breed size: 1620 animals

    Species: Bos taurus

    Breed associations: Faba Coop

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Dual purpose breed

    - Multicoloured (red with white back), polled

    - Average milk yield (3756 kg per lactation)

    - High milk protein content

    - Good processing properties of milk

  • Information

    Breed name: Northern Finncattle

    Local breed name: Pohjoissuomenkarja Lapinlehmä

    Breed size: 850 animals

    Species: Bos taurus

    Breed association: Faba Coop

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Dual purpose breed

    - White or white with small red or black spots, polled

    - Average milk yield (5271 kg per lactation)

    - Extremely tame

    - Good processing qualities of milk

  • Information

    Breed name: Holstein Friesian

    Local breed name: Holstein

    Breed size: > 1.000.000 animals

    Species: Bos taurus

    Control group: OPTIBOV

    Breed specific characteristics

    - High milk production

    - Commercial breed

  • Western Finncattle

  • Eastern Finncattle

  • Northern Finncattle

  • Holstein Friesian

The Netherlands

  • Information

    Breed name: Dutch Belted

    Local breed name: Lakenvelder

    Breed size: approximately 2500 animals

    Species: Bos taurus

    Breed associations: Vereniging Lakenvelder runderen

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Blanket

    - Dual purpose breed

    - Rather small animals

    - Easy to keep/low maintenance

    - Friendly character

  • Information

    Breed name: Groningen White Headed

    Local breed name: Groninger Blaarkop

    Breed size: approximately 1991 animals

    Species: Bos taurus

    Breed associations: De Blaarkopstichting

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Dual purpose breed

    - Milk with high protein content

    - Good quality milk for making cheese

    - Sober and longevity

  • Information

    Breed name: Deep Red

    Local breed name: Brandrood rund

    Breed size: approximately 1216 animals

    Species: Bos taurus

    Breed associations: Vereniging het Brandrode Rund

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Dual purpose breed

    - Good quality milk for making cheese

    - Early mature and good mother qualities

    - Easy calving

  • Information

    Breed name: Meuse Rhine Yssel (MRY)

    Local breed name: Maas-Rijn-Ijssel rund (MRY)

    Breed size: approximately 2500 animals

    Species: Bos taurus

    Breed associations: MRIJ Nederland

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Dual purpose breed

    - Longevity

    - Good milk production with high protein content

    - Easy to keep/low maintenance

    - Hard claws

  • Information

    Breed name: Dutch Friesian

    Local breed name: Fries Hollands

    Breed size: approximately 2113 animals

    Species: Bos taurus

    Breed associations: Vereniging van het Fries-Hollands rundvee ras

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Dual purpose breed

    - Strong animal

    - Strong legs and claws

    - Easy to keep/low maintenance

    - Friendly character

  • Information

    Breed name: Holstein Friesian

    Local breed name: Holstein

    Breed size: > 1.000.000 animals

    Species: Bos taurus

    Control group: OPTIBOV

    Breed specific characteristics

    - High milk production

    - Commercial breed

  • Information

    Breed name: Jak

    Local breed name: Jak

    Species: Bos grunniens

    Control group: OPTIBOV

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Domesticated jak

    - Long hairs (double layer)

    - Large horns

    - Small animal

    IUCN status: vulnerable

  • Dutch Belted

  • Groningen White Headed

  • Deep Red

  • Holstein Friesian

  • Meuse Rhine Yssel

  • Dutch Friesian

  • Yak

Portugal

  • Information

    Breed name: Barrosã

    Local breed name: Barrosã

    Breed size: < 9.000 breeding females and < 350 breeding males

    Species: Bos taurus

    Breed association: AMIBA – Accociacão dos Criadores de Bovinos de Raca Barrosã

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Medium-sized, with concave profile and brown-blond coat colour

    - Meat (denomination of origin) and draft

    - Magnificent lyre-shaped horns and short face; strong sexual dimorphism

    - Easy to keep, well-adapted to the highlands of northwestern Portugal

    - Friendly character

  • Information

    Breed name: Mirandesa

    Local breed name: Mirandesa

    Breed size: < 5.000 breeding females and < 250 breeding males

    Species: Bos taurus

    Breed association: ACRBM – Associacão dos Criadores de Bovinos de Raca Mirandesa

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Large and compact animal, light to dark brown coat colour, fringe of blond hair on the head and along the spine, pigmented skin in the nose and around the eyes

    - Meat (denomination of origin) and draft

    - Long horns, strong sexual dimorphism

    - Longevity, well-adapted to the northeastern region of Porgugal (the Miranda plateau)

    - Friendly and curious character

  • Information

    Breed name: Mertolenga

    Local breed name: Mertolenga

    Breed size: < 15.000 breeding females and < 250 breeding males

    Species: Bos taurus

    Breed association: ACBM – Associacão dos Criadores de Bovinos Mertolengos

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Medium-sized, sub-convex profile with three coat colour varieties: solid red called ‘vermelho’, red roan known as ‘rosiho mil-flores’, and red-brown spots on a white background called ‘malhado’

    - Meat (denomination of origin) and draft

    - Long horns, some sexual dimorphism

    - Easy to keep, well-adapted to the arid lowlands of Alentejo

    - Energetic and nervous character

  • Information

    Breed name: Holstein Friesian

    Local breed name: Holstein

    Breed size: > 1.000.000 animals

    Species: Bos taurus

    Control group: OPTIBOV

    Breed specific characteristics

    - High milk production

    - Commercial breed

  • Barrosã

  • Mirandesa

  • Mertolenga

  • Holstein Friesian

Egypt

  • Information

    Breed name: Menofi

    Local breed name: Baladi

    Species: Bos taurus

  • Information

    Breed name: Domiaty

    Local breed name: Damietta

    Species: Bos taurus

  • Information

    Breed name: Maryuti

    Local breed name: Maryuti

    Species: Bos taurus

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Uganda

  • Information

    Breed name: Ankole

    Local breed name: Ankole, Nsagalla, Bahima, Kigezi, Ntuuku

    Breed size: approximately 6.000.000 animals, 50.000 breeding herds

    Species: Bos taurus

    Breed association: Ankole Cattle Breeders Society

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Long horned

    - Dual purpose breed

    - Mature weight 200-400 kg

    - Tolerant to poor feeds and general care

    - Has several coat colours, but dark brown is preferred

  • Information

    Breed name: Karamojong

    Local breed name: Small East African, Teso

    Breed size: approximately 4.000.000 animals, 500.000 breeding herds

    Species: Bos taurus

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Short horned

    - Dual purpose breed

    - Mature weight 200-300 kg

    - Tolerant to poor feeds and general care

    - Has several coat colours, but light colours are preferred

  • Information

    Breed name: Nganda

    Local breed name: Nsoga, Nyoro

    Breed size: approximately 350.000 animals, 30.000 breeding herds

    Species: Bos taurus

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Short horned

    - Dual purpose breed

    - Mature weight 150-200 kg

    - Tolerant to poor feeds and general care

    - Has several coat colours, but light brown is dominant

  • Information

    Breed name: Ntuuku

    Local breed name: Ntoroko

    Breed size: approximately 300.000 animals, 30.000 breeding herds

    Species: Bos indicus

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Medium length horns

    - Dual purpose breed

    - Mature weight 150-200 kg

    - Tolerant to poor feeds and general care

    - Adapted to mountainous areas of Western Uganda

  • Information

    Breed name: Nkedi

    Local breed name: Nsoga, Nyoro

    Breed size: approximately 350.000 animals, 30.000 breeding herds

    Species: Bos indicus

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Short horned

    - Dual purpose breed

    - Mature weight 180-300 kg

    - Tolerant to poor feeds and general care

    - Has several coat colours, but light brown is dominant

  • Information

    Breed name: Holstein Friesian

    Local breed name: Holstein

    Breed size: > 1.000.000 animals

    Species: Bos taurus

    Control group: OPTIBOV

    Breed specific characteristics

    - High milk production

    - Commercial breed

  • Ankole

  • Karamojong

  • Nganda

  • Ntuuku

  • Nkedi

  • Holstein Friesian

South Africa

  • Information

    Breed name: Afrikaner

    Local breed name: Afrikaner

    Species: Sanga

    Breed association: Afrikaner cattle breeder’s society of South Africa

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Mature bulls weigh 750-1.000 kg and mature cows weigh 450-600 kg

    - Well-adapted to the local hot, arid conditions

    - Suitable for cross-breeding with exotic breeds

    - Cows have excellent mothering capabilities

    - High quality beef

    - Not very friendly (also known as ‘no-nonsense’ breed)

  • Information

    Breed name: Tuli

    Local breed name: Tuli

    Species: Sanga

    Breed association: Tuli cattle breeder’s society of South Africa

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Adaptation to heat and nutritional stress

    - Three basic coat colours (red, yellow and white) which enables them to adapt to intense sunlight

    - Mature bulls weigh 750-850 kg and mature cows weigh 400-500 kg

    - Carcass merit

    - Fertility and maternal strength

    - Calving ease

    - Outcross genotype

    - Polled/horned

    - Moderate frame, low maintenance

    - Adaptability

  • Information

    Breed name: Nguni

    Local breed name: Nguni

    Species: Sanga

    Breed association: Nguni cattle breeder’s society of South Africa

    Breed specific characteristics

    - Reproductive ease

    - Derive their name from the black tribes of Africa, collectively known as the Nguni people

    - Mature bulls weigh 500-600 kg and mature cows weigh 300-400 kg

    - Parasite and extreme temperature tolerance

    - Quality carcass, even distribution of fat

    - Longevity

    - Excellent foragers

  • Information

    Breed name: Holstein Friesian

    Local breed name: Holstein

    Breed size: > 1.000.000 animals

    Species: Bos taurus

    Control group: OPTIBOV

    Breed specific characteristics

    - High milk production

    - Commercial breed

  • Afrikaner

  • Tuli

  • Nguni

  • Holstein Friesian