Montbéliarde cows are a breed of dairy cows that are utilized primarily for milk production and also especially for cheesemaking. It’s kind France’s Montbéliard area. The ancestors of those breed were Bernoise cows, however, now the critters are their own breed.
Joseph Graber initially employed the title Montbéliarde, when demonstrating a set of cows in the Langres agricultural contest in 1872.
Earlier this, the neighborhood stock from native multipurpose cattle breeds like Fémeline and Tourache (afterward called Comtoise) was enhanced by Mennonite farmers in Switzerland, also called Franco-Swiss. These creatures were referred to as the Alsatian breed before about the middle 1800s.
A herdbook for its Montbéliarde cow’s breed was set in 1889, and the strain was formally approved. The strain was chosen for great roughage conversion since 1980. And lots of creatures were offered into the Midi area and Algeria after 1900.
Red Holstein cows breed has been crossed to the strain from the 1970s, also in precisely exactly the exact identical time that they crossed with Fleckvieh bulls.
However, the cross with Fleckvieh bulls wasn’t too profitable. The Montbéliarde cows were also employed for crossing to the Danish Red and also Vorderwalder cattle strains from the 1990s. Crossbreeding of Montbéliarde and Holstein has gotten very well known in the USA recently.
Nowadays the Montbéliarde cows are tremendously common in France. Plus They’ve been exported to a Lot of countries Including Turkey, Tunisia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Russia, Portugal, Poland, New Zealand, Kuwait, Mexico, Ireland, Italy, Hungary, Luxembourg, Spain, Greece, United States, Columbia, Croatia, Ivory Coast, Chile, China, Austria, Brazil, Belgium, South Africa, Germany and a Lot More. Read more details about this cows breed under.
Montbéliarde Cattle Characteristics
The Montbéliarde cows are moderate to large-sized creatures of milk type. They are rather like white and red Holstein cows.
They’re reddish pied from coloration with whiteheads and short horns. Both bulls and cows normally have horns, and their horns are all of lyre-shaped.

Older cows stand around 135-140 cm tall at the withers and approximately 148 cm for those bulls.
The typical dwell bodyweight of these bulls ranges from 900 to 1200 kg. And the typical bodyweight of these cows differs from 600 to 700 kg.
Montbéliarde Cattle Advantages
Montbéliarde cows are primarily utilized as a milk product breed in France. Their milk can be used especially for cheesemaking.
However, the breed can also be great for beef production. Their beef is of superior quality, and they’ve better beef features compared to Holstein cows.
The Montbéliarde cows are extremely sturdy and, ideal for harsh environments and easily handled creatures.
They could ingest huge amounts of rough forage and aren’t influenced by heat.
The cows are fairly great milk producers, even though they aren’t as remarkable in milking because the Holstein Friesians. In an average, the cattle can create approximately 7486 liters of milk per lactation.
Their milk comprises about 3.45 percentage of protein and approximately 3.9 percent butterfat articles that are fantastic for cheesemaking.
The Montbéliarde cows are also great for creating quality beef.
The cull cows also create fantastic quality carcasses without the surplus fat. The Warriors grow comparatively quickly compared to a other cattle breeds.
The critters are extremely wealthy and long resided. Powerful udders of the cows imply they have high resistance to mastitis.
This can be an attractive attribute for farmers who would like to continue to keep their herd healthy and successful.
Now the strain has spread to a lot of nations and has become famous for crossing with Holsteins to offer improved fertility and longevity.
Montbéliarde Cattle Breed Information
Breed Name | Montbéliarde |
Other Name | Alsatian, Montbeliard |
Breed Purpose | Milk, meat |
Special Notes | Strong, hardy, good milk producers, fast growers, well adapted to harsh climates |
Breed Size | Medium to large |
Weight Bulls | 900 to 1200 kg |
Cows | 600 to 700 kg |
Climate Tolerance | All Climates |
Coat Color | Red pied |
Horned | Yes |
Milk Yield | Good |
Rarity | Common |
Country/Place of Origin | France |