Montbeliarde cattle

History

The Montbeliarde is a dual-purpose dairy breed. They are part of the broader Simmental and Fleckvieh cattle families. Montbeliarde originated from cross of three cow breeds: 1. Femeline 2. Taurache 3. Berne. They are renowned as dairy cows among farmers.

The history of Montbeliarde goes back to the early 18th century when farmers from the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland settled in Montbeliard, now located in France’s circumference. They brought their livestock with them, which gradually became popular and proliferated.

Initially, the Montbeliarde was known as the Alsatian breed. Later their name was changed to Montbeliarde in the mid-1800s—reflecting its origin. In 1889, the French Minister of Agriculture recognized them as a cattle breed, and a hard book was published in the same year.

By 1990, they made up 11% of France’s national cattle herd, ranking third among dairy breeds. Today, the Montbeliarde ranks as the second most popular dairy breed in France.

Characteristics

The Montbeliarde is a dual-purpose cattle breed, mainly used for milk production. Though the Montbeliarde does not produce as much milk as the Holstein, its milk has higher butterfat and protein content than Holstein. In addition, Montbeliarde’s meat quality is better than the Holstein breed.

The Montbeliarde coat color is typically white with red patches. Besides, their head and legs are usually white. Cows weigh between 600-750 kg (1322-1653 lb.), while bulls weigh between 1000-1200 kg (2204-2645 lb.). They typically reach about 58 inches ( 147 cm) at the withers. These cattle are short-horned.

The Montbeliarde are known for their calm temperament, making them easy to handle.

Their milk contains 3.9% butterfat and 3.5% protein, and it has high percentage of kappa casein BB variants, which is ideal for cheese production. The Montbeliarde cow produces around 7,500 liters of milk annually (16,534 lb.). Besides, they have a long lifespan. About 24% of cows reach 5+ lactation cycles.

The Montbeliarde also provides quality beef, there is strong demand even for cull cow’s meat. Cull cows typically have a dressing rate of 52-54%, while young bulls offer a slightly higher yield 57-59%, with minimal excess fat.

Additionally, the Montbeliarde is a hardy breed. As I have mentioned earlier, they have evolved through the Montbeliarde diverse climate, where temperatures vary greatly between summer and winter.

Therefore, they are naturally suited to both warm and cold climates. Their rectal temperature regulatory system and respiratory rhythm are especially well adapted to hot weather.

Moreover, Montbeliarde cows calve easily, are resistant to mastitis, and have good udder quality.