Normande Breed of Cow:

The Normande breed is a breed of cattle that originated in the part of France known as Normandy.



This region is in the north western part of France, and has a general reputation for excellent food and drink. Normandy is largely an agricultural area, and cattle breeding and dairy production are important industries here. In fact, dairy produce from Normande cows is exported across the world, and is highly prized for its taste and nutritional value.





It is said that the history of Normande cattle goes all the way back to Viking invasions in the 9th and 10th centuries. The invaders brought cattle with them, and over the centuries these cattle have been bred and refined into the current Normande breed. However, early breeding practices were not as well defined as they are today, and there were probably great variations in the characteristics of the breed till even a century ago.



It is only since around 1883 that the Normande breed we know today has been properly standardized, maintained, and bred using modern, scientific breeding practices. Normande cows today typically weigh 700 kilograms and stand 140 centimeters tall. Normande bulls are 1,100 kilograms in weight, and stand 152 centimeters tall. The body length is unusually long, but at the same time the cattle are spring of rib and possess good body depth. The muscle mass to bone ratio is excellent, thus giving a high yield. The cattle are typically pied, either chestnut brown or black in color. Other interesting Normande facts include their ability to thrive on a high roughage diet and their rapid growth rate.

The Normande breed is what is known as a “dual purpose” breed – it is meant for both dairy production and meat production. However, it is particularly popular as a dairy breed, as the milk it produces is rich in both fat and protein. This is one of the main reasons why dairy products from Normandy, particularly Normandy cheese, are so popular all over the world. Normande cows are therefore typically used in the cheese industry. These cows are also unusually productive with milk. As far as the meat industry is concerned, Normande cattle are also highly reputed for their quality. The meat is tasty and well marbled, and as mentioned earlier, the yield is very high. Normande cattle can also be mixed with almost any good beef breed to improve certain characteristics of the meat.