Aubrac Cattle

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Aubrac cow near Sébazac, Aveyron

Aubrac Cattle in the Aubrac

The Aubrac is a very old French beef cattle breed.

1 History
2 Morphology
3 Use
4 Links
5 External links

[edit] History

The Aubrac is a very old French beef cattle breed with 150 years of breeding history. After centuries of selection, French revolution and monastic selection, selling animals to Aubrac farmers, it was decided to open a herd book in 1893. It was the golden age of the breed. Cows spent the winter in the farm and gave birth to calves. At the end of spring the cows went to the mountains, where rich grass and flowers give the best milk to make a cheese named laguiole. At the farm, young bulls were bred to became draft oxen. 300,000 aubrac existed at this time. After the second world war, oxen were not used, and after the 1950's, milk was more cheaply produced by new breeds like braunvieh or holstein. The breed become a beef breed.
Today ca. 3000 cows are inscribed in the French studbook, the whole population in France represents ca. 10,000 cows. In Germany there are 2,500 cows, half of them inscribed in a studbook.

[edit] Morphology

The color is tan, darker on the nose and eyes, circled with white. The skin is black and the long horns are of lyre type.
This breed is medium tall: 130 cm for 600 kg cows and 140 cm for 900 kg bulls.

[edit] Use

Because of selection for many years with extensive husbandry conditions, a tough breed was developed with a high power of resistance, frugality, easy calving and longevity. Most of the cows are kept as suckler cows. In France, 60 % of the cows are covered by Charolais bulls, because of the ability of the breed for crossing with heavy beef breeds.
A little group of farmers, with the financial help of local authorities, tries to keep a few dairy aubrac cows. They use milk to make traditional laguiole cheese.