- Gloucester cattle
Gloucester cattle are a breed of
dairy andbeef cattle originating fromGloucestershire and surrounding areas in theWest Country ofEngland .Description
They are large cattle, coloured a rich dark brown in the cows, calves and steers, and almost black in the
bull s. They have a white belly and a white finching stripe along the spine and continuing over the tail, and they normally have well-developed white horns with black tips.History
Cattle of similar type were numerous in the
Cotswold Hills and the Severn Valley ofEngland as early as the13th century . They were valued for their milk (used forGloucester cheese s), for providing strong and docile draughtoxen and finally for theirbeef .By 1972 only one significant herd remained and the breed was in danger of dying out. The
Gloucester Cattle Society was revived in 1973 and the breed has moved from near extinction to there being over 650 registered females. TheRare Breeds Survival Trust lists the Gloucester as being "At Risk" as there are less than 750 registered breeding females [http://www.rbst.org.uk/watch-list/main.php Rare Breeds Survival Trust watch list] accessed 21st May 2008] .The milk of Gloucesters is well-suited to
cheese-making , being high inprotein and with highbutterfat , in particularly small globules. Single Gloucester and Stinking Bishop cheeses are made exclusively from Gloucester cattle milk.Double Gloucester cheese may now be made from the milk of any cattle, although it was traditionally made from that of Gloucesters.Glamorgan cattle , from the adjacent parts ofWales , are another rare breed of similar type with similar colouration.External links
* [http://www.gloucestercattle.org.uk/home.htm Gloucester Cattle Society]
* [http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/gloucester/index.htm Gloucester cattle description]
* [http://www.rbst.org.uk/watch-list/cattle.php Rare Breeds Survival Trust cattle watchlist]References
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