- Vorderwald Cattle
Vorderwald Cattle (in German: Vorderwälder Rind) are a dual purpose cattle breed adapted,like the related Hinterwald cattle breed, to the rough mountain conditions of the
Black Forest inGermany .Characteristics
They are reputed to be longlived with strong legs and feet allowing them to graze on the mountains. The head and legs are generally white and the body has red, brown or even black patches or spots. They have forward curving horns. Cows are typically 135 cm tall at the withers and weigh about 600 kg. Bulls are typically 150 cm tall at the withers and weigh about 1,050 kg. [ [http://www.tiho-hannover.de/einricht/zucht/eaap/descript/266.htm EAAP Animal genetic data bank] ]
History
The so called "Wald Cattle" were mentioned for the first time in 1544. They were already differentiated between a bigger breed, today's Vorderwald cattle, and a smaller breed, today's Hinterwald cattle. A herdbook was established in 1896. After 1960 there was some crossbreeding with
Ayrshire cattle .Population
In 2004 there were 4826 females in the herd book with numbers slowly declining.
References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
