Norwegian Red Cattle are a dual-purpose breed of domestic cattle that are bred for both milk and meat production. As the name suggests, the breed has been developed in Norway since the 1970s.
It is primarily a dairy cattle breed that has been bred for a broad breeding purpose with increased attention to functional traits such as health and fertility.
The breed was developed by crossing dairy cattle breeds with several Scandinavian breeds, including Norwegian red and white, Trondheim red and horizontal distribution Red Urn Ostland. Ayrshires, Frisians, Holsteins, Swedish Red Whites, etc. are other cattle breeds that would contribute to the gene pool.
Norwegian Red cattle have become the dominant breed in their region of origin, accounting for 98 percent of the total cattle population. Seeds/embryos of this breed are also frequently exported to North America to be crossed with Holstein cattle in the United States dairy industry.
Today, the breed is available in over 20 countries around the world, including Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It is currently a popular continental European breed.
Characteristics of Norwegian Red Cattle
Norwegian Red Cattle are medium to large sized animals with beautiful coloring. They do not express the outward uniformity of the true race, though for the most part they are red or red and white.
They are usually red and white or black and white in color. Initially, the animals were horned. But thanks to selective breeding, most Norwegian red cows are regularly polled these days.
The average height of Norwegian red cows is about 137 cm at the withers, while that of bulls is about 145 cm. Cows weigh on average about 600 kg.
Bulls are much bigger than cows. And the average live weight of bulls is about 1300 kg. Photos and information from Wikipedia.
Advantages
These animals have a dual purpose. They are used for the production of milk and meat. But nowadays they are mainly used for milk production.
Special Notes
Norwegian Red cattle are known for their longevity and resistance to disease. The cows milk well and produce good quality milk. Their milk contains about 3.4% protein and about 4.2% fat.
Average milk yield up to 6000 kg per lactation. The breed is also very good at meat production. Males grow on average at the rate of 1.4 kg per day. However, check out the full profile of this breed in the following table.
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| Breed name | norwegian red | |
| another name | everything | |
| Purpose of the breed | Milk, Meat | |
| Special Notes | Good milkers, fast producers | |
| Breed size | medium to large | |
| Bulls | About 1300 kg | |
| cows | About 600kg | |
| climatic tolerance | All climates | |
| coat color | Usually red and white or black and white | |
| horned | Yes / Asked | |
| milk production | Good | |
| scarcity | general | |
| Country/place of origin | Norway |
