White Park cattle are a rare breed of cattle with ancient herds preserved in the UK. The breed has been registered in Britain since the 13th century. Since that time, there are several older herds.
White Park cattle are also known by other names such as Park, White Forest, Wild White also known as old white park in North America.
The breed includes two very rare types that are often considered distinct: Chillingham and Wynola cattle. In pre-Christian times, cattle in White Park were raised and used for ceremonial purposes.
Over the following centuries, herds of wild cows dispersed across Scotland, England and Wales. And these wild cattle were hunted as trophy animals. Some feral cow herds were imprisoned in deer pens, although most animals were free to roam.
The number of free-ranging cattle disappeared as their habitat was gradually reduced, and only “park” animals remained as representatives of the old type. The White Park cattle breed is quite rare today.
The Parks Society was formed in 1918 to promote this historic cattle breed. And the Park Society identified six surveyed cattle herds and nine cattle herds in its first herd book. Learn more about this incredibly ancient breed of cattle below.
White Park Cattle Characteristics
White Park cattle are medium to large sized animals with relatively long bodies. They are usually white with black dots, although sometimes the black dots can be red.
Bulls and cows usually have large horns. The average live weight of adult White Park bulls ranges from 800 to 1000 kg. Although their body mass varies according to the qualities of the pastures.
And in good grazing conditions, bulls can weigh around 1250 kg. But the cows are relatively smaller. Their average weight is 500-700 kg. Photos and information from Wikipedia.
Advantages
These animals are used for both meat production and milk production. Bulls are also used to crossbreed other cows.
Special Notes
White Park cattle are a very old breed of cattle. They are strong animals with long and large sizes. They are good for both meat production and milk production. The breed is known for producing quality beef with particularly good marbling.
It is a very rustic, robust and frugal breed of cattle, very suitable for conservation grazing. White Park cattle graze on a wide variety of pastures, including poor roughage.
This breed is genetically distant from most other cattle breeds. And crosses of this breed have great hybrid vigor. However, check out the full profile of this breed in the table below.
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| Breed name | white park |
| another name | Park, White Forest, Wild White, White Horn, also known as Ancient White Park in North America. |
| Purpose of the breed | Meat, milk |
| Special Notes | Active, hardy, obedient |
| Breed size | medium-heavy |
| Bulls | About 800-1000 kilograms |
| cows | About 500-700kg |
| climatic tolerance | All climates |
| coat color | White |
| horned | Yes |
| milk production | Not really |
| scarcity | Ordinary parts |
| Country/place of origin | UK |
