Normande Cattle Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Normande cattle breed are famous for the excellent milk quality that produces some of the best French cheese.
These beautiful pied cattle are thought to have descended from Viking cattle stock as Normande is known for its Viking influence.
The Normande cattle breed are recognized all over the world with around 1.2 million heads of cattle globally excluding the population of the breed in France.

NORMANDE BREED OF CATTLE QUICK PROFILE OVERVIEW
Normande is a pied dairy breed of cow that was originally used as a dual-purpose breed as they also exhibit a high quality of meat production
Country of Origin:	France
Other Names:	None
Main Purpose:	Milk
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Can be used for	Breed, Meat, Milk
Ideal Climate:	Heat, Cold, Most Climates
Conservation Status:	Not listed by the *ALC Status/Rarity: Not at risk
Health Issues?	No known health issues
Good Starter Cattle?	Novice to intermediate Cattle farmer/keeper level
Cattle Associations:	North America Normande Association, La race Normande CINOR – International Normande Beef Council
Cattle Clubs:	Please refer to the North America Normande Association, La race Normande CINOR – International Normande Beef Council for more information on the Normande cattle breed
Where to buy them?	Please refer to the North America Normande Association, La race Normande CINOR – International Normande Beef Council for more information on the Normande cattle breed
Child Friendly?	Livestock should not be left unattended around unsupervised children
General Information:	As the breed has been exported to various places in the world and has thrived wherever it has been so. They have proven to be extremely adaptable to most any environment and climatic conditions. They are highly commended for their foraging and grass-grazing abilities having mainly been breed as grass-fed cattle. They are excellent mothers, are easy to breed and are quite docile although caution must be taken around mothers with young calves. This is because they will protect their young at any cost if they see a potential threat. Their milk is ideal for cheese making as it contains a high level of casein beta and kappa. This is the milk curdling agent that is vital in the making of cheese. They also display an excellent phosphate to calcium ratio in their milk which is also a vital aspect to the making of quality cheese. Some of the top cheese made from the Normande cow’s milk are Camembert, Pont-Leveque, and Livarot. The beef of the Normande cattle has also been enjoyed for generations with its excellent marbling adding to the meat’s tenderness and tastes. Their high meat to bone ratio makes for a good percentage meat yield when slaughtered giving less waste. They are an excellent dual-purpose breed that is ideal for dairy cross-breeding, they are highly fertile, fit and well suited for sustainable agriculture.
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

They are a medium to large framed cattle breed with well sprung ribs, good muscling and medium sized face with an upturned snout and medium sized ears.

Size:

Medium to large

CATTLE ⇒	COW	BULL
Breed Color:	Red or Black Pied	Red or Black Pied
Breed Weight:	700 to 800 kgs	900 to 1100 kgs
Breed Height:	144 cm	155 cm
Horns:	They are usually de-horned young
Temperament:	Docile, calm and even tempered	Docile, calm and even tempered. Bulls should never be under-estimated
Matures at age:	6 to 8 months or 9 + months	6 to 8 months or 9 + months
Puberty Age:	6 to 15 months	9 to 1o months
Breeding Age:	13 to 15 months	1 year
Breeding Traits:	See Cow breeding & Milking Info	Cover 25 to 30 Cows in 1 season

COW BREEDING & MILKING INFORMATION
Most Cattle produce milk but not all of them are used in the dairy Cattle capacity for their milk. Cows only calve once a year and should have 12 to 14-month inter-calving cycle. Normande cows make quite a good dairy cow with a good quality of milk and more than decent milk yields. They are also good mothers to their calves.
Breeding Period/cycle:	Usually lasts 6 to 24 hours Most ave. 12 to 16 hours Cows usually come on heat every 21 days.
Estrous cycle:	Ave. 17 days to 24 days Heifer – usually ave. 20 days Cows – usually ave. 21 days
Gestation Period:	Usually, around 279 to 287 days but most gestation is 283 days. Cows that are carrying bull calf’s their gestation period is usually a little longer than cows that are carrying heifer calves.
No. Calves/Litter:	1 calf at a time. Cows rarely have twins or triplets, but it can happen
Lactation Period:	Cows lactation period can last for up to about 10 months (305) days.
Milking From:	1 to 6 weeks after Calving
Drying off Period:	The cow should have a 12 to 14-month inter-calving cycle. Drying off period for around 60 days before she can calve again.
Milk Quality:	Good, Butterfat = 4.4%, Protein = 3.6% Quantity: 6595 liters Per: Lactation period
Milk Ideal for:	Calves
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CATTLE MEAT PRODUCTION INFORMATION

The Normande cattle breed have good finish carcass weights with a good meat to bone ratio. Just enough fat covering to give it an excellent marbling for tender succulent and flavorful beef.

Meat Production?

Yes, Quality: Good

CATTLE ⇒	VEAL	BEEF
Ave. Maturity Age:	6 to 8 months	9 months up to 4 years

CATTLE SKIN PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Most meat Cattle will have a skin by-product, and these are usually used in some form or just as a hide. As a meat producing cattle breed the Normande breed hide is a by-product which could be used in the manufacturing of various leather goods.

Skin Production?

No, Quality: Good

Skin is used to Produce:

Calf/cow skin leather products such as shoes, car seats, fine leather coats, gloves, handbags, belts, furniture, rugs, etc.

CATTLE ⇒	CALF	ADULT
Age they Produce from:	6 to 8 months for Calf skin	1 to 2 years old for Normal leather

HISTORY

The Normande cattle breed were the result of the cross-breeding of local dairy breeds such as the Cotentine, Augeronne and Cauchoised cattle that are now extinct. To the Shorthorn cattle breed or Durham that was imported from England in 1836.

The Alderney breed of France was also incorporated into the Normande breed and a herd book was created in 1883. In 1952 the French introduced performance testing of the bull.

The Normande cattle breed is said to be present on every continent in the world having been imported to many countries throughout the globe. Outside of France Colombia has the highest population of the Normande cattle breed. First imports to Columbia started in 1877.