Bleue du Nord
Country of origin | France |
---|---|
Distribution | Nord-Pas-de-Calais[3] |
Traits | |
Weight | |
Height | |
Coat | white, black pied, blue roan pied |
Horn status | horned in both sexes |
The Bleue du Nord is a French
History
Like many European breeds, the Bleue du Nord derives from
By the end of the nineteenth century the Bleue du Nord was widespread in the region. Numbers fell drastically during the
From about 1960, breeding of the Belgian Blue – known in France as the Blanc-Bleu – concentrated heavily on beef production and on the "double-muscling" characteristic. A small number of French breeders continued to raise the older dual-purpose type. A new herd-book for the Bleue du Nord was opened in 1986[2][3] or 1998.[5]: 132
In 2007 the conservation status of the Bleue du Nord was listed by the
In 2008 an international project of co-operation began to co-ordinate exchange of breeding stock between the Bleue du Nord of France and the closely similar Bleu Mixte of Belgium – the surviving remnant of dual-purpose Belgian Blue.[5]: 132
Characteristics
The Bleue du Nord may be black-and-white pied, blue-and-white pied, or white.[5]: 132 The muzzle and mucous areas are dark.[3] The horns are white at the base, black at the tips.[4]: 44
The cattle are docile and easily managed. They are frugal, robust and resistant, and well adapted to the cold and damp conditions of their native area.[4]: 45
The Mf gene, which causes the
Use
The Bleue du Nord has been selectively bred to maintain both its abilities as a dairy breed and its qualities as a beef breed.[4]: 45
Milk yield is lower than in specialised dairy breeds. It is variously reported as 4853 kg in 292 days;[4]: 44 as 5350 litres in a standard lactation of 300 days;[3] and as 6108 litres.[5]: 132 The record for the breed is 10795 kg in one lactation.[4]: 46
The meat is tender and low in fat.[4]: 45
References
- ^ ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Breed data sheet: Bleue du Nord / France (Cattle). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed July 2022.
- ^ a b c d Étude de la race bovine: Bleue du Nord (in French). Bureau des Ressources Génétiques. Archived 10 November 2014.
- ^ ISBN 9782855571515.
- ^ ISBN 9781780647944.