Aubrac cattle
 Aubrac cow | |
| Conservation status | FAO (2007): not at risk[1]: 143 |
|---|---|
| Other names | Laguiole[2]: 219 |
| Country of origin | France |
| Distribution | Auvergne, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées |
| Use | meat |
| Traits | |
| Weight | |
| Height | |
| Skin colour | black |
| Coat | wheaten |
| Horn status | horned in both sexes |
| |
The Aubrac or Laguiole is a French breed of beef cattle. It originates on the Plateau de l'Aubrac in the Massif Central in central southern France, from which it also takes its name. It has a wheat-coloured coat and dark hooves, switch, muzzle and eyes.
History
[edit]The Aubrac is a traditional breed of the Plateau de l'Aubrac in the Massif Central, which spans the modern départements of the Aveyron, the Cantal and the Lozère, in the regions of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Occitanie.[3] In the twenty-first century almost 90% of the breed population is concentrated in that area. A herd-book was started in 1893.[4]: 114
Some limited cross-breeding took place in the twentieth century: with the Mézenc, now extinct, between 1935 and 1945; with the Maraîchine between 1945 and 1955; and with the Parthenaise between 1955 and 1975.[3]
The conservation status of the Aubrac is 'not at risk'.[1]: 143 In 2014 the population in France was reported at about 170000 head; for 2021 it was over 506000.[5] The cattle have been exported to a number of countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas; substantial numbers are reported by Ireland and Lithuania.[6]
Characteristics
[edit]The Aubrac is robust, frugal, fertile and long-lived, and is well adapted to the mountain environment of the Massif Central.[3] It is reported to be resistant to trypanosomiasis, the "sleeping-sickness" transmitted by tsetse flies.[5]
It has a uniformly wheaten coat, ranging from a pale greyish white to a light brown tinged with orange-yellow.[4]: 114 The skin, hooves, muzzle, tongue, switch and natural openings are all black; there is a pale ring round the muzzle.[4]: 114 [3] Bulls may carry darker markings to the coat.[3] The horns are lyre-shaped and tipped with black. Bulls stand about 140 cm at the withers and weigh some 900–1300 kg; cows stand some 125–130 cm and weigh about 600–800 kg.[4]: 114 [3][5]
Use
[edit]The Aubrac was formerly reared as a draught and dairy animal, but is now raised principally for beef. Under certain conditions this can be marketed as Fin Gras du Mézenc.[7] Bullocks weigh about 310 kg when weaned.[3]
Some of the cows are of dairy type, and are milked; they will only give milk if their calf is with them.[4]: 114 Some of the milk is used in the production of Laguiole cheese; it is hoped that this proportion may reach 10%.[8]
References
[edit]
- ^ a b Rischkowsky, Barbara; Pilling, Dafydd, eds. (2007). "Annex: Breeds currently recorded in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources" (PDF). The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-105762-9.
- ^ Marleen Felius (1995). Cattle Breeds: An Encyclopedia. Doetinchem, Netherlands: Misset. ISBN 9789054390176.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Étude de la race bovine: Aubrac (in French). Bureau des Ressources Génétiques. Archived 6 July 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
- ^ a b c Breed data sheet: Aubrac / France (Cattle). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed February 2024.
- ^ Transboundary breed: Aubrac. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed February 2024.
- ^ L'AOP Fin Gras du Mézenc (in French). Chaudeyrolles: Association Fin Gras. Archived 2 October 2023.
- ^ Les vaches de l'Aubrac: La race aubrac (in French). Le syndicat de défense et de promotion du fromage de laguiole A.O.C. - A.O.P. Accessed November 2016.