Cattle: Salers

Country of origin

Massif Central, Auvergne, France.

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Australian Status

 

International

300,000 in their homelands, France. Established in Cumbria, UK in 1984; thence spread across the UK and into Ireland. Canada. Brazil. USA. Australia.

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Uses

 Meat

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Breed traits

Red coat. A cold climate breed. Once triple purpose - draught, milk and beef. The milk makes excellent cheeses. Now mostly run for beef. Less than 10% are milked now in France.

Popular to cross over Charolais for vealers. Popular to cross over anything. Very hardy as they come from rough, elevated, cold country.

Horned. Horns sweep out and up. Thick coat, grow an ample winter coat.

Fertile, long lived, easy calving, good mothers.

 Cows milk an average 3,000-4,000 litres, of 3.58% butterfat and 3.3% protein - while simultaneously weaning a 300 kg suckler calf. 

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History

An ancient European breed, thought to be directly descended from red African cattle that walked across to Spain and thence on to central France. Said to be the most ancient breed in Europe.

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Breed association

Salers Australia https://www.salersaustralia.com.au/

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Australian population

2022: 3 bulls, 28 females

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Photo credit

Salers cow and calf, 10th August 2005 by B. Navez, Wiki.

 

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