Cattle : BLONDE D'AQUITAINE

Country of Origin: Aquitaine, France

Australian Status: 

International status: Safe. Half a million in France. Some in Sweden and the USA. Those in the UK became a breed called British Blonde.

Arrived in Australia: 1975 as straws and embryoes. 281 registered animals on 16 studs in Australia that year (source the Australian Society link below).

Australian Population: 2022: 271 total registrations (ARCBA figures); of that presume 220 cows of breeding age.

History: Blonde D'Aquitaine cattle were hardy strong draught cattle right up to the end of WW2.  Developed in Aquitaine, the south west of France, from three French breeds - the Blonde des Pyrénées, the Blonde de Quercy and the Garonnaise. They were  brought to Australia in 1975 via semen and embryos.  In 1989 17 calves were successfully calved at Victor Harbour from 23 embyos from Canada.

Breed Traits: Now a beef breed, they inherited the powerful muscular structure and strong frame of their working ancestors, with excellent quarters and shoulders, together with its quiet temperament. A long back and robust frame, well-muscled, yields plenty of beef and a big eye steak area.

Good looking, they are mainly blonde in colour, usually lighter around the eyes, belly, legs; some are tan and some white. Bred now for beef they're a typical European breed, being big in size and heavily muscled. Calves are small and slender giving ease of calving, then grow rapidly. Often used as a terminal sire over English beef breeds to add size, muscling, fast growth and easier calving. Known as a great feedlot breed as they grow super-fast in the feedlot.

Plenty of meat and not much fat. The meat has some marbling. Double-muscled (hereditary muscular hyperplaysia), not extreme as Belgium Blue Reference

Good natured. Most are horned (usually dehorned while young), there are some polled lines. Highly fertile. Good foragers and adaptable to a range of climates - thought to be the most adaptable breed to climate. They can use their muscles to move their skin to ease heat.

Organisation: Blonde d'Aquitaine Society of Australia and New Zealand  Also have a facebook page (no response to queries on there) which seems active.

Additional Notes: Interesting to seee a black bull posted on their facebook page recently (Aug 2022). Also, seems to be plenty here in commercial herds so registered numbers obviously a lot less than overall populaiton.

Photo: Une blonde d'Aquitaine et son veau à La ferme en ville, by Aubujoy,  Wikimedia Commons

page by Janet Lane

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