The Lithuanian Red cattle is a dual purpose breed of domestic cattle. It is raised for both meat and milk production and it is also known as Lithuanian: Lietuvos žalieji.
The breed was actually formed by crossing Danish Red cattle with the local Lithuanian cattle. The crosses were selected for milk production, most of the animals are of clearly defined dairy cattle type.
And the cross was recognized as a new breed in 1951. The Lithuanian Red cattle currently accounts for about 33 percent of the entire cattle population in Lithuania.
The Lithuanian Red Cattle Improvement Association perform the management according to the National Red Cattle Improvement Selection Program.
The Lithuanian Red Herd book was established in 1924. The young Lithuanian Reds are noted for their very fast growth rate. They are also noted for their good food conversion and high carcass quality. Steers weight roughly 413 kilograms as yearlings when intensively fattened.
These animals were developed mainly as a dairy cattle breed, but now they are also kept for meat production. They are mainly kept as a dual purpose animal in most of the farms. Read more information about this cattle breed below.
Lithuanian Red Cattle Characteristics
Lithuanian Red cattle are medium-large sized animal. As the name suggests, the animals are of red color. They have dark hoofs and forward oriented horns.
The cows on average weight about 470-520 kg, and live body weight of the bulls is up to 750 kg. Photo from Lithuania AgroWeb.
Uses
These animals are dual purpose. They are suitable for both meat and milk production. They are very important breed of cattle in Lithuania.
Special Notes
They are very popular breed in Lithuania. And they currently accounts for about 1/3 of the total cattle population in Lithuania.
The breed is noted for it’s fast growth rate and also for it’s good food conversion ratio and high carcass quality. The cows are good milk producers.
The cows on average produce about 4500 kg of milk per lactation, but sometimes more. Their milk contain about 4.43 percent of fat content and about 3.39 percent of proteins. However, review full breed profile of this breed in the following table.
| Breed Name | Lithuanian Red |
| Other Names | Lithuanian: Lietuvos žalieji |
| Breed Purpose | Dual Purpose |
| Special Notes | Active, Fast growers |
| Breed Size | Medium-Heavy |
| Bulls | Up to 750 kg |
| Cows | About 470 to 520 kg |
| Climate Tolerance | All Climates |
| Coat Color | Red |
| Horned | Yes |
| Milk Yield | Medium |
| Rarity | Common |
| Country/Place of Origin | Lithuania |
