The Parthenais cattle are a meat cattle breed from the Deux-Sèvres départment of western France. It originated from the center of France, around the borders of Brittany to the Charente Basin.
The breed was named after the Parthenay town, which was an important cattle market during Middle Ages.
The Parthenais cattle are said to be one of the oldest French cattle breeds with records going back to the beginning of the Century. And the second part of the 19th century was the golden age of the breed.
A French herdbook for the breed established in 1893, and the Canadian herdbook was established 100 years later.
Currently the breed is available in many countries throughout the world. It has been exported to the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland and some other countries.
Parthenais Cattle Characteristics
Parthenais cattle are large animals with golden brown hair color. Both bulls and cows usually have horns and their horns are crescent shaped. They have lighter eyes, muzzle and legs.
But their nose, hooves and tail are black. Mature bulls stand about 145 cm tall and the cows about 135 cm. The bulls on average weight about 1150-1250 kg. And average body weight of the cows is about 700-900 kg. Photo and info from Wikipedia.
Uses
The Parthenais cattle were previously used as a dual-purpose animals and were used for both milk and meat production. But currently, they are being used mainly as a meat cattle breed.
Special Notes
Parthenais cattle are strong and hardy animals. The breed was previously used for producing quality milk which was used for producing butter and other milk products. The animals were also used for draught work in the past.
They have excellent disease-resistance capabilities. They have good immune systems and they are unlikely to fall ill to the usual bovine illnesses or diseases.
The cows are highly fertile and have excellent mothering abilities. The calves are lively and sturdy and grow relatively faster.
The Parthenais cattle are now mainly being used for meat production and they are good for producing good tasting lean meat. However, review full breed profile of the Parthenais cattle in the table below.
| Breed Name | Parthenais | |
| Other Name | None | |
| Breed Purpose | Meat | |
| Special Notes | Good milkers, calves grow fast | |
| Breed Size | Large | |
| Bulls | About 1150-1250 kg | |
| Cows | About 700-900 kg | |
| Climate Tolerance | All Climates | |
| Coat Color | Golden brown | |
| Horned | Yes | |
| Milk Yield | Good | |
| Rarity | Common | |
| Country/Place of Origin | France |
