dutch belted
Seventeenth-century European noblemen, in particular Dutch ones, greatly admired the striking looks of the original belted cattle that came from Switzerland and Austria. They bred them specifically to encourage the band of white around the animal’s middle. Their alternative name, Lakenvelder, means sheet or cloth, and refers to the white band. In some countries animals with this unusual marking are known as ‘sheeted’ cattle. The belt should extend from the shoulder to the hip and completely encircle the body. The breed is known for its grazing and foraging Dutch abilities, and produces plentiful milk on forage alone. Cows continue to breed well into their teenage years, producing a calf every year. In most cases the fairly light birth weight of the calves leads to normal deliveries without assistance. According to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, by the 1970s the Dutch Belted breed was close to extinction. However, due to the efforts of a few dedicated farmers it survived in the US and its semen was exported back to the Netherlands. In the early 1990s there was a revival of interest in the breed, particularly among farmers interested in grassbased dairying, and it is now in a stronger position than it has been for some time.
Belted cow and calf
Dutch Belted bull
Origin
Type
Size
Horned or polled
The Netherlands
Dairy
Medium
Short horns
Colour and appearance
Black with a broad white belt – occasionally red with a white belt.
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