Normande milk components are the best for making cheese. Carcass yield and marbling are superior.
Mr Levigneron, Normande X Holstein.
A perfect fit
The Normande is the quintessential cow: unlike specialized breeds, it has preserved hardiness and breeding qualities, such as fertility, calving ease, feed and legs conformation, feed conversion and genetic diversity. From the high plateaus of the Andes, to the tropics, to Brazil, Belgium, Ireland, Japan, Africa and North America, the Normande has proven its adaptability to a vast range of climates. The Normande demonstrates that milk production can be accomplished without losing essential breeding qualities. We are pleased to introduce you to this unique genetics, a perfect fit for the new needs of dairy genetics.
Mr Uhel, Normande X Holstein.
The trouble-free cow
Long damp cold muddy winters and simple forage diets have prepared Normandes for the worst. Today Normandes spread from the Andes to the Tropical coastlines of South America to Ireland and Canada. Because the Normande has not been selected solely on one character, it has retained exceptional qualities usually lost by specialized breeds, such as fertility, calving ease, excellent feet and legs and overall hardiness. Its thick curly winter hair insures a good protection against the cold while eye rings are effective against the sun in the summer. The breed also shows remarkable docility which makes the handling of bulls very easy. In addition, Normande presents exceptional feed conversion rates continually improved with ongoing selection. Finally, raised on grass for centuries, the Normande shows outstanding grazing ability.
Ideal for dairy crossbreeding
From Vermont to California and Wisconsin to Texas, dairy farmers are increasingly deciding to cross the top French Normande bulls with their dairy cows. Beyond hybrid vigor, they hope to make up for the lost breeding qualities (especially fertility and strength) for such specialized breeds as Holstein and Jersey. Conventional dairymen and graziers alike, all seek maximum heterosis effect. Many of them intend to breed up to purebred, thus opting for a more functional, low maintenance cow.
Studies made in France have shown that the F1 crosses tend to be above median average of the two breeds for milk but closer to the Normande for components. Further studies are needed to confirm this observation. But as inbreeding is becoming more of an issue for U.S. dairy breeds, there is great future for crossbreeding in the dairy industry. Because of its combination of strength, fertility and components, the Normande is well positioned to play a major role.