Conservation status | FAO (2007): not at risk [1] : 143 |
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Other names | Laguiole [2] : 219 |
Country of origin | France |
Distribution | Auvergne, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées |
Use | meat |
Traits | |
Weight | |
Height | |
Skin colour | black |
Coat | wheaten |
Horn status | horned in both sexes |
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The Aubrac or Laguiole is a French breed of beef cattle. It originates on the Plateau de l'Aubrac in the Massif Central in central southern France, from which it also takes its name. It has a wheat-coloured coat and dark hooves, switch, muzzle and eyes.
The Aubrac is a traditional breed of the Plateau de l'Aubrac in the Massif Central, which spans the modern départements of the Aveyron, the Cantal and the Lozère, in the regions of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Occitanie. [3] In the twenty-first century almost 90% of the breed population is concentrated in that area. A herd-book was started in 1893. [4] : 114
Some limited cross-breeding took place in the twentieth century: with the Mézenc, now extinct, between 1935 and 1945; with the Maraîchine between 1945 and 1955; and with the Parthenaise between 1955 and 1975. [3]
The conservation status of the Aubrac is 'not at risk'. [1] : 143 In 2014 the population in France was reported at about 170000 head; for 2021 it was over 506000. [5] The cattle have been exported to a number of countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas; substantial numbers are reported by Ireland and Lithuania. [6]
The Aubrac is robust, frugal, fertile and long-lived, and is well adapted to the mountain environment of the Massif Central. [3] It is reported to be resistant to trypanosomiasis, the "sleeping-sickness" transmitted by tsetse flies. [5]
It has a uniformly wheaten coat, ranging from a pale greyish white to a light brown tinged with orange-yellow. [4] : 114 The skin, hooves, muzzle, tongue, switch and natural openings are all black; there is a pale ring round the muzzle. [4] : 114 [3] Bulls may carry darker markings to the coat. [3] The horns are lyre-shaped and tipped with black. Bulls stand about 140 cm at the withers and weigh some 900–1300 kg; cows stand some 125–130 cm and weigh about 600–800 kg. [4] : 114 [3] [5]
The Aubrac was formerly reared as a draught and dairy animal, but is now raised principally for beef. Under certain conditions this can be marketed as Fin Gras du Mézenc. [7] Bullocks weigh about 310 kg when weaned. [3]
Some of the cows are of dairy type, and are milked; they will only give milk if their calf is with them. [4] : 114 Some of the milk is used in the production of Laguiole cheese; it is hoped that this proportion may reach 10%. [8]
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