What is a Holstein Friesian cow? (Holstein cattle)

The Holstein Friesians are currently the most important cow breed in the Netherlands. The Holsteiner has its origin in the Netherlands. They were bred mainly in North Holland and Friesland. The animals are known worldwide for their excellent and high milk production. Due to its good milk, the Holsteiner Friesian can also be found in other countries such as America. The cowhide of the Holsteiner often consists of two colors namely black or red (brown) with white. Each animal has a unique pattern, so it can have a few black patches but also almost uniform black or white. The black and white color is the most common.

What are characteristics of Holstein Friesian cows?

Holstein Friesian cows are fairly large with a withers height of about 140cm and have a stylish color pattern of black and white. A truly superior dairy breed, these animals are less muscular and have a slim, somewhat lean build. An important issue in breeding in recent years was the development of the cows' udder and teats. These had to be easy to milk for both manual milking and with the automatic milking machine.

An adult cow weighs about 600 to 700 kilograms. And a healthy calf weighs about 45 kilograms at birth. The Holstein Friesians can produce an average of 10,000 kilograms of milk per year. This milk has a fat and protein content of about 3.5%. The best dairy cows are milked three times a day. On February 2010, a Holsteiner Friesian gave 32740 kilograms of milk in 365 days!

The history of the Holstein Friesian

The Holstein Friesian evolved from the Fries-Holland cow breed. The Holsteiner is slightly larger than the Fries-Hollander but less muscular. The Fries-Hollander was taken by the Dutch colony to New Amsterdam (now known as New York) in the years 1621 to 1664 where the breed was crossed with local cattle. After the Dutch had to cede the colony to the British, the cattle slowly disappeared as well. The British took their own cattle with them at that time. The breed was already known at that time for its good productivity of milk.

In about 1850, the Friesian-Dutch breed was again exported from the Netherlands to America. The Americans continued breeding with this breed to get pure dairy cows. In the 20th century (year 1901 to 2000) some cattle were brought back to the Netherlands, now they also got the name Holstein Friesian. Today the Holstein Friesian is the most important breed in the Netherlands.