Although cows come in a variety of colours and sizes, the black and white cow is the image of popular imagination. Most people picture our bovine breeds as being monochrome and, when asked to draw a cow, the chances are that a child will sketch a black and white cow.
- Guide to British cattle breeds: common breeds and how to recognise them
- What is a heifer?
- How cows give birth: the miracle of new life
So in honour of that long association, here are four of our favourite black-and-white cow breeds, from everyone's favourite, the Friesian, to the lesser-known Belted Galloway...
Black and white cow breeds
British Friesian
Imported from Holland in the 19th century, grazing Friesians were a familiar sight in Britain in the Victorian era but, in the 1890s, foot and mouth disease become so widespread on the Continent that live animal imports to Britain were banned.
The British Holstein Cattle Society (later British Friesian Cattle Society) was set up in 1909 and, five years later, the first official shipment of society-approved Friesians arrived on British soil. By the 1950s, the majority of UK cows were British Friesians. Friesians are about 15cm shorter than Holsteins and have a more filled-out appearance that reflects their use as both a dairy and beef breed.
Holstein
After the Second World War, purebred Holsteins were introduced. Before long, these big milking cows left the British Friesians behind. Holstein specialists stress that in a modern market you need commercial animals that can be housed indoors all year if needed, producing quality milk and lots of it. They say that’s especially true when profit margins are tight. Bred purely for milk production, the Holsteins are taller than Friesians but are less muscular and have a more pronounced bone structure.
The Belted Galloway
It doesn't take a genius to work out how this cattle breed earned its name. The white band around its middle is a pretty big giveaway.
This cow is a polled breed (bred without horns) with a thick hairy coat, bred through generational selection over a number of years. Black and white is just one of the numerous colours that Belted Galloways appear in.
The beef sourced from this breed is finished within 30 months and is usually very marbled. The cow is generally well suited for rough grazing land and is long lived.
Belgian blue
The Belgian blue cow is perhaps more of a grey and white cow rather than a true black and white, as the picture above reveals.
As the name suggests, the cow originally came from Belgium, although today the breed can be found all over the world. Usually bred for meat, this large cow can measure 140cm at its shoulder and can weigh up to 900kg.