Dutch Belted
Dutch Belted cow
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| Conservation status | critical |
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| Nicknames | Lakenvelder |
| Country of origin | Netherlands |
| Use | Dairy |
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The Dutch Belted (Lakenvelder) breed of dairy cattle is, according to records, the only belted breed of cattle tracing back directly to the original belted or "canvassed" cattle which were described in Switzerland and Austria. These "Gurtenvieh" were evidently moved by Dutch nobility from the mountain farms of canton Appenzell and County of Tyrol Mountains during or soon after the feudal period. The Dutch were very protective of their belted cattle and would generally not part with them. The cattle were highly prized for their milking and fattening abilities. The breed began to flourish in the Netherlands around 1750. Now, the cow is too rare to become a popular type of beef.
Current races are more productive, but there are small scale initiatives to preserve the race.
Some Dutch belted cows produce over 9000 liters of milk per lactation.
There is also a rare breed of domestic poultry called Lakenvelder that has this same belted colouring with a solid black neck hackle and black tail but with a pure white body.
The Dutch Belted cow is primarily a dairy breed. Average size ranges from 900-1500 lbs, with bulls weighing as much as 2000 lbs. Cattle have a base color of either black (most common) or a dusky red, and the breed’s most distinguishing characteristic is the wide “belt” of white around its middle, placed between the shoulders and the hips. The breed is not naturally polled.
As a dairy breed, Dutch Belts produce with greater efficiency on grass and forage than the average breed, and intensive management practices are not required. Cows can produce 20,000 lbs of milk per year. Fat globules in the milk are naturally very small, rendering the milk partially homogenized and easily digested. Butterfat content ranges from 3.5-5.5%.
The breed’s fertility / reproductive efficiency is claimed to exceed that of the Holstein. Calving difficulties are not common. Because of the stockier frame of the breed, crossbreeding will produce a higher beef yield than through the average dairy cow, rendering the Dutch Belted a viable all-purpose breed.
The original belted cattle originated in Austria and Switzerland. By the 17th century, these ancestors of the Dutch Belted breed were moved to the Netherlands by Dutch nobility. The “belted” color pattern was highly desirable in the Netherlands, and the nobility who owned these cows are also claimed to have bred the belted color pattern into other livestock, including Hampshire pigs, Dutch rabbits, and Lakenvelder chickens.
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Wikipedia