Maternal Traits of Tarentaise Cattle

Maternal Traits: The 'Opti-mom' Breed

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The optimal cow would calve unassisted at 24 months.  Her calf would be long and flat, vigorous at birth, nursing within minutes to access the rich milk that would fill them out rapidly.  She would feed and wean that calf, then do it again.  Her rumen would prefer pasture to concentrates.  She would spend her time feeding, breeding, and mothering.   Her udder would be balanced, with finger-sized teats that would not balloon with age.  Her milk would be rich, with 3.6% milk fat and 3.35% protein, and plentiful enough that she could wean a calf over 50% of her body weight in 205 days.  Her moderate size would allow a given acreage to support more cows thereby giving the owner more salable pounds of calf per acre.

Hewells Family Tarentaise

She would have a large pelvic area for easy deliveries.  Her eyes would be dark-pigmented to resist pinkeye and cancer naturally.  Her udder would be dark to resist snow-burn and sunburn.  Sturdy legs, and hard back hooves would allow her to travel rough terrain to graze where the grass is.  She would be protective, yet docile, easy to handle in small farm operations or on the range.  She would do this all a dozen times.  The AVERAGE Tarentaise is that 'Opti-Mom'!  She is a professional - the best mom a calf could have.

 

 

 

Source information courtesy of American Tarentaise Association