Direction of use
The Waldviertler Blondvieh is a beef dual purpose breed. The very fine-fibrous meat, combined with a good fertility and easy calving in cows make the Waldviertler Blondvieh the ideal breed for suckler cows to produce quality meat on less productive land.
Statistics & Distribution
- Austria: 1,100 animals
- Breed proportion in Austria: 0.14%
The distribution of the Waldviertler Blondvieh is limited to the provinces of Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Styria.
Figures
Ø Milk performance: 3,623 kg – 4.18% F – 3.51% P (305 days)
Ø Beef performance:
Daily weight gain (g) | ||
---|---|---|
200 days | 365 days | |
M | 1 066.3 | 945.3 |
F | 937.1 | 792.7 |
Control farms (Herds): 128
Height (cm, Ø): 130
Weight (kg, Ø): 525
Animals in control farms: 2,117
Registered cows: 966
Origin: Lower Austria (A)
History
Area of origin: Waldviertel, Lower Austria
Original type: The Waldviertler Blondvieh originated from the crossing of the Illyrian- Celtic cattle with Hungarian Cattle. This universally light-coloured breed was then mixed with the Franconian cattle.
1900: The name „Waldviertler Blondvieh“ was used for the breeds Gföhler or Zwettler, Raabsser and Stockerauer
1933: Establishment of the Waldviertler Blondvieh breeders` association, the breeding goal was primarily work performance, in second place the beef performance and milk performance was only in third place
1938 – 1945: Because of too many bulls, bulls from the universally light-coloured, yellow Höhen- and Franken cattle and Glan- Donnersberger cattle were used
1939: Implementation of licensing and central sales events
1945: Only 29% of the cattle in Lower Austria are Waldviertler Blondvieh. These were largely replaced by Simmental cattle
1960: Consistent shift of breeds to Simmental cattle, within a few years the Waldviertler Blondvieh were displaced with only a small number remaining
1966: Dissolution of the breeding association
1982: Start of a conservation program at the initiative of ÖNGENE