The Herens (''Eringer'' in
German) is a breed of
cattle named after the
Val d'Hérens region of
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. These small, horned alpine cattle are coloured black, brown or dark red, often with a lighter stripe along the spine. The cows are used in organised cow fights.
Characteristics
Herens Cattle are one of the smallest cattle breeds in Europe. Their fur is dark red to brown or black, with pied animals being very uncommon. Newborn calves are red with a dark stripe along the back, with the colours reversing as they grow. A distinguishing feature is the short and broad head, with a concave front line. The animals are very muscular, with both sexes sporting strong horns.
Bulls typically reach a height of 125–134 cm, weighing 650–700 kg. Cows reach 118–128 cm and 500–600 kg. The cattle are bred primarily for
beef, but the cows produce around 3,200 kg of milk per year. They are well adapted to pasture in alpine altitudes.
Breeding history
Blood typing shows the Herens to be distinct from other Swiss breeds but similar to the Tuxer breed from the Zillertal in Austria.
In 1884 a breeding standard was introduced for this old breed. In 1917 a specialised breeding union was founded.
Herens cattle were often cross bred with other cattle breeds in the alpine region. For example,
Tux Cattle
The Tux-Zillertal, german: Tux-Zillertaler, italic=no, is an endangered Austrian breed of domestic cattle. It was created in 1982 when two similar Alpine breeds, the Tux and the Zillertal, were merged. The two names derive from those of the munic ...
,
Évolène Cattle, and
Pustertal Pied Cattle
The Pustertaler Sprinzen, also called Pustertaler or , is a rare breed of cattle from the Puster Valley in the autonomous province of Bolzano, now in north-eastern Italy. Genetic research carried out in 2001 showed the Barà breed of the province ...
may be partially related to the Herens. The population of Herens has decreased since the 1960s. In the year 2000 the population was about 13,500 animals. Pure-bred bulls are bred at an insemination station in
Neuchâtel
, neighboring_municipalities= Auvernier, Boudry, Chabrey (VD), Colombier, Cressier, Cudrefin (VD), Delley-Portalban (FR), Enges, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Hauterive, Saint-Blaise, Savagnier
, twintowns = Aarau (Switzerland), Besançon (France), ...
. There is a breed society in the United States.
Cow fighting
The Herens is well known for the high aggression of its females. In spring, cows and heifers are made to fight one against another in five weight classes in the local tradition of "cow fighting". The winners are sold for high prices. Today cow fights are a major tourist attraction in the Valais.
References
External links
Schweizer Eringerviehzuchtverband
Cattle breeds
Cattle breeds originating in Switzerland
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