Normande cattle?

[becorson]

Anyone out there have Normande cattle? i’m not sure what has got me started thinking about them but they look like they might be a good dual purpose (or triple purpose) breed.

[Crabapple Farm]

A couple dairy farmers around here have been crossing their jerseys to normande, I think they may be getting close to fairly purebred with some of the most recent generation. We’ve bought a couple normande cross calves to raise up (we’ve got a house cow and raise an extra calf or two each year above what our own cows produce).
They are indeed a dual purpose breed. Milk production wise, their larger frame means higher feed requirements than jerseys, without as much of a production increase as with swiss or holsteins. But good protein numbers (the folks who seem happiest with them are making cheese). The guy we know with them who’s selling to the bulk truck has decided that a 50/50 jersey cross is good, but he doesn’t really want more normande than that (feed to milk ratio starts to drop)
As beef, they’ve got more meat than jersey or holstein, less than a beef breed.
Temperment wise, they seem like they would work well for oxen, but I didn’t try to train any up at all. In build they seem similar to milking shorthorn. Compared to jersey, holstein, swiss, shorthorn, and devon (other breeds I have a little experience with), I would say their personality is somewhere between holstein and shorthorn.
Jersey / Normande crosses come out brindled red, real nice looking, and the guy we’ve bought a couple from has a couple of people with standing orders for any pairs of bull calves close in age.
-Tevis

[Carl Russell]

We have a pair of Holstein x Normande steers, 3 years old. Even crossed with Holstein they are not too big. Thicker, shorter legs, with good deep frame. Their attitude is pretty good, spirited but not rank. Basically I’m pleased. I’m not sure I would necessarily search out purebreds though, basically from a cost perspective.
Carl

[becorson]

thanks for the replies, that’s very helpful!

[Howie]

I had a pair of oxen out of Normande hiefers and a Milking Devon bull.
They were heavier built than Devon and I think a little bit slower and a little more laid back than the Devon. Now I need a pair of Devon Chianinia. WOW!!

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