Dutch Friesian

Dutch Friesian cattle are the traditional black-and-white dairy cattle of the Netherlands, especially associated with Friesland and neighboring lowland dairy regions. They are part of the wider Friesian ancestry that contributed to modern Holstein-Friesian cattle, but traditional Dutch Friesian lines are often described as somewhat more moderate, durable, and dual-purpose than the highest-producing Holstein types. They usually have the familiar black-and-white pattern, though red-and-white Friesian cattle occur in related populations.

For dairy farmers, Dutch Friesians are kept for milk production with attention to longevity, fertility, feet, udder structure, and milk solids as well as volume. They suit well-managed pasture or mixed housing systems, but like all productive dairy cattle they need balanced energy, minerals, clean lying areas, and careful transition feeding around calving. Breeders may distinguish older Dutch Friesian bloodlines from heavily Holsteinized cattle, so pedigree and performance information are useful when sourcing animals for conservation, grazing dairies, or crossbreeding.

Colors: Belted, Black, Black and White, Blaze Faced, Blue Roan, Brindle, Brockle Faced, Brown, Brown and White, Dun, Gray, Grey, Highbelt, Highpark, Lineback, Mottled, Pied, Red, Red and White, Red Roan, Riggit, Roan, Silver, Solid Black, Solid Red, Solid White, Speckled, Spotted, White, White Faced, Yellow