Gascon
Gascon cattle, called Gasconne in France, are a grey beef breed from the Pyrenean and south-western regions of France. They descend from hardy mountain cattle that were once used for work, milk, and meat, but modern selection has centered on suckler beef production. Typical animals have a pale silver to darker grey coat, dark skin and mucous membranes, black-tipped horns, and strong legs suited to rough pasture and seasonal movement between valleys and uplands.
The breed is mainly kept in extensive cow-calf systems where efficient grazing, calving ease, and maternal ability matter more than maximum frame size. Gascon cattle are valued by French and European breeders for producing lean, well-muscled calves on modest forage, and bulls may be used in crossbreeding where hardiness is desired. Good fencing, mineral supplementation, winter feed planning, and careful horn management are practical considerations, especially in hill country or mixed-age suckler herds.
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
