Hartón del Valle
Hartón del Valle is a Colombian Criollo cattle breed associated with the Valle del Cauca region. Like other Latin American Criollo cattle, it descends largely from Iberian cattle brought during Spanish colonization and then shaped by centuries of selection under tropical conditions. It is generally dual-purpose, producing milk and beef rather than specializing completely in either. Coat color varies, with red, bay, yellowish, and lightly marked animals common in the population.
On farms, Hartón del Valle is useful where imported temperate dairy or beef breeds struggle with heat, forage seasonality, and parasites. It may be kept pure in conservation herds or crossed carefully to add fertility, hardiness, and grazing ability to commercial cattle. Pasture-based management, mineral supplementation, and routine parasite control still matter, even for adapted stock. Because numbers are limited, buyers should look for animals from recognized Criollo breeding programs and avoid assuming any red local Colombian cow represents the breed.
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
