Charolais

06 April 2011 Some days we are favored with the site of these beautiful cattle on the property behind our house. There is nothing more exciting then looking out my kitchen window and seeing these cattle grazing. I had never seen this white breed of cattle and had to ask someone what they were called.

The breed traces its origins to southeastern France. Records dating to the year 871 A.D. mark the presence of this breed of cattle in the old French provences of Charolles and Nievre. They were selected for draft, milk and meat.

Following the First World War a Mexican industrialist, Jean Pugibet, imported two bulls and ten heifers to Mexico.

In 1936, the King Ranch in Texas bought two bulls "Neptune" and "Ortolan" from Pugibet. The bulls are large and can weigh from 2,000 to 2,500 pounds and cows from 1,250 to 2,000 pounds. They are stocky, well muscled.

The bull that I have seen, must be at least 2,000 pounds - he is as big as a truck! This season one of the cows had twin calves - they are a beautiful milky white. In doing some research, I found that twins born (open range) rarely both survive. The mother cow usually can't produce enough milk for both and can abandon the weaker of the two.

I hope they make it. They are so beautiful.