Dairy cattle farming is the most important sector of agriculture in Finland because of its production, competitiveness and feasibility even in the northern parts of the country. In Finland there are two international dairy breeds (Ayrshire and Holstein) and three local Finncattle breeds (Eastern, Western and Northern).
Western Finncattle animals are beige-brown, with some occasional white markings or spots. They are smaller than Ayrshire and Holstein cattle.
The Western Finncattle farmers founded an own breed society in 1906. The Western Finncattle is all dual-purpose breeds producing both milk and meat. The Western Finncattle have better longevity, health and fertility than the main stream breeds.
The Western Finncattle has evolved over the last century with a production level comparable to other remaining local breeds in Europe.
Finncattle breeding aims at improving the milk production traits to meet the expectations of milk processors and consumers and to strengthen the production profitability. The focus in selection is on protein yield, dry matter content, fertility, health, conformation and longevity. At the same time the genetic diversity within the breed and the special features of Finncattle sub-breeds are maintained.
The Western Finncattle cows have the highest milk yield among the Finncattle breeds. The milk from Western Finncattle is known to have high dry matter content and good cheese making properties. Western Finncattle milk protein also contains kappa casein B alleles which has been associated with improved milk manufacturing properties.
Western Finncattle
