The Finn cattle refers to three closely related cattle breeds of Finnish origin. They are most often used as a dairy animal for milk production. And some animals are used for meat production, and some are also found in petting zoos and raised as pets.
There are three different breeds of the Finn cattle which are the Eastern, Northern and Western Finn cattle. The Eastern Finn cattle are both red and white, the Northern Finn cattle are white and the Western Finn cattle are red in color and are the largest of the three breeds.
These breeds were established relatively late, and even after the founding of the studbooks the breeding has been done in small scale. Foreign modern dairy cattle breeds were imported to Finland in growing numbers after the Second World War.
And total number of the Finn cattle decreased quickly. There were about 60,000 animals in 1960. Currently the breed is raised for both milk and meat production. Read more information about the breed below.
Finn Cattle Characteristics
The Finn cattle are small to medium sized animals. They are naturally polled, that means they have no horns. There are three different types of the breed which are Eastern, Northern and Western Finn cattle. Each breed differ in appearance and production levels.
The Eastern cattle can be either red or white. Northern variety are usually white in color. And the Western variety are the largest of the three breeds and they are usually of red color. Photo and info from Wikipedia.
These cattle are dual-purpose animals. They are used for both milk and meat production. But most often they are used as a dairy cattle breed for milk production.
The Finn cattle are very strong and hardy animals. They are well adapted to the Finnish climate better than any other cattle breeds. They can also be kept successfully on forest pasture. They tend to be long lived animals and the cows have good fertility.
The cows are very good for milk production and their milk is of very good quality. Protein and fat contents in their milk are much higher than other dairy cattle breeds in Finland. Although their milk production levels are also significantly lower than other Finnish cattle breeds.
The breed is also pretty good for meat production. Review full breed profile of this cattle breed in the following chart.
Finn Cattle | Breed Profile
|Other Name||Finnish cattle|
|Breed Purpose||Milk and meat|
|Special Notes||Hardy, active, well adapted to native climates, good milkers|
|Climate Tolerance||Native climates|
|Coat Color||Many, depends on the variety|
|Country/Place of Origin||Finland|