CATTLE - Belgian Blue | RARE BREEDS TRUST OF AUSTRALIA

RARE BREEDS TRUST OF AUSTRALIA

CATTLE - Belgian Blue

Country of Origin

Belgium

Australian Status

International Status

Found in 10 countries outside their homeland.

Uses

Beef

Breed traits

The Belgian Blue is a large beef breed producing a lean, high bone out, high yield carcass. The breed carries the ‘double muscling’ trait which produces large volumes of red meat.

Adapting well to a variety of climates, the Belgian Blue comes in pure white through to black and any range of blue roan in between.

Adult bulls can weight up to 1250kg, and cows up to 950kg. The bull ranges in height from 145 to 150cm, with the cow being around 140cm.

History

The breed was developed in Belgium in the 19th century by crossing British Shorthorns over the local breeds. Originally they were developed as dual purpose dairy and meat cow.

In the 1950s Professor Hansen developed the modern breed by maintaining the double-muscling gene through artificial insemination and line breeding until it became a fixed property of the breed.