Danish Red Cattle

The original Danish Red cattle, also known as Red Dane is an old cattle of the islands off the Danish coast.
The Danish Red cows are of course red in colour with little variation. Their average weight is 660 kg. They easily adapt to various climates. They have great heat-tolerance but can also thrive in colder weather.
Traditionally, Red cows’ milk was used for milk and dairy products as Maribo cheese (a semi hard cheese) or butter; nowadays is used moslty for its milk.
In the 1960s it accounted for around 61% of the total Danish dairy population. However, in the context of the industrialization of agriculture the original Danish Red has gradually been replaced with Holsteins, Jersey and Friesian breeds, or has been crossed with these other breeds until its genetic patrimony would be changed. The original uncrossed Danish Red cattle significantly decreased and now it only represents 6.7% of the Danish population of dairy cows. The breed has therefore been registered on the UN Farm and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s endangered species list.