Gelbvieh (,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

for "yellow cattle") is a

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

breed originating in several Franconian districts of

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

in the mid-eighteenth century. It was originally a triple-purpose breed, used for

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

and draught power; the modern Gelbvieh is primarily used for beef production.

History

In the mid-nineteenth century, several breeds of local German cattle began to be combined into what would eventually be the Gelbvieh. The new breed was officially formed by 1920. Between 1998 and 2018 numbers in Germany fell steadily from approximately 10 000 to about 2 000. Gelbvieh have been introduced to several countries around the world, including Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Australia, and South Africa, primarily through the use of artificial insemination and some live export. The first Gelbvieh genetics reached Canada in 1972 from Germany. Gelbvieh are currently the 6th largest beef breed in Canada with 3500 head registered yearly. The first Gelbvieh cattle were imported to the United States from Germany in 1971 by Leness Hall. The American Gelbvieh Association was formed the same year. There are currently 45,000 registered Gelbvieh cows in the United States. In January 1977, the first American National Gelbvieh Show was held in conjunction with the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado.

Characteristics

Gelbvieh literally means "yellow cattle" in

, and the breed originated as golden-brown cattle with dark hooves and full body pigmentation. Through selective breeding, polled and black genetics are now also prevalent in the breed. Gelbvieh cattle are known for their high rate of gain and feed efficiency, and were originally selected for easy growth, quick maturity, length of loin, leanness, docility, and longevity. They are able to adapt to many different rangelands and climate conditions. Gelbvieh females were selected to be very maternal with strong fertility, mothering instincts, good udders, and strong milk production. They are also known to have smaller-bodied offspring, allowing for ease of calving.

References

{{Cattle breeds of Germany Cattle breeds originating in Germany Animal breeds on the GEH Red List