Norwegian Red

The Norwegian Red is a modern composite breed. It was formed in 1961 by merging two existing Norwegian breeds, the Red Polled Eastland or Østlansk Rødkolle and the Norwegian Red-and-White or Norsk Rødt og Hvitt Fe. Each of these two was already a composite breed: the Red Polled Eastland was recorded from 1892 and later underwent cross-breeding with Swedish Red-and-White and Ayrshire, with some influence from the Dutch Black Pied;^[6]: 98 the Norwegian Red-and-White, established in 1939, also derived from cross-breeding of Swedish Red-and-White and Ayrshire, but had absorbed the Hedmark and Red Troender.^[6]: 88 The Red Troender, in turn, derived from cross-breeding in the nineteenth century of local Troender and Røros cattle with Ayrshire stock; it had later absorbed the Målselv (Målselvfe) breed of Tromsø and northern Norway.^[6]: 98 The Dølafe, originating from local cattle of south-east Norway, Telemark (Telemarksfe) and Ayrshire, was merged into the Norwegian Red in 1963.^[6]: 46 It was followed in 1968 by the South and West Norwegian or Sør og Vestlandsfe, which had been created in 1947 by fusion of the Vestland Fjord (Vestlandsk Fjordfe), the Vestland Red Polled (Vestlandsk Raudkolle) and the Lyngdal (Lyngdalsfe).^[6]: 108

 

The Norwegian Red has been used to improve some characteristics of other dairy breeds such as the Friesian.^[7][8][9]

The Norwegian Red through selective breeding has become an innovative healthy, fertile, and robust cow.It produces well with its diverse breeding goal. The cows and calves of the Norwegian red are both vigorous and healthy. These results can lead to less mortality when compared to other dairy breeds. They have also been known to have better prices when sold to slaughter because of their healthy nature, excellent growth, and muscling.These are important characteristics that have contributed to a climate friendly cow especially when compared to other breeds. This has been done by Norwegian farmers who bred a very sustainable and climate-friendly cow. This was achieved by a productive and forward breeding program.^[10]  They on average live longer than most dairy breeds. This breed is known for its calving ease because it was one of the goals farmers wanted when this breed was created.^[11]

The Norwegian Red cattle are known for their personality.This is true because in the breeding program breeding animals with a calm personality is key. This is done by only breeding cows and bulls with the desired temperament . ^[12]

When breeding on average cows are bred and selected for their milking potential, as well as their milk flow and fertility. While bulls are selected because of their performance in a rate-of-growth test. The average milk yield of this breed is about 5,804 kg per lactation. ^[13]

Norwegian red cattle can be both polled (born without horns) and born with horns. In Norway about 40% of the cattle born in Norway are born polled . The Norwegian Red can be both red and white as well as black and white. This is because the breed carries the black gene rate. Black and red color does not have a major economic effect in Norway which is why the black gene remains the Norwegian Red population since the merger of the local breeds to form the modern Norwegian Red breed in the 1940s. The black gene is dominant to the red gene much like the  Holsteins. Producers who are using the Norwegian Red for crossbreeding outside of Norway have the option of using either red or black sires if color is important to them.^[14] Norwegian Red cows weigh about 575 kg or about 1,200 pounds while bulls weigh about 1000 kg or about 2,000 pounds.^[15] The average height for a cow is around 135 to 137 cm which is about 4 feet while bulls are on average around 140 to 150 cm which is about five feet tall.^[16]