Dutch Belted

The Dutch Belted (Lakenvelder) breed traces directly to the original belted cattle which were described in Switzerland and Austria. The breed was then established in the Netherlands in the 17th century. From the records obtainable, it seems they were bred by the nobility who conceived the idea of breeding animals of all kinds to a particular colour, mainly with a band of white in the center and both ends black.

The Dutch were very protective of their belted cattle and would generally not part with them. They were highly prized for their milking and fattening abilities. The breed began to flourish in Holland around 1750. (This historical account is found in Professor Raymond Becker's book, Dairy Cattle Breeds: Origin and Development.)

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy now lists Dutch Belted as on the critically rare breeds of livestock in the North America, with fewer than 200 registered cattle in the country.

The breed in the U.S. is the only source of pure belted genetics in the world since the Lakenvelders in Holland suffered from much crossbreeding from 1950 to 1976. Since that time it has been necessary for semen from the US to be exported to the Netherlands to bolster the herds of purebreds in the Netherlands.

In 1976, after two and a half decades of cross breeding the original Lakenvelders, the remaining cattle of those herds were only 2% well-marked. Since reintroduction of pure bloodlines via semen from the U.S. in 1990, the national Lakenvelder herd is 57% well-marked.

Dutch Belted have other unique characteristics which make them desirable in crossbreeding programs. Of course, due to the rarity of the pure Dutch Belted crossbreeding can only be recommended by use of Dutch Belted males or semen on common cows, not crossbreeding Dutch Belted females to males of other breeds. Such crossing has been to some extent responsible for the decline in numbers of pure Dutch Belted.    more...

Upcoming Dutch Belted Cattle Shows and Events

World Dairy Expo
     Location: Alliant Energy Center, Dane County, Madison, WI, USA
     When: Tuesday 29th to Saturday 03rd October 2009

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