Holstein Cow
Holsteins have distinctive markings, usually black and white or red and white in colour, typically exhibiting piebald pattern. On rare occasions some have both black and red colouring with white. Red factor causes this unique colouring. 'Blue' is also a known colour. This colour is produced by white hairs mixed with the black hairs giving the cow a blueish tint. This colouring is also known as 'blue roan' in some farm circles. They are famed for their large dairy production, averaging 22,530 pounds of milk per year. Of this milk, 858 pounds (3.7%) are butterfat and 719 pounds (3.1%) are protein.
A healthy calf weighs 40 to 50 kg (75-110 lb) or more at birth. A mature Holstein cow typically weighs 680–770 kg (1500-1700 lb), and stands 145–165 cm (58-65 in) tall at the shoulder. Holstein heifers should be bred by 11 to 14 months of age, when they weigh 317–340 kg (700-750 lb) or 55% of adult weight. Generally, breeders plan for Holstein heifers to calve for the first time between 21 and 24 months of age and 80% of adult bodyweight. The gestation period is about nine and a half months.
Holstein cows come from a region in northern Germany, while Friesians originally came from the Netherlands. The two breeds have been so commonly crossbred that the majority of Friesians today are between ¼ to ¾ Holstein, hence the regularly hyphenated name.
Friesian cattle are horned and originally came in black-and-white or red-and-white, but nowadays the red variety is only seen in small numbers in the Netherlands. Modern Friesians have a white coat with distinctive, sharply-defined black patches.