The Pie Rouge des Plaines is a French breed of dairy cattle created in around 1970 by cross-breeding the Armorican cattle of Brittany with red-pied cattle of the Dutch Meuse-Rhine-Yssel and German Deutsche Rotbunte breeds. This was done to create a new breed with both good dairy and meat-producing qualities. The breeders' association, Eleveurs de la Race Française Pie Rouge des Plaines, was established and a herd-book was opened in 1970 or 1971. In 1982, an attempt was made to increase size and udder quality by introducing Red Holstein blood, but the stock was less successful for beef production. The breed is primarily found in Brittany and to a lesser extent in Normandy and the Massif Central. The estimated population is about 60,000, with around 3,500 cows registered in the herd-book.
The Pie Rouge des Plaines is red-pied with short crescent-shaped horns and pale skin, muzzle, and mucosa. Cows have good resistance to mastitis and have a good dairy aptitude with a milk yield of about 8000 kg in a lactation of 329 days, 4.3% fat, and 3.3% protein. Meat production also contributes to the breed's profitability. The original Armorican breed has become rare and was listed as "critically endangered" by the FAO in 2007.
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