Diversity

About Abondance CattleAbout Abondance Cattle



Abondance Cattle is a mixed race breed which originated in the high valleys of Haute-Savoie, France.

They are medium-sized; the females weigh between 580 and 680 kilograms (kg) and stand 1.30 meters tall the bulls weigh between 645 and 820 kilograms (kg). The females are golden brown with a white head, underside of the abdomen, and extremities of its legs; they stand about 1.70 meters tall. The bull’s color is different, with a chestnut red and a bit of white on the head.  

Abondance Cattle milk is rich in both fat and protein, with a good balance between the two. The milk is traditionally used to produce, Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) cheese such as reblochon, Abondance, tome des Bauges, and Beaufort. Typical milk production is 5700 kg per lactation.

They are especially appreciated for their ablity to withstand extreme variations in temperature, their fertility, ease of breeding, milk, long life and meat. Abondance Cattle come from the Chablais in Haute-Savoie, where they were bred by the monks of the abbaye de Saint-Maurice d'Agaune since the 12th century. They were originally known as Chablaisienne cattle.  

Currently, there are about 150,000 head of Abondance cattle in France. They have also been exported to North America, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Iraq and Africa. In West Africa, they have been cross bred with N'dama cattle.