Menoturals; Cattle Crew

Here we are at Nature Friday again, joining in with the LLB gang. I'll take this moment to remind you that we start another set of twelve Final Friday Features next week - here's the 2026 'badge'!

Now, on with the next in our cattle breed miniseries. 

Last week, you saw the giant French Limousin; this week, I share another French breed, the Charolais. This was actually the first of the French to arrive on British Shores (via Scotland, as it happens) and has become so much a staple of beef farming management that there is now a distinctly British line.

I can remember my uncle getting a Charolais bull to breed with his small herd of mixed-breed heifers - and how it brought forth words to cause blushes. These are not 'beginner' cattle! If that bull decided it was headed one way, it took everything Andrew had to persuade it otherwise. Those who do know the breed well become very fond of them. If handled well, they are quite docile, but I think you really need to be with them from birth to form bonds and trust. The cow in this photo, though, was thoroughly enjoying her brush and massage!

They are bred almost entirely for their meat, though setting a 'Charlie' sire to a dairy herd is thought to improve milk quality. Although known as the white cattle, they do vary somewhat and quite often display a 'rose' colouration too - as you can see in the second photo. Not my favourite cattle, but still good looking, no denying!