The Fjall cattle are a dual-purpose breed which are raised for both milk and meat production. It is also known by some other names such as Swedish Mountain, Fjällras, Swedish Highland and the breed is native to Sweden.
The breed has history back to at least the Viking age and it was first recognized in the late 19th century. The Fjall cattle were introduced to Britain when the Vikings came and descended into the British White breed, which now populate areas of Viking inhabitation such as East Anglia.
They were also mentioned 1296 AD. They were nearly driven to extinction mainly in 1970-1980 mainly due to extensive crossbreeding. And the Swedish Mountain Breed Association was formed in 1995 and since then total number of the animals have been increasing gradually.
There were estimated to be 1000 breeding cows in Sweden in 1998. Read more information about the breed below.
Fjall Cattle Characteristics
Fjall cattle are smaller sized animals with totally white to totally black or red coat color. They have no horns and are naturally polled. Average body height of the mature cows is around 125 cm at the withers, and around 135 cm for the bulls.
The mature bulls on average weight around 350 kg. And average live body weight of the mature cows is around 300 kg. Photo and info from Wikipedia.
Uses
The Fjall cattle are dual-purpose animals. They are good for both milk and meat production. But currently they are raised mainly as a dairy cattle breed for milk production.
Special Notes
The Fjall cattle are hardy animals and they are often raised in mountainous areas in Sweden. Although they are a dual-purpose breed, but currently they are raised mainly for milk production.
They have one of the best grass to milk production ratios. They are able to survive on infertile soil and also can survive the cold winter. On average they can produce about 5,500 kg of milk per year.
Their milk is of very good quality containing about 4.5 percent butterfat content and about 3.6 percent protein. The breed is also pretty good for meat production. They are usually docile and are of very good temperament. Review full breed profile of the Fjall cattle in the chart below.
| Breed Name | Fjall | |
| Other Name | Swedish Mountain, Fjällras, Swedish Highland | |
| Breed Purpose | Milk and meat | |
| Special Notes | Hardy, active, well adapted to native climates, good quality milk, docile temperament | |
| Breed Size | Small | |
| Bulls | Around 350 kg | |
| Cows | Around 300 kg | |
| Climate Tolerance | Native climates | |
| Coat Color | Totally white, totally black or red | |
| Horned | Polled | |
| Milk Yield | Very good | |
| Rarity | Common | |
| Country/Place of Origin | Sweden |
