the farm
-
our cows
General information :
The ‘Belted Galloway’ is a rare beef breed of cattle originating from Galloway in South West Scotland, adapted to living on the poor upland pastures and windswept moorlands of the region. The exact origin of the breed is unclear although it is often surmised that the white belt that distinguishes these cattle from the native black Galloway cattle may be as a result of cross breeding with Dutch Lakenvelder belted cattle. In 1921 the first ‘Belted Galloway Association’ was formed in Scotland.
Belted Galloways are primarily raised for their quality marbled beef, although they are sometimes milked. However more and more they are purchased to adorn pastures due to their striking appearance. That’s what gives them their nicknames ‘Belties’ , ‘Police car cows’ or ‘Panda cows’.
Characteristics :
Galloway cattle are naturally polled. The most visible characteristics of the Belted Galloway are its long hair coat and the broad white belt that completely encircles their body. The coarse outer coat helps shed the rain, and its soft undercoat provides insulation and waterproofing, enabling the breed to happily overwinter outside. Black Belties are most prominent but Dun and Red belties are also recognized by breed societies, the latter being comparatively rare and sought after. The Belties have no horns.
Bulls weigh with the average around 820 Kg while cows weigh around 570kg.
They are generally of a quiet temperament, but still maintain a strong maternal instinct.
Belties are well-suited for rough grazing land and will utilize coarse grasses other breeds would shun. They are able to maintain good condition on less than ideal pasture, and produce a high quality beef product on grass alone. A research program at the Meat Animal Research Center showed that Galloway crosses placed at the top of the chart for flavor , juiciness and tenderness when compared to eleven other breeds.
Our Panda cows in France !!!
On the European mainland the Belted Galloway was quite rare but over the last 10 years their numbers are growing in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.
We started breeding in Belgium in 2008. In 2011 we moved our herd to Château de Lerse in the Charente region in France and enriched it with several new bloodlines.
Taxi is the name of a young bull which has the sought-after redfactor in his genes.
Jules Raisdale is our beautifull and impressive 4 year old stud of the herd. He participated and won some competitions in Yorkshire , Great Britain. At this moment our herd of Panda cows counts 3 bulls and 12 cows. Our aim is to breed pure, high quality cattle with a pedigree. We want to sell them to people who love them for their striking appearance, moderate size and quiet temperament.
-
the breeding bulls
Belted Galloways are a rare beef breed of cattle especially in France. We want to support the spread of these animals in this country. If you are interested in breeding these animals, please contact us. We have a choice of bulls with high genetic potential for breeding purposes. All our animals have a pedigree.
-
our local products
This year we grew some fields of sunflowers on our farm to produce sunflower oil.
Next to that,we have some fresh fruit from our small orchard such as cherries, apples, plums, pears and white peaches. In the coming year we want to expand and enrich the orchard with a variety of different species.
In the vegetable garden we work without pesticides in a most natural way. There is a selection of berries. First of all tons of wild blackberries but also raspberries, different sorts of strawberries and grapes.
Then we grow a variety of vegetables and herbs as different types of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, melons, zucchini, pumpkins, artichoke, asparagus and potatoes. With these, our chef cook Jan prepares the most delicious dishes. These in combination with the local, but world famous wines turn every meal into a feast !
-
for sale
On the 24th of august 2011 this bull calf 'Balthazar de Lerse' was born. Balthazar has also the sought-after redfactor in his genes as his father 'First Choice' is a German bull with a red coat.
