Eastern Finncattle

Eastern Finncattle, called Itasuomenkarja in Finland and often known as Kyyttö, is a rare Finnish landrace dairy breed. It is usually small to medium sized, naturally polled in many lines, and recognized by its red or brown sides with a pale or white back and underside. Like other Finncattle, it developed in a northern farming climate where winter housing, summer grazing, and efficient use of local feed mattered as much as peak milk yield.

Today Eastern Finncattle are kept by conservation breeders, small dairies, educational farms, and grazing projects that value hardy native cattle. Their milk yield is lower than that of modern Holsteins, but the milk may have good components for farmhouse dairy products, and the cows are often appreciated for fertility and longevity. Because the population is limited, breeding decisions should account for relatedness, semen availability, and national conservation records. They still need ordinary dairy management, including adequate winter forage, dry bedding, and attention to udder health.

Colors: Belted, Black, Black and White, Blaze Faced, Blue Roan, Brindle, Brockle Faced, Brown, Brown and White, Dun, Gray, Grey, Highbelt, Highpark, Lineback, Mottled, Pied, Red, Red and White, Red Roan, Riggit, Roan, Silver, Solid Black, Solid Red, Solid White, Speckled, Spotted, White, White Faced, Yellow