Tarentaise

Tarentaise cattle, also called Tarine, come from the Tarentaise valley and surrounding alpine areas of Savoie in France. They are medium-sized mountain cattle, usually fawn to reddish brown with darker pigment around the eyes, muzzle, hooves, and tail switch. The breed was shaped for walking to high summer pastures and producing milk for alpine cheeses, including Beaufort, while still giving a useful calf for beef. Good feet, a tidy udder, and the ability to hold condition on rough forage are central to type.

In the Alps, Tarentaise management has long involved seasonal grazing, winter barn feeding, and careful use of mountain meadows. Outside France, especially in beef systems, the breed is often used for maternal traits, calving ease, fertility, and moderate cow size in crossbreeding. They are not heavy terminal cattle, so marketing plans should match their strengths in milk, mobility, and efficient females. Hoof wear on rocky ground, mineral balance, and body condition after calving deserve attention whether they are kept for dairy, suckler cows, or conservation herds.

Colors: Belted, Black, Black and White, Blaze Faced, Blue Roan, Brindle, Brockle Faced, Brown, Brown and White, Dun, Gray, Lineback, Mottled, Red, Red and White, Reddish-Brown, Red Roan, Roan, Silver, Solid Black, Solid Red, Speckled, Spotted, White, White Faced, Yellow