How to Identify Holstein Cattle

Co-authored by Karin Lindquist

Last Updated: February 13, 2024 References

Holstein Cattle is the breed of cattle that most people think of when they are referring to a cow. Holstein Cattle is the number one breed of cows for producing milk and beef. This article will teach you how to identify Holstein Cattle.

Steps

Do a search on the Internet or in a Cattle Breeds book for "Holstein-Friesians" or "Holsteins."^{[1]
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Note the following:^{[2]
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- Colouration: Most Holsteins are black-and-white.^{[3]
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  Research source} This colour pattern always is patchy, with big black, rounded patches over the animal's body. Some Holsteins may be more white than black than others, and other Holsteins may be more black than white than others. Occasionally you may see a cow that will be all black with very little white in her, or be all white with very little to no black on her.
  - There are actually exceptions to the black-and-white colouration here. There is a recessive gene in Holsteins (just like in Angus cattle) that can make a cow red-and-white. Red Holsteins are actually shunned by many Holstein breed associations because they are not considered a "pure" breed as the "real" B&W Holsteins are. However, a Red Holstein can be just as good a milk producer as her black relatives. You may be lucky to see one or two Red Holsteins in with a herd of B&W cows if you drive by a dairy farm.
- Body type and characteristics: Holsteins are a dairy breed. Dairy cattle are always thinner and more angular than beef cattle. Holsteins, like all dairy breeds, have more angle over the hips, tail-head and shoulders than beef breeds. A lot of Holsteins will look more fine-boned than other beef breeds like Herefords because they lack the muscling ability of your typical beef cow. Holsteins show more bone and less fat and muscle because they have been specifically selected to produce milk, not beef. Holsteins have what are called "funnel-butts;" this means that, from the pin bones (of the hips) to the hocks, the hind quarters form a funnel-type angle from the pelvis to the legs; this is quite evident when looking at an animal from the side. Being "funnel-butted" means that these animals, as was mentioned before, lack muscling over the hind quarters. Another characteristic that is typical of all dairy breeds is the huge udder between their back legs.
- Head characteristics: A Holstein cow's head is quite long. The long nose bridge gives this look, and is quite unmistakable when comparing to other dairy breeds like Jersey. Holsteins are a naturally horned breed, so you will often see as many horned (more de-horned than horned!) as polled cows.
- Other characteristics: Holsteins are originally from the Netherlands, a country that is known for producing large quantities of milk, much more than any country in Europe.^{[4]
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  Research source} Holstein-Friesians are the highest-quantity producing dairy cow in the world, and are thus far more commonly sought-after and used in commercial dairy operations across the world. It is known that Holsteins are capable of producing as much as 50 gallons (189.3 L) of milk per day! Holsteins are actually the largest dairy breed used in dairy operations, a little bigger than Brown Swiss, and more so than Jersey, Ayrshire, Guernsey, Randall and Canadian breeds. A mature cow can weigh around and over 1500 lbs.
Take pictures of what you thought were Holstein cattle, and compare them with pictures of Holstein-Friesians on the Internet and in your Cattle breeds book. Holsteins are actually one of the easiest breeds to classify, because their black-and-white coloration is made legendary among the media, cow-related merchandise and the entertainment industry almost everywhere. When you see a black-and-white cow like that pictured above in Step 1, you will know for sure it's a Holstein.

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How much milk do they produce?

Karin

Top Answerer

Holsteins produce around 8 - 10 gallons of milk per day.

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Do the red and white Holsteins produce any more butter fat in the milk than the black and white?

Karin

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No. Both produce the same amount of butter fat.

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What color are their eyes?

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Their eyes are generally dark brown. It's extremely rare for Holsteins to have blue eyes.

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Tips

It should be very easy to spot and find some Holsteins. They are very popular in North America, and can be found in many other parts of the world. Their black-and-white colour pattern is very unique to this breed.

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Warnings

Dairy bulls are extremely dangerous, much more so than beef bulls are, so do not wonder into a pasture with Holstein cows in it if you see a bull in there. Dairy bulls have been known to cause more fatalities on farms than any other breed or type of bovine.^{[5]
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