Although occasionally bred as a beef breed, Norwegian Red cattle are primarily used on dairy farms. Their (rather grotesquely) large udders produce a tremendous amount of milk, which is useful not only for dairy purposes, but also for calving: a Norwegian Red mother can provide enough milk to substantially accelerate the growth of newborn cows.

Though it now accounts for more than 90% of Norway's cattle, it was only recently devloped: in the 1960's, ranchers crossed the Trondheim and the Østland breeds, and after a few generations of experimentation with other genetic additions, arrived at the Norwegian Red.

Being so young, as a breed, there is still considerable variation within Norwegian Red herds. By and large, they are red and white, with thin shoulders and a narrow stance. Their carcass weight is moderate, but not substantial enough for beef breed use.

This node is part of Tem42's list of cattle breeds, entitled, simply, cattle.

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