Maraîchine

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Maraîchine

The Maraîchine is a French beef cattle breed from the Marais Poitevin marshlands in western France (Vendée). It is a large, hardy cattle with a light to grayish-wheat coat, black mucous membranes, and lyre-shaped horns. Bulls weigh about 1,200 kg and stand around 145 cm tall; cows weigh about 700 kg and stand about 140 cm.

This breed belongs to the western Poitou/Vendéenne group and is closely related to the Parthenaise and Nantaise. It is well adapted to wetlands and wet meadows and can cope with fluctuations in drought and humidity. Traditionally it produced milk for local use and helped with farming tasks. In the early 20th century, breeders crossed Maraîchine cows with Parthenaise bulls to improve growth, and Parthenaise later became a separate beef breed.

After World War II the Maraîchine nearly vanished as milk- and meat-specialized breeds took over. In the 1980s a group of friends and the Livestock Institute helped revive the herd. The Association for the Valorisation of the Maraîchine breed and wet meadows was formed in 1988, and the herd grew from a few animals to thousands. A conservatory program and a herd book were established, and semen from many bulls is stored to support breeding. By 2004 there were about 1,500 Maraîchine cattle (roughly 534 cows and 60 breeding bulls), and the population has continued to grow.

Today the Maraîchine is mainly raised for beef, producing good-quality meat from three-year-old steers and calves. It is known for its hardiness, long lifespan, and strong adaptation to marshy environments. The breed is kept under dedicated conservation efforts and is considered endangered by FAO (2007) and at risk/endangered by DAD-IS (2024).