Quality Calves
Normande Beef
From Oklahoma State University Cattle Page
Carcass Quality
Because of the breed's high muscle mass to bone ratio and their small heads, the Normande has a high percentage yield at slaughter. The carcass is very lean but marbles readily and purebred Normande steers will easily grade choice at 1,250 lbs. The Normande breed won’t produce bulging rear quarters of cheap ground round but will increase the length and width of the top priced loin area cuts. In the 1990 and 1991 Montana 4-H Steer of Merit Carcass Contests, three 7/8 Normande steers placed in the top 10 out of the 1,000 steers entered annually including crossbreds. A 1991 Normande steer had a 16.2 in. rib eye, a 0.15 in. backfat, and a yield grade of 0.99! Feedlots in the U.S. and South America have proved that Normande cross steers and heifers will grade and yield with the best while maintaining moderate carcass size.
Body Type
Normandes are a medium frame size breed with most cows weighing 1,200 to 1,500 lbs. and bulls 2,000 to 2,400 lbs. They possess excellent body depth and spring of rib while maintaining exceptional body length. This characteristic high capacity body type probably explains their ability to perform on high roughage diets. The cattle are also very clean fronted and carry a strong topline. If you've lost volume and depth of body in your commercial cows, Normandes will definitely replace it.
Maternal Traits
Normande females reach sexual maturity early and have good fertility, mammary conformation, mothering ability and production longevity. They have large pelvic areas and calve easily with calves showing excellent vigor and most birth weights in the 70 to 95 lb. range. In France, milk production averages 14,000 lbs. per lactation with 4.2 % butterfat and 3.5 % protein. You won't find more productive females anywhere and half blood Normande cows are exceptional commercial beef cows when crossed with almost any beef breed.
Growth Rates
With their rich milk, Normande purebred and crossbred cows produce calves with rapid growth rates with no need to creep feed. Weaning weights will be in the 500 to 700 lb. range. Recent bull tests have shown that this rapid growth rate will continue on high roughage feed. Normande bulls have topped the St. Croix Valley Bull Test at River Falls, Wisconsin in both years that they've been entered. In 1991 a Normande bull set an all time station record 4.93 lb. ADG and also had a 3.64 lb. WDA. The second place bull that year was also a Normande. In the 1992 test a Normande bull again topped the field with a 4.68 lb. ADG and a 3.49 lb. WDA. The 140 day test annually features 100 bulls from 8 to 10 different beef breeds fed a corn silage based high roughage ration. Studies in France have documented 5.0 feed conversion rates on the same type of diet. Information and photographs on the page are provided by the North American Normande Association, 11538 Spudville Road, Hibbing, MN 55746
Carcass Quality
Because of the breed's high muscle mass to bone ratio and their small heads, the Normande has a high percentage yield at slaughter. The carcass is very lean but marbles readily and purebred Normande steers will easily grade choice at 1,250 lbs. The Normande breed won’t produce bulging rear quarters of cheap ground round but will increase the length and width of the top priced loin area cuts. In the 1990 and 1991 Montana 4-H Steer of Merit Carcass Contests, three 7/8 Normande steers placed in the top 10 out of the 1,000 steers entered annually including crossbreds. A 1991 Normande steer had a 16.2 in. rib eye, a 0.15 in. backfat, and a yield grade of 0.99! Feedlots in the U.S. and South America have proved that Normande cross steers and heifers will grade and yield with the best while maintaining moderate carcass size.
Body Type
Normandes are a medium frame size breed with most cows weighing 1,200 to 1,500 lbs. and bulls 2,000 to 2,400 lbs. They possess excellent body depth and spring of rib while maintaining exceptional body length. This characteristic high capacity body type probably explains their ability to perform on high roughage diets. The cattle are also very clean fronted and carry a strong topline. If you've lost volume and depth of body in your commercial cows, Normandes will definitely replace it.
Maternal Traits
Normande females reach sexual maturity early and have good fertility, mammary conformation, mothering ability and production longevity. They have large pelvic areas and calve easily with calves showing excellent vigor and most birth weights in the 70 to 95 lb. range. In France, milk production averages 14,000 lbs. per lactation with 4.2 % butterfat and 3.5 % protein. You won't find more productive females anywhere and half blood Normande cows are exceptional commercial beef cows when crossed with almost any beef breed.
Growth Rates
With their rich milk, Normande purebred and crossbred cows produce calves with rapid growth rates with no need to creep feed. Weaning weights will be in the 500 to 700 lb. range. Recent bull tests have shown that this rapid growth rate will continue on high roughage feed. Normande bulls have topped the St. Croix Valley Bull Test at River Falls, Wisconsin in both years that they've been entered. In 1991 a Normande bull set an all time station record 4.93 lb. ADG and also had a 3.64 lb. WDA. The second place bull that year was also a Normande. In the 1992 test a Normande bull again topped the field with a 4.68 lb. ADG and a 3.49 lb. WDA. The 140 day test annually features 100 bulls from 8 to 10 different beef breeds fed a corn silage based high roughage ration. Studies in France have documented 5.0 feed conversion rates on the same type of diet. Information and photographs on the page are provided by the North American Normande Association, 11538 Spudville Road, Hibbing, MN 55746
