Breed Ledger
001. Breed guide.

Holstein

Bos taurus

Premier dairy breed worldwide and the highest-volume milk producer of any breed. Registered by Holstein USA. Black and white (or red and white) markings are iconic.

Breed referenceHolstein on Breed Ledger
001Overview002Breed clubs003Personality004Traits005Breeders
001. Breed guide

The shape of the breed,
in plain English.

Premier dairy breed worldwide and the highest-volume milk producer of any breed. Registered by Holstein USA. Black and white (or red and white) markings are iconic.

002. Breed clubs

Official breed clubs
for Holstein.

Parent clubs and official breed organizations help buyers verify registry context before contacting a breeder.

Holstein Association USA

Primary

US

003. Personality profile

Owner-experience
across 7 dimensions.

Each bar is a 1 to 5 score from breed-knowledgeable owners. Read the bar labels for the trade-off the dimension captures.

Temperament

Docility
Reactive. Strong flight response; requires experienced handlers and well-designed facilities.Highly docile. Calm in chute and field; suitable for inexperienced handlers.
Milk yield potential
Beef-type yield. Sufficient for calf raising; not commercial dairy.High commercial dairy yield. Suitable for production dairy.
Mothering ability
Modest mothering. May need calving assistance and supplementation.Excellent mothering. Calves unassisted, milks well, protective and attentive.
Heat tolerance
Heat-sensitive. Drops production above 80 F.Heat-tolerant. Maintains production and condition above 90 F.

Coat and maintenance

Foraging / forage efficiency
Requires high-quality forage and supplementation.Easy keeper on modest forage; tolerates pasture parasites.
Growth rate
Slow gainer.Rapid gainer suitable for feedlot finishing.
Marbling tendency
Lean carcass. Limited marbling.Highly marbled. Premium quality grade potential.
004. Trait profiles

Heritable traits
in Holstein.

Each row is one heritable trait. The frequency label tells you how often it appears across the breed.

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