Armoricaine
(most common name)

(transboundary/brand name):
• Armorican
(local/other name):
• La race Armoricaine
local/other name (English):
• Armorican

The Armoricaine is a locally developed French breed used for dairy.

The Armoricaine originated in 1880 as a composite of Froment du Léon, Pie Rouge de Carhaix (a red pied and larger-bodied variety of the Breton Black Pied) and imported Durham Shorthorn.

The Armoricaine was combined for a time (1962–1970) with the Maine-Anjou to form the Rouge de l’Ouest (Western Red). But the Armoricaine almost disappeared during this period due to crossing with the Meuse-Rhine-Yssel and German Red Pied from 1966 to 1970. The crossed Armoricaine, along with the 3 pure breeds, became known as the Pie Rouge des Plaines (French Red Pied Lowland).

By 1978, only 40 Armoricaine cows were left. A conservation program was started in the 1980s using semen from long-dead bulls. The last population update of 2019 listed 334 breeding females and 49 breeding males.

This page was last updated on: 2023-05-14

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