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Gasconne -cow and calf- France

Gasconne
(most common name)

(transboundary/brand name):
• Gascon
(local/other name):
• Gasconne des Pyrénées
• La race Gasconne

The Gasconne, a former draught breed, is thought to have originated around Saint-Gaudens, by the Garonne river in what is now the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.

The Gasconne, now a beef breed, presents double-muscling but selection focuses on the meat quality of non-carriers.

Sources differ on herdbook origination:
1856 - Gasconne herdbook established (Felius, 1995)
1865 - Gasconne herdbook established (Mason Encyclopedia, 2016)
1894 - Gasconne herdbooks established (Mason Dictionary, 2002, 2020)

Two Gasconne varieties were merged into a single herdbook in 1955:
à muqueuses noires = with black mucosae (mucous membrane)
aréolé = areola (a small circular area)

1970 - Gasconne breed society formed

The Gasconne can be described as:
• silvery grey to corn colored
• black markings around ear edges
• black switch and mucosae
• (bulls) black eye blazes, dark shading on the neck

Gasconne coloration is called ‘chinchilla’.

Gasconne cattle can also be found in:
• Chile
• Czech Republic
• Spain
• United Kingdom

This page was last updated on: 2024-06-04


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My Daily Cow® France and read about other French cattle breeds.

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