Telemarkfe
(most common name)

local/other name (English):
• Telemark
• Telemark Cattle

Norway's natural landscape of limited transportation options (due to fjords, lakes and mountains) encouraged the development of many local breeds of cattle. The Telemarkfe originated in the southern county of Telemark and is now also found in the south-central county of Oppland.

Several closely related old local strains were crossed to produce this dairy breed. The Telemarkfe was officially recognized as a breed in 1856 and a breed society was formed in 1895. In 1926, a herdbook was formed which included two different strains: Hallingdal and Valdres.

Over time, both imported Scottish Ayrshire bulls and Norwegian Red bulls have been used for upgrading. The Ayrshire may have increased their red color and the Norwegian Red probably darkened their color.

The Telemarkfe remained an independent breed after the Norwegian breeds amalgamated in 1961, but numbers are small and currently the breed is considered ‘at risk’.

This page was last updated on: 2023-05-20

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