BLONDE d’AQUITAINE       

       THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN THE CATTLE BUSINESS

   Blonde d’Aquitaines arrived in Canada, from France, in the early 70’s. At the time of the first imports, the Blonde breed in France was one of the smaller breeds. It now appears that at this time, Blondes have become the third largest beef breed in numbers in France, attesting to the valuable characteristics the breed has to offer. Blondes arrived in Canada at the end of the importation era of exotic cattle from Europe. Being one of the last exotic breeds to arrive, Blondes were hampered in their development as a breed in the early years, by a lack of import permits, as well as attracting more than their fair share of speculators. Those restrictions were overcome, and soon the dedicated cattlemen began to breed for the characteristics the Canadian market place demands.

    Blondes, a large, high performance breed, has been bred with calving ease in mind. Their fine boned bodies have been bred to be longer and narrower than most breeds, to facilitate easier calving. While well known in countries around the world for their well muscled, high yielding carcasses, the Blonde calf does not start to show the heavier muscled hind quarter, until it is four to six weeks of age. From then on, the Blonde cross calf has the potential to make exceptional gains while on the cow, and then be ready to excel in the feedlot. Crossbreeding with Blondes, adds muscle, length and thickness in the calves, produces more beef, less fat, less bone, and supplies a high yielding carcass.   Crossbred Blonde carcasses have a high Commercial Index Superiority, high meat density, heavier meat to the carcass, leaner meat (3.7% less fat at the 11th rib): heavier muscling (5.9% more muscle on the II th rib): less bone (2.2% less on the 11th rib): and excellent lean to fat ratio. When crossed with British breed cows, the result is a high yielding, well-marbled carcass, which requires very little trim. One important characteristic the Blonde breed has, which has been proven over and over in numerous feeding trials, is their low cost/lb.of gain, Some feedlot operators say this is the most important trait an animal can have in the feedlot.

      The Blonde d’Aquitaine breed is in a unique position. Their characteristics are such that it can make a huge contribution to the traditional cattle market, by supplying the feedlot traits their material dam is lacking, and adding the hybrid vigor to add those extra pounds. A major problem for gaining breed popularity, is the low color inheritablity of the Blonde breed. In a recent feedlot survey conducted by the Alberta Blonde association, 24 feedlots were chosen at random. They ranged in capacity from 2000 head, to some of the largest feedlots in the province. When asked about the 50% Blonde cross animal, not one could say they could positively identify them, all though they acknowledged they probably had them in their feedlots.Blonde cross calves tend to be black from black cows, red from red cows, and tan from white or buckskin cows. Breeders like to think they have the natural “Red Factor” breed. Time after time, through out the years, Blonde cross calves have topped markets across the country, but most times they are identified as crosses from other breeds.          Most breeders are able to easily sell their bulls off the farm. A majority of bulls are sold to repeat buyers, who have already discovered the BEST KEPT SECRET IN THE CATTLE BUSINESS. As a result, few Blonde bulls make it to bull sales, where the uninformed producer has a chance to uncover the Blonde secret.     

     The Blonde breed also excels in the lucrative, eastern “niche” markets, either on it’s own, or as more breeders of other carcass breeds are discovering, in a cross breeding program, which complements their breed. The demand for a lean, heavily muscled, high yielding, fast growing feedlot animal, for the prime niche markets available in Ontario, is not being filled. A cow/calf producer, breeding for this market, can easily receive ten cents a pound or more, for a heavy, large butted calf. Consider what ten cents a pound more would do to your bottom line.  

    A number of Blonde breeders have welcomed the arrival of the national beef identification program, believing that it will open the door to “trace back”, where the commercial producer will be able to access the slaughter results of their calves. At this time there are agencies that are developing DNA trace back systems for competing meats, with the beef industry just being approached. There are also calls for the beef packing industry to start paying on an individual animal basis, as opposed the average pricing system now being used, so producers that supply superior carcasses, get rewarded for their efforts. With the grading systems available today, the will to change, might be the only hindrance in developing a system where the producer is encouraged to produce a superior valued animal, by being paid more for it. It has been stated that top quality, high yielding animals, can produce animals with carcasses that are worth $100 or more than average.  With the right breeds used in a cross breeding program, this exceptional type slaughter animal can be easily produced.

     The purebred Blonde d’Aquitaine breeder, while ever mindful of calving ease, has at their disposal, the performance program offered by Beef Improvement Ontario. This progressive company offers the Blonde breeder, the tools in which to select the traits they want to develop in their herds, as well as offering EPD’s, which are calculated in Guelph, Ontario. This performance program offers information not only to the purebred breeder, but also to the potential bull buyer, to select traits that will complement their cowherd.

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Alberta Blonde d'Aquitaine Association,

Reed Rigney ,President  (780)348-5308