French Simmental
A large French dairy breed, red pied with a white head, milked for comté
French Simmental is a big dual-purpose breed, kept above all for milk in France and developed from Swiss Simmental stock brought in around 1900. Mature cows stand near 140 cm and 700 kg, bulls about 150 cm and 1,100 kg, and the coat is red pied, that red being a clear tan, with head and legs white.
- Descends from Simmental cattle brought in from Switzerland
- Stud book opened in 1930 under the name Eastern red pied
- Cows give about 6,400 kg of milk a year at 4% fat
- Cows about 140 cm and 700 kg; bulls 150 cm and 1,100 kg
- Milk goes into AOC cheeses such as comté and laguiole
What do French Simmental cattle look like?
French Simmental are big, deep-bodied cattle of red pied colouring, which means a coat patched in red and white. The red is a clear, light tan, and the head and legs are white. Cows reach about 140 cm at the withers, the bony ridge between the shoulders, and weigh roughly 700 kg when mature. Bulls stand about 150 cm and weigh around 1,100 kg. The build is that of the European Simmental family: roomy and substantial, able to put on flesh and to carry a good milk yield at the same time.
Where does the French Simmental come from?
The breed grew out of Simmental cattle that came from Switzerland. Farmers in France started bringing those animals in around 1900, and in 1930 a stud book was opened for them. At that stage the breed went by the name Eastern red pied, or pie rouge de l'est in French. During the 1970s the French authorities wanted to cross it with the Montbeliard breed, but Montbeliard breeders would not agree. Crossings with Fleckvieh and with Swiss Simmental followed, and the name French Simmental came into use. Franche-Comté is where the breed was first kept; today the Auvergne holds most of it.
How the French Simmental is bred and kept
A stud book has been kept for the breed since 1930, which is how the type has been fixed and improved. Breeders cross French Simmental with Fleckvieh and with Swiss Simmental blood, keeping the animals close to the wider Simmental family. A planned union with the Montbeliard breed was put forward by the French authorities in the 1970s; Montbeliard breeders turned it down, so the two populations stayed apart. Outside dairy breeding, French Simmental cows are mated to beef bulls such as Charolais and Limousin. The breed began in Franche-Comté and is now kept chiefly in the Auvergne.
French Simmental, drawn
What the French Simmental is kept for
The breed is kept for milk and for beef, though milk comes first. A cow gives around 6,400 kg of milk in a year, testing about 4% fat and 3.3% protein. That milk goes into protected-origin cheeses (AOC), among them comté and laguiole, where the fat and the flavour of the milk matter. Beef from the same animals is a second income on the farms. Cows are also put to beef bulls, notably Charolais and Limousin, so a dairy herd can produce beef calves as well.
Numbers, conservation and the herd book
About 35,000 cows are recorded in the breed. The stud book was opened in 1930 and is the backbone of the breed's organisation; that same book once carried the name Eastern red pied. The cattle themselves began as imports of Simmental stock from Switzerland, and French breeders then selected them as a distinct population. Franche-Comté was the breed's first stronghold, while the Auvergne is where most of it is found today. Crossings with Fleckvieh, Swiss Simmental, Charolais and Limousin continue alongside pure breeding.
Questions people ask about French Simmental
Where does the French Simmental come from?
It descends from Simmental cattle of Switzerland, brought into France around 1900 and selected there ever since. A stud book was opened in 1930. The breed was first kept in Franche-Comté and is now found mainly in the Auvergne.
What is the French Simmental kept for?
Mainly milk, with beef as a second use. A cow yields about 6,400 kg a year at 4% fat and 3.3% protein, and the milk is made into AOC cheeses such as comté and laguiole. Cows are also crossed with Charolais and Limousin beef bulls.
How big is it, and what colour?
Mature cows stand about 140 cm at the withers and weigh roughly 700 kg. Bulls are larger, about 150 cm and 1,100 kg. The coat is red pied, the red being a clear tan, with a white head and white legs.
Is it the same as Montbeliard?
No. In the 1970s the French authorities wanted to cross the breed with Montbeliard, but Montbeliard breeders refused. French Simmental has instead been crossed with Fleckvieh and Swiss Simmental, and it keeps its own stud book, opened in 1930.
How many French Simmental are there?
About 35,000 cows are recorded in the breed. It began in Franche-Comté and most of the population is now in the Auvergne, alongside crossing work with Fleckvieh, Swiss Simmental and beef breeds.
Good reading and sources
- French Simmental on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "French Simmental", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryCow rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Sizes, colours and customs differ from one herd, valley or breeder to the next. Folk beliefs are described as tradition, never as advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-16.
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