Hinterwald

What do Hinterwald cattle look like?

This is a small cow by any measure. Full-grown cows measure 115 to 125 cm at the withers, the ridge between the shoulder blades, and weigh 350 to 450 kg, while bulls reach 130 to 135 cm and 700 to 800 kg. No other breed of cattle living in Central Europe is smaller. The face and forehead are white on most animals; behind the head the body carries a pied coat, patched in shades from pale yellow through to a deep red-brown. Horns are common rather than rare, and they tend to sweep outward in a way that catches the eye. Bulls are markedly heavier than the cows, roughly half as much again.

Where does the Hinterwald come from?

The name is German and means, word for word, 'from the backwoods'. It was taken up only around 150 years ago, when the smaller cattle of the deep forest began to be recorded separately from the Vorderwälder, whose name points to the woods at the front of the same range. Both are old local breeds of the Black Forest in south-west Germany, and the Hinterwald remains closely tied to that landscape. Zoologically it is classed as Bos primigenius f. taurus, the domestic descendant of the wild aurochs.

What the Hinterwald is known for

Hardship shaped this cow. Generations of selection produced an animal that stays sound through cold winters, copes with steep hill pasture and keeps condition on thin fare. Keepers praise three things above all: thrift, meaning it does well on little; longevity, meaning a long productive life; and easy calving, since difficulties at birth are seldom seen. Those same qualities are what drew Swiss Alpine farmers to the breed, and why German conservationists campaign for it. It is a practical hill cow first and foremost.

How the Hinterwald is bred and kept

Breed societies keep the registers: several operate in Germany, and Switzerland has one of its own. In Switzerland the charity ProSpecieRara, which works to save rare domestic breeds, began a breeding programme, and Swiss Alpine herds have grown noticeably since it did. In Germany, keepers in Baden-Württemberg receive husbandry bonuses, payments made by the state to help the breed survive rather than to reward output. Selection in earlier times favoured animals that could last out long winters on meagre grazing, and that frugal constitution still guides how the breed is raised.

What the Hinterwald is kept for

Milk and beef come from the same animal. Cows are milked, while other stock is raised for meat, so one herd serves both ends. The breed's worth on a mountain farm lies in its economy: it stays productive on sparse fodder, lives a long time and calves without difficulty, so keeping costs stay low. For farms on steep ground, a single cow can fill the pail and the meat trade at once.

The land and climate of the Hinterwald

The breed belongs to hill country. Its home is the Black Forest of south-west Germany, where cold winters, steep slopes and thin grazing moulded its constitution. Those same gifts let it do well under an Alpine climate, and it is now established in the Swiss Alps too. It manages on a frugal diet, so it asks little of its pasture; what it needs is ground it can work, for its light frame suits sharp hillsides.

Keeping Hinterwald cattle

An undemanding animal to keep. It was developed to live on a frugal diet, so hill pasture and modest feeding suit it, and heavy rations are unnecessary. Cold weather and steep ground cause it little trouble. Cows give birth with few complications, which spares keepers much worry and expense. Because the breed is rare, German keepers may qualify for husbandry bonuses in Baden-Württemberg, and Swiss breeders have the backing of a conservation programme.

Related breeds and crosses

The Vorderwald (Vorderwälder Rind) is its larger cousin from the same forest; the two have been treated as separate breeds for only about 150 years. Readers may also meet the Black Forest Horse (Schwarzwälder Kaltblut), a draught horse that shares the region, though it is no relation.

Numbers, conservation and the herd book

The Hinterwald counts as endangered. Conservation, though, is active on both sides of the Rhine. Germany hosts several breed associations, and in 1992 the breed took the German title Haustier des Jahres, a national 'animal of the year' accolade. In Switzerland, ProSpecieRara, a non-profit devoted to saving rare domestic breeds, runs a breeding programme, and herds in the Swiss Alps have grown clearly since it began. Baden-Württemberg supports its keepers with husbandry bonuses intended to secure the breed's future.

Questions people ask about Hinterwald

Good reading and sources

• Hinterwald on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data