Lithuanian Red
In its own language: Lietuvos žalieji
A red beef breed from Lithuania, bred from Danish Red and local cattle
The Lithuanian Red is a beef breed from Lithuania, formed by crossing Danish Red cattle with local Lithuanian stock and recognised as a breed in 1951. It is red-coated, makes up about a third of the country's cattle, and its young stock grow fast and fatten to high-quality carcasses.
- Made by crossing Danish Red with local Lithuanian cattle, and called a breed from 1951
- Around 33% of all cattle in Lithuania belong to this breed
- Intensively fattened steers weigh about 413 kg at a year old
- Young stock grow fast, use feed well and give high-quality carcasses
- The herd book has recorded pedigree animals since 1924
What do Lithuanian Red cattle look like?
The Lithuanian Red is a breed of cattle from Lithuania. It came about when Danish Red cattle were crossed with the local cattle of the country, and the resulting animals were accepted as a breed in 1951. The coat is red, taken from the Danish side of the cross. Steers fattened hard reach about 413 kg at a year old. Young animals grow quickly, convert feed well and give carcasses of high quality. The breed is numerous at home, making up roughly a third of the national herd.
Where does the Lithuanian Red come from?
The breed belongs to Lithuania. Farmers there mated their local cattle with Danish Red stock, and the offspring were recognised as a separate breed in 1951. From that point the Lithuanian Red spread through the country's herds until it accounted for about one third of all Lithuanian cattle. Pedigree recording has a longer history than the breed itself: the herd book goes back to 1924, some years before the cross won official status.
What the Lithuanian Red is known for
The strong point of the breed is its young stock. Calves and yearlings grow at a good rate, turn their feed into weight efficiently and finish with high-quality carcasses. Under intensive fattening a steer can weigh roughly 413 kg by the time it is a year old. Rapid growth, efficient feed conversion and carcass quality are the three things noted about these young animals, and breeders select for them.
How the Lithuanian Red is bred and kept
Breeding work is in the hands of the Lithuanian Red Cattle Improvement Association. Selection follows a national scheme for the improvement of Red cattle, aimed at growth and carcass quality. The herd book, opened in 1924, records pedigrees. The breed itself was accepted only in 1951, when the Danish Red and local Lithuanian cross was judged to be a breed of its own. Animals are kept in Lithuania, where the breed forms a large share of the national herd.
Lithuanian Red, drawn
What the Lithuanian Red is kept for
Beef is what this breed is kept for. Young animals gain weight quickly and convert feed efficiently, and their carcasses are of high quality. Steers that are fattened hard weigh roughly 413 kg at a year old. That combination of fast growth and good carcass quality is the breed's selling point in beef production. The Lithuanian Red is widespread at home, making up about one third of the country's cattle.
Numbers, conservation and the herd book
Roughly one animal in three in Lithuania is a Lithuanian Red, a share of about 33 per cent of the national herd. Breed management rests with the Lithuanian Red Cattle Improvement Association, which carries out the national selection work for Red cattle. Pedigree animals have been entered in the herd book since 1924. The breed is found in Lithuania, where its numbers are concentrated.
Questions people ask about Lithuanian Red
Where does the Lithuanian Red come from?
It comes from Lithuania. Breeders there crossed Danish Red cattle with the local Lithuanian cattle, and the resulting animals were accepted as a separate breed in 1951.
What is it kept for?
Beef. Its young stock are the reason: they grow quickly, convert feed well and produce carcasses of high quality, and steers fattened hard reach about 413 kg as yearlings.
When did it become a breed?
In 1951, when the cross between Danish Red and local Lithuanian cattle was recognised as a breed in its own right. The herd book, however, goes back to 1924.
How common is it in Lithuania?
It makes up roughly 33 per cent of the country's cattle, so about one animal in three. Management of the breed is in the hands of the Lithuanian Red Cattle Improvement Association.
What is the Lithuanian name for the breed?
The Lithuanian name is Lietuvos žalieji. English speakers know the breed as the Lithuanian Red, a beef breed kept in Lithuania, where it makes up about one third of all cattle.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Lithuanian Red", 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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