Mirandaise
A large, heat-tolerant draught breed from the Gers, now raised for veal
The Mirandaise is a large breed of domestic cattle from the Gers, in Gascony in south-western France. Its coat is white, sometimes tinged grey or red, its horns are lyre-shaped and pale with black tips, and it was once a draught animal but is now raised for meat.
- Named for Mirande, a commune in the Gers in Gascony, south-western France
- A herd-book for the breed dates from 1894
- The FAO listed it as endangered-maintained in 2007
- About 150 cows and one bull were left by the late 1970s
- 616 animals were reported in 2014
What do Mirandaise cattle look like?
The Mirandaise is a large, powerful breed of taurine cattle, humpless and horned in both sexes. Cows stand about 138 cm at the withers, the bony ridge between the shoulders, and weigh around 650 kg; bulls reach about 150 cm and 900 kg. The coat is white, sometimes shaded grey or red, over brown skin. Muzzle, tail switch and hooves are black, and the pale, lyre-shaped horns have black tips. The breed's mark is the patch around the anus and vulva, dark at the middle and pale at the rim. The inside of the ear is pale. It is much bigger than the Gasconne.
Where does the Mirandaise come from?
Nothing certain is recorded about the breed's beginnings. It is named after Mirande, a commune in the Gers, a district of the old region of Gascony and now part of Occitanie in south-western France. It is thought to have come from the Vallée du Gers, between Fleurance and Masseube, and its range once stretched south to the foothills of the Pyrénées, into the Haute-Garonne and the Hautes-Pyrénées. Its old work was on the heavy, difficult soils of the Gers.
What the Mirandaise is known for
The breed is described as rustic: hardy, undemanding and able to make use of land that arable farmers leave alone. It bears heat well and suits steep, sloping ground. Owners note that it lives long, conceives without trouble and puts on flesh easily, which makes it cheap to keep. It is large and powerful, built for pulling, and was shaped by years of work on the soils of the Gers.
How the Mirandaise is bred and kept
The breed got its herd-book in 1894. Numbers dropped steeply after the Second World War, when machines took over the work that cattle had done: by the late 1970s only about 150 cows and one bull were left. The FAO classed the breed as endangered-maintained in 2007, and 616 animals were counted in 2014. Breeding now rests on that old herd-book record and on the herds kept in the Gers and elsewhere in Occitanie. Calves not chosen for breeding or for draught work were sold.
Mirandaise, drawn
What the Mirandaise is kept for
The Mirandaise was a draught animal first, pulling ploughs through the heavy, difficult soils of the Gers. Today it is kept mainly for meat, and especially for naturally-fed milk veal. In the past, calves that were no use for work or as breeding stock went for slaughter at about three months old. The breed's size and its readiness to fatten suit it to grass-based beef.
The land and climate of the Mirandaise
These cattle belong to south-western France, to the Gers and the foothills of the Pyrénées. They tolerate heat and are at home on steep terrain that cannot be ploughed. That is the ground they were bred for: heavy, awkward fields where a strong, steady animal was worth more than a quick one. The breed is rustic, meaning it manages on rough grazing and simple shelter rather than on rich pasture.
At a glance: where it belongs
Land and climate
Celebrations
Custom and folk tradition
The working life of the Gers is bound up with the breed. Teams of Mirandaise oxen pulled ploughs through soil too heavy for lighter cattle, and keeping a strong yoke, or working pair, was part of farm life in the district. Calves were sorted young: those not wanted for the yoke or for breeding went to market for meat at about three months.
Numbers, conservation and the herd book
By the late 1970s the breed had fallen to about 150 cows and a single bull, after mechanisation removed the demand for working cattle. The FAO's 2007 listing was endangered-maintained. A total of 616 head was reported in 2014. The herd-book dates from 1894. The cattle are found in the Gers and across the wider region of Occitanie in south-western France.
Questions people ask about Mirandaise
Where does the Mirandaise come from?
From the Gers, a district in the historic region of Gascony in south-western France, now part of Occitanie. It takes its name from the commune of Mirande, and is thought to have originated in the Vallée du Gers between Fleurance and Masseube.
What is the Mirandaise kept for?
It was traditionally a draught breed, working the heavy soils of the Gers. Today it is raised mainly for meat, particularly for naturally-fed milk veal. Calves not kept for work or for breeding were once sold for meat at about three months.
How big is a Mirandaise?
Large and powerful. Cows stand about 138 cm at the withers and weigh some 650 kg; bulls reach about 150 cm and 900 kg. It is considerably bigger than the Gasconne, the other cattle breed of the same south-western district.
Is the Mirandaise rare?
Yes. Numbers fell after the Second World War as machines replaced working cattle, and by the late 1970s only about 150 cows and one bull were left. The FAO listed it as endangered-maintained in 2007, and 616 animals were reported in 2014.
How do you tell it from the Gasconne?
The Mirandaise is larger and has pale skin inside the ear. Its dark-centred, pale-edged hair around the anus and vulva, the areola that gives it its French name, is not seen in the Gasconne, which also carries dark hair inside the ear.
Good reading and sources
- Mirandaise on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Mirandaise", 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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