Murboden
In its own language: Murbodner Rind
An Austrian mountain breed kept for milk, meat and draught work
Murboden cattle are a mountain breed from Carinthia, Styria and Lower Austria in Austria, with small purebred herds in neighbouring Slovenia, where the breed is called Pomurska. Cows and bulls carry a coat of yellow, light red and grey, and the breed is kept for milk, beef and draught work.
- Mountain breed of Carinthia, Styria and Lower Austria, also kept in Slovenia
- Cows stand 130 to 140 cm and weigh 700 to 800 kg; bulls about 1,200 kg
- Bred towards a uniform type from the early 19th century; herd book from 1869
- Fell sharply after the Second World War; conservation programme began in the early 1980s
- Called Pomurska in Slovenia, where small purebred herds have survived
What do Murboden cattle look like?
The Murboden is a mountain breed kept in Austria and Slovenia for milk, beef and work. It is a taurine breed, so it has no hump, and like other European cattle it carries a dewlap, the loose fold of skin under the throat. The coat is a mixture rather than one colour: yellow, light red and grey all occur, with the strongest red around the horns and eyes and along the nose. Cows stand 130 to 140 cm at the withers, the ridge between the shoulder blades, and weigh 700 to 800 kg. Bulls are bigger, measuring 140 to 150 cm and about 1,200 kg.
Where does the Murboden come from?
The breed was put together from older mountain cattle of the eastern Alps. Three ancestors are named: the Murztal cattle of the Mur valley, the Carinthian Blondvieh and the Ennstal Mountain Pied. From these local populations breeders worked towards one uniform type, a task that began in the early years of the 19th century. A herd book followed in 1869. Breeding continued in Carinthia, Styria and Lower Austria, and in the neighbouring parts of Slovenia. After the Second World War numbers fell heavily and other breeds were crossed in; only from the start of the 1980s did the Murboden begin to be bred up again, with a conservation programme run by the Austrian government.
What the Murboden is known for
The Murboden has held on in Alpine country, where grazing is often steep and grass is not always plentiful. It is not a single-purpose animal: it gives milk, it finishes for beef and it can be worked, a combination that suits mixed mountain farms. In Slovenia small purebred herds have survived, in the region where the breed is called Pomurska. Selection for a uniform type began early in the 19th century, so the breed has been shaped deliberately over a long period.
How the Murboden is bred and kept
Breeding towards one uniform type started early in the 19th century, and a herd book was opened in 1869, so records stretch back well over a century. The breed was built from older local mountain cattle, among them the Ennstal Mountain Pied, the Carinthian Blondvieh and the Murztal cattle of the Mur valley. Cows are kept for milk and for calves, with beef and draught work coming from the same herd. After 1945 numbers dropped and crosses with other breeds were made. From the early 1980s the Austrian government backed a programme to build the purebred population back up.
Murboden, drawn
What the Murboden is kept for
Murboden cattle do three jobs at once, which is why they are called triple-purpose. Cows are milked; young stock is raised for beef; and oxen serve as draught animals, pulling carts and ploughs on steep ground. Before machinery took over, this working side mattered as much as the milk. After the Second World War the population fell greatly and other breeds were crossed in, and the breed lost ground to more specialised cattle. Today the purebred herds are also kept as a conservation line under an Austrian government programme.
The land and climate of the Murboden
These are mountain cattle. Their home ground is Carinthia, Styria and Lower Austria, with the breed continuing across the border into Slovenia. Alpine farming means summer grazing higher up and winter quarters lower down, with animals walking between the two. A mountain breed has to cope with steep slopes, cool air and grass that turns short or coarse in a dry spell. The Murboden has stayed within this Alpine setting.
At a glance: where it belongs
Land and climate
Numbers, conservation and the herd book
Numbers fell greatly after the Second World War, when crossing with other breeds also became common. Recovery dates from the early 1980s, when the Austrian government began a conservation programme and Murboden cattle were increasingly bred again. A herd book has existed since 1869. The breed is found in Carinthia, Styria and Lower Austria, and in neighbouring Slovenia, where a few small purebred herds have survived.
Questions people ask about Murboden
Where does the Murboden come from?
It is an Austrian mountain breed, kept in Carinthia, Styria and Lower Austria, and in the neighbouring parts of Slovenia. It was formed from older local mountain cattle, and selection for a single uniform type began early in the 19th century.
What is the Murboden kept for?
It is a triple-purpose breed. Cows are milked, young animals are reared for beef, and oxen work as draught animals, pulling carts and ploughs. That mixture suits mixed mountain farms, where one herd has to supply milk, meat and traction.
What colour are Murboden cattle?
The coat is not a single colour. Shades of yellow, light red and grey all appear, and the red lies strongest around the horns and eyes and along the nose.
Why did Murboden numbers fall so far?
After the Second World War the population dropped greatly, and Murboden were crossed with other breeds. Recovery began at the start of the 1980s, when the Austrian government set up a conservation programme and the breed was increasingly bred pure again.
Are the Murboden and the Pomurska the same cattle?
Pomurska is the Slovenian name for these cattle. A few small herds of purebred animals have survived there, across the border from Austria. It is one breed under two names rather than two separate breeds.
Good reading and sources
- Murboden on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Murboden", 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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