Swedish Red-and-White
In its own language: Svensk röd och vit boskap
A red and white Swedish milk breed with horns on cows and bulls alike
A red and white milk breed from Sweden, kept nationwide and horned in both cows and bulls. It was formed in the 1920s from two older Swedish breeds, and in 2001 it made up nearly half of the national dairy herd.
- Formed in 1927 or 1928 by merging the Swedish Red Pied and Swedish Ayrshire
- Cows weigh about 550 kg, bulls about 1050 kg, and both sexes carry horns
- Milk averages 4.3% fat; in 2001 the breed was nearly 48% of Sweden's dairy herd
- Reported at just under 354,000 head in 2014; FAO in 2007 judged it not at risk
- Its four parent breeds are all reported extinct in DAD-IS
What do Swedish Red-and-White cattle look like?
A milk breed of the taurine kind, so the shoulders carry no hump. The coat is red, broken up by white markings. Horns grow on cows as well as bulls, so the breed is not polled. These are substantial animals: a mature cow weighs roughly 550 kg, and a bull reaches about 1050 kg, close to twice her weight. Swedish farmers shorten the name to SRB. Herds are found right across Sweden instead of in one district, and the animals are kept for milking.
Where does the Swedish Red-and-White come from?
The breed took shape in the late 1920s. In 1927 or 1928, two older Swedish populations, the Swedish Red Pied and the Swedish Ayrshire, were merged into one. The Red Pied had already taken in three earlier local kinds, the Herrgård, Skåne and Småland, at some point between 1892 and 1928. Every one of those four parent breeds is now reported to DAD-IS as extinct, which means the modern breed carries their blood rather than standing beside them.
How the Swedish Red-and-White is bred and kept
The breed was built by joining existing herds rather than by selecting one new type. The Red Pied and the Ayrshire populations were combined in 1927 or 1928, and the older Herrgård, Skåne and Småland lines had been folded into the Red Pied before that. Since then it has been managed as a single national population, and it is distributed across the whole of Sweden rather than concentrated in one area.
Swedish Red-and-White, drawn
What the Swedish Red-and-White is kept for
The purpose recorded for it is milk. Fat in the milk averages 4.3%. The breed matters a great deal to Swedish dairying: in 2001 it accounted for almost 48% of the national dairy herd, narrowly ahead of the Swedish Friesian, so nearly half of the country's milk cows at that date belonged to this population. Cows are the milking side of the herd, each weighing about 550 kg, while bulls run to around 1050 kg.
The land and climate of the Swedish Red-and-White
Sweden is the home of this breed, and its herds are spread the length of the country rather than being tied to one district. Three older types, the Herrgård, Skåne and Småland, went into it, and their blood now flows through a single nationwide population. Because the animals are kept from the south of Sweden to the north, they meet a wide range of weather and grazing.
Numbers, conservation and the herd book
Just under 354,000 animals were recorded in 2014. The FAO judged the breed not at risk in 2007. In 2001 it held close to 48% of the Swedish dairy herd, a little more than the Swedish Friesian. Its parent breeds, the Swedish Red Pied, the Swedish Ayrshire, and the older Herrgård, Skåne and Småland types, are all listed as extinct in DAD-IS. Herds continue to be found across the whole country.
Questions people ask about Swedish Red-and-White
Where does the Swedish Red-and-White come from?
Sweden. It was put together there in 1927 or 1928, when the Swedish Red Pied and the Swedish Ayrshire were merged. Older types, the Herrgård, Skåne and Småland, had gone into the Red Pied earlier, and all four parents are now reported extinct.
What is it kept for?
For milk. The fat in its milk averages 4.3%, and the breed supplies a large share of Swedish dairying: close to 48% of the national dairy herd in 2001, slightly ahead of the Swedish Friesian.
How big is it, and does it have horns?
A grown cow weighs around 550 kg and a bull about 1050 kg, so a bull is close to twice the cow's weight. Horns are carried by cows and bulls alike, and the coat is red with white markings.
Is the breed rare?
No. The FAO judged it not at risk in 2007, and just under 354,000 animals were recorded in 2014. Herds are spread across the whole of Sweden. Several of the older breeds that went into it are extinct.
Good reading and sources
- Swedish Red-and-White on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Swedish Red-and-White", 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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