Väneko
An endangered Swedish dairy breed, black or red with white, named for a village
The Väneko is a Swedish dairy breed, one of the traditional native cattle of the country, and it is endangered. Cows weigh about 525 kg and bulls about 775 kg, both sexes carry horns, and the coat is black or red, sometimes with white.
- Named for the village of Väne-Ryr in Västergötland, western Sweden
- Herd book opened in 1993; 190 animals recorded in 2014
- Kept for milk, though yields are low
- Bulls about 775 kg, cows about 525 kg; both sexes horned
- FAO listed it as endangered-maintained in 2007
What do Väneko cattle look like?
Väneko are dairy cattle of modest size. A cow weighs about 525 kg and a bull about 775 kg, so the bulls are clearly heavier. Horns grow on both cows and bulls. The coat is never one plain colour throughout: an animal may be red or black, sometimes with white as well, and the pattern can be solid, pied, or colour-sided, meaning a band of colour down each flank with white above and below it. Photographs show red cattle with white running along the belly and legs. These are humpless, taurine cattle.
Where does the Väneko come from?
The breed carries the name of Väne-Ryr, a village in Vänersborg Municipality, in Västra Götaland, which lies within the Västergötland province of western Sweden. Its history as a recognised breed is recent. Animals that matched no known type were found in the 1990s, at a point when every old horned Swedish breed was believed to have died out. From those animals a recovery and conservation effort grew. A herd book opened in 1993 to record the offspring.
What the Väneko is known for
Little is said about how these cows behave. What sets them apart is survival. The cattle turned up after old Swedish horned stock was assumed to be gone, and they are still kept partly for cultural and social reasons. Milk output is low rather than high, so the breed is not chosen for production. The one breeding aim recorded is purity, keeping other breeds out of the line. Some animals are also put to work grazing vegetation that needs holding back.
How the Väneko is bred and kept
Registration began in 1993, when a herd book was set up. Since then the register and the conservation work have been run by a society, Föreningen Allmogekon. Väneko sit in a group with two other rare Swedish breeds, the Ringamålako and the Bohuskulla; the three together are called Allmogekor, a word that means roughly Swedish native cattle. Breeding aims at one thing only, keeping the line free of outside blood. A recovery and conservation programme continues alongside the record keeping.
Väneko, drawn
What the Väneko is kept for
Milk is the main reason these cattle are kept. The Väneko is classed as a dairy breed, though it does not yield heavily, and its small numbers mean milk and conservation go together in practice. Cattle can also be turned out to manage vegetation, grazing ground where unwanted growth needs to be checked. Beyond that, the animals have value for the culture and community around them, which is part of why the population continues at all.
Numbers, conservation and the herd book
In 2014 the breed was reported to number 190 animals in total, a very small population. The FAO put the Väneko in its endangered-maintained category in 2007, a listing for breeds that need help to survive. A herd book has recorded the animals since 1993. The Föreningen Allmogekon handles registration and conservation. Cattle from the breed have been kept at Skånes Djurpark in Höör, Skåne, away from the western district they come from.
Questions people ask about Väneko
Where does the Väneko come from?
It comes from western Sweden and is named after Väne-Ryr, a village in Vänersborg Municipality, Västra Götaland, in the Västergötland province. The cattle trace back to animals that turned up in the 1990s, when old Swedish horned cattle were assumed to be gone.
What is the Väneko kept for?
Milk, mainly. It is a dairy breed, though it does not produce heavily. Some animals graze land to hold back vegetation. Social and cultural value also matters to the people who keep them, and pure breeding is the one aim set for the population.
How many Väneko are there?
A total of 190 animals was reported in 2014, which makes the breed very rare. The FAO listed it in 2007 as endangered-maintained. A herd book has recorded the breed since 1993, and a society, Föreningen Allmogekon, handles registration and conservation.
How big do Väneko grow?
Bulls weigh about 775 kg and cows about 525 kg. Both sexes grow horns. The coat can be black or red, sometimes with white, and may be solid, pied or colour-sided, with a band of colour along each flank and white above and below.
Which breeds are similar to the Väneko?
Two other old Swedish breeds, the Ringamålako and the Bohuskulla, are grouped with the Väneko as Allmogekor, roughly Swedish native cattle. All three are endangered, and all are registered by the same society, Föreningen Allmogekon.
Good reading and sources
- Väneko on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Väneko", 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.
More from Sweden
All the breeds of Sweden
🇸🇪 SwedenSwedish Red-and-WhiteSvensk röd och vit boskap
A red and white Swedish milk breed with horns on cows and bulls alikeTaurine · Dairy
🇸🇪 SwedenFjällSvensk fjällras
A polled, mostly white dairy cow from the Swedish mountains, hardy on thin grazing.Taurine · Dairy · Polled
🇸🇪 SwedenBohuskulla
A rare, hornless Swedish mountain breed, usually black or brown and often colour-sidedTaurine · Heritage · Quick and strong
🇸🇪 SwedenSwedish Red PolledRödkulla
A hornless red Swedish cow kept for milk and meat, once reduced to about 20 animals.Taurine · Dual-purpose · Polled
Its cousins elsewhere
All dairy breeds
🇲🇳 MongoliaDzoམཛོ་
A yak-cow hybrid from Tibet and Mongolia, bigger than either parentYak · Dairy
🇵🇰 Pakistan and 5 moreZebu
Humped, heat-tolerant cattle of South Asia, kept for milk, meat, work and ridingZebu · Dairy · Heat-tolerant
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreGayal
A semi-domesticated bovine of the Eastern Himalayas, kept for meat, milk and ceremonyMithun · Beef
🇺🇸 United StatesTexas Longhorn
American beef cattle, once feral on Texas ranges, with horn spreads beyond 2.4 mTaurine · Beef · Heat-tolerant