Robustness

Stamped by the mountains, the Hérens Breed is an excellent walker that moves easily also in difficult territories.

The Hérens Breed has maintained its pronounced herd instinct. This herd instinct facilitates the cohabit of the animals on the alpages and one can observe a very strong company within the entire herd. Furthermore, the Hérens Breed has a strong maternal instinct and an excellent calving ease.

Colour

Hérens animals are unicoloured from black to brown-red (fawn). The mucosis, the hoofs and the peaks of the horns are black or have the colour of lead metal. The colourwise wide formulated breed standard has facilitated the selection of phenotypes from various colours. In 1983, Lauvergne has described these colour versions as follows: black, inverted mulish vertex, brown of the fawns with black or badger coloured feet and legs (belly and legs are black), as well as all possible intermediate stages of all different types.

A rare peculiarity of the Hérens breed is the change of colour of the new born calves at the occasion of the moult; the red body turns into black and the black top line turns into red.

The animals have an average size, they are deep and have a wide and well muscled body. The skeleton is thin and very strong. The head is short and wide with strong horns. The glance is vivace and expressive, the front is straight and the muzzle wide. Feet and legs are short and strong with sound articulations and solid hoofs. The position of the legs is correct and the move is easy and speedy.

At birth, an Hérens calf weighs between 30-50 kgs, an adult cow weighs between 450-850 kgs and a bull can weigh over 900 kgs.