Crossing Tarentaise into your herd can greatly improve milk production, carcass value and yield grade. Tarentaise have many of the desirable traits of most domestic cattle but since they are mostly unrelated to any other breed, they can provide a needed genetic boost. Higher weaning weights, milk production and better calf survival are some of the many benefits of crossbreeding with Tarentaise.

We have had excellent results crossing Tarentaise with Angus, Simmental, Charolais, Santa Gertrudis, Limousin and Brangus. We retain many of the resulting heifers from these crosses for our replacement cows in our commercial herds.

The advantages of crossbreeding are increased the more unrelated the parental breeds are. Tarentaise are mostly unrelated to any of our domestic cattle which allows maximum hybrid vigor to be expressed. Many breeds will increase milk production, but Tarentaise udders and teats have the conformation to get that milk to the calf. She will breed back and keep milking year after year while maintaining her excellent udder structure.

The advantages are greater if you select breeds that compliment each other by furnishing improvement in traits the other breeds may need.

  • The Tarentaise infusion in an Angus cow adds length and improves yield grade.

  • The Tarentaise infusion into a Hereford cow will improve her milk production, teat and udder conformation and put pigment around her eyes.

  • The Tarentaise infusion in a black or red baldy improves milk production, teat and udder conformation. Maximum hybrid vigor is expressed. Gainability and yield grade are improved without increasing mature cow size.

  • The Tarentaise infusion in Brahma lowers age of puberty and generally improves fertility and milking ability.

    • University research has confirmed the importance of the Tarentaise to the cattle industry. South Dakota State University found Tarentaise x Hereford to be 10% more feed efficient than the other breeds studied (Straight Hereford, Simmental x Hereford, and Angus x Hereford). Another study at South Dakota State indicated that Tarentaise cross cattle had the highest cutability, least fat cover and tied for the largest ribeye, with the lowest total cow/calf feed required for each retain pound produced.


    More facts on Crossbreeding Tarentaise...

  • The U.S. Range and Livestock Experiment Station at Miles City, Montana, has found that Tarentaise not only produce a high level of milk, they also milk at high levels for a longer lactation than the other breeds tested.


  • The Miles City research also showed that Tarentaise x Hereford heifers had less calving difficulty and larger pelvic measurements than the straight Hereford and Hereford x Red Angus heifers in the study.


  • A study from Oregon State University involving Hereford, Angus, Simmental, Pinzgauer and Tarentaise breeds concluded, "All three European breeds transmitted genes for heavier weaning weights to their calves, compared to Hereford and Angus. The Tarentaise accomplished this without increasing calf birth weight above that of the Angus cattle in the experiment."


  • Studies conducted at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center at Clay Center, Nebraska, have consistently shown Tarentaise to wean calves a little heavier than Hereford x Angus, while being comparable to Simmental-cross cows.
    		•      tarentaise x red angus
    Tarentaise x Red Angus










    Tarentaise x Angus
    [Great Western Beef Expo]










    3/4 Tarentaise - 1/8 Hereford - 1/8 Angus
    [Great Western Beef Expo]