the Salers cows, stars of Cantal, get their black coat back

In the heart of the Cantal mountains, in the kingdom of the Salers cows. For 32 years, Marcel Vidalinc has been recreating a herd of black Salers. Since the 19th century, it was the mahogany color that was selected by breeders, but he decided to favor the original color, ebony. It is more than 150 cows that he feeds only with hay in winter, when they are not in the mountains. The farmer says: “The average for us is 750 kilos. When we see cows like that, we have to love them.”

Only 4,000 black Salers cows out of 200,000

Some like them especially for their robustness. Georgian and Canadian breeders buy them at exorbitant prices. Older cows are sold in France for their meat, which is a little more expensive than the classic Salers. A butcher explains: “I noticed that the grain of the meat was much finer. […] These are breeds that are authentic, that have kept this wild taste.” Exceptional cows for their meat, but also for their milk. The milk from the black Salers is rich and therefore valuable for cheese makers. Out of 200,000 Salers cows in France, 4,000 are black.