DL said:
Mancelle cattle were crossed with what were called Durham (turned out they were Shorthorn) in the 1800s. Maines are the largest of the French beef breeds and are considered dual purpose (milk and meat) - I am not aware that they are considered a draft breed.
i found the reference for mancelle's being a working breed as well. it's in cattle and dairy farming,page 727 where it mentions mancelle's are an offshoot of the parthenaise group of cattle.
The Parthenaise breed and its offshoots.
the parthenaise breed andits derivatives( vendeenne, nantaise, and mancelle breeds) constitute the horned stock of the department of deux-sevres, vendee, and lorie inferieure, and a great portion of those of maine-et-loire, vienne, indre-et-loire, and charente-inferieure.
this family, which the breeders consider as a pure race, is regarded by zoologists as the produce of a cross with animals of different swiss breeds. thus in the mancell cattle, we recognize the characters of the great bernoise and fribourgeoise breeds, and in the parthenaise and nantaise beasts those of the schwitz breed.
the whole of the parthenaise group proper has the fixed characteristic of black external mucous membranes, surrounded by a badger-cray circle. in the others this mark varies with the tint of the hair surrounding them. at the same time the mixture of foreign blood has not been introduced to such an extent as to modify the shape of the animals which remains entirely that of a french breed.
the parthenaise cattle combine the three gaculties so desirable to be united in a breed: working power, facility of fattening, and good milking qualities.
animals belonging to this family are distinguishable by their light bony frame, their graceful, well proportioned body, small head with broad flat flrehead, and handsome welll directed horns which are always brilliantly black. the eye is well placed, animated in expression, and the gereral aspect docile.
the oxen are capital workers, and when fattened their meat is considered second to none on the paris market where it is known as chollet beef.
the cows are good milkers, and are used exclusively for milk production never being put to draught work. on the rich pastures of loire, along the coast from loire to charente, cows of this breed are often met with, which can hold their own as milkers with the finest animal known.
