Not a cow in the meadow, but a cow on the heath. The heath cow has been recognized by Wageningen University as a separate breed. But something needs to be done to maintain this small population.
“They are really different,” says Julie Teunen, shepherd at Het Stroomdal sheepfold. Hidden between a few trees on the edge of the Strubben and Kniphorst forests near Schipborg, six cows and a calf are quietly chewing the cud. From a distance they look like ‘normal’ black-and-white Dutch dairy cows. But when you get closer, you see that they are a lot smaller and sturdier.
In addition to the sheep of Het Stroomdal, Teunen also takes care of the cows in the area. “You don’t do many cows any favors with a life on the heath. This one does. They are mainly here for grazing.”
Together with the sheep, they are used to keep the area healthy. “Cows and sheep complement each other. For example, sheep of the young birch only eat the leaves, while the cow eats the whole tree.”
The breed could not be found in the Netherlands for a long time. The cows on the moor at Schipborg were imported from Denmark in 2014. “They really belong here,” Teunen explains. “In the past, in addition to sheep, there were always cows on the moor. And you even had cowherds.”
Watch the video about the ‘return’ of the heather cow here: