Charolaise Beef Cattle From Around Le Gros Chigy.

I crossed paths with Charolais cattle a few times today. The first was early in the morning as I drove to buy bread and dropped from the 312 m altitude of The House at Le Gros Chigy to the 239 m of the Salornay Saint Andre la Desert road. The temperature plunged from what must have been around freezing at Le Gros Chigy to a heavy frost along the road that runs along the river.

It was a case of white cows on the white grass!

photo by ChigyTweet
(Creative Commons Some Limitations License)

The Charolais are very much part of the rural scenery, dotting the green fields with their brilliant white, broken only by the dark patches on the rump. They are a world renowned breed of beef cattle that originated in Charolais, around Charolles which is just 25 km away from The House at Le Gros Chigy to the west.

As the weather gets colder its my understanding that the cattle are housed in barns.

photo by ChigyTweet
(Creative Commons Some Limitations License)

This one has it entrance decorated with the awards this farm's herd has won over the years at agricultural shows.

Later in the day and higher up the hill (near Le Bourg-Rameau at 329 m high) the weather was fine and warm leaving 8718 with a somewhat more relaxed and inquisitive view on things!

photo by ChigyTweet
(Creative Commons Some Limitations License)

I do notice that some of the farms are starting to cross the Charolaise with darker cattle, some that look very much like Jerseys but that doesn't seem to make much sense. Anyway my thought is will these iconic white cattle on bright green pastures become a less common site in Bourgogne?