Getting stuck in a paddock with a herd of cows is an intimidating experience, but imagine if you were caught out in a field with one of these massive breeds of cattle...
Here, we round up some of the biggest cattle breeds in the UK and the rest of the world, some which are native British cows and others which have made their way here from Europe.
The biggest cows in Britain – and the world
English longhorn
The English longhorn is one of the UK’s largest native cattle breeds, with bulls often weighing in at over 1000kg. They are recognised by their uniquely long horns, which sweep and curve forwards. They are large beef cattle, originating from the north of England – particularly in the Craven district in the West Riding.
It was originally used as a draught horse to pull heavy loads on the farm, developed by the agriculturalist Robert Bakewell, who crossed horned heifers with a Westmoreland bull to create the English longhorn. Its high milk yield was historically used for butter and cheese, but they are now predominantly used in meat production. Their docile nature makes them a very easy breed to manage.
Belgian blue
An adult Belgian blue bull tends to weigh around a whopping 1200kg and are known for their muscular build, due to a condition known as ‘double-muscling’. It has a natural mutation in its myostatin gene, the protein which inhibits muscle development. The gene is truncated, which results in accelerated muscle growth. Originating in Belgium in the 19th century, the black and white cow breed, the Belgian blue has been exported to many parts of the world, primarily for beef production.
Simmental
The Swiss simmental is named after the valley of the Somme river in the Bernese Overland in Switzerland, and is typically light red in colour with white markings. It is used for both milk and meat production. Simmentals are very heavy, with bulls typically weighing between 1050-1300kg. They have a large frame with good muscle mass, with bulls usually measuring around 150-160cm tall.
South Devon
This large breed is characterised by its curly, light red coat and its docile temperament – so docile, in fact, that the South Devon has earned the nickname ‘the gentle giant’. Giant is a key word here though, as South Devon bulls are on average 152cm tall and between 1200 and 1500kg. It’s considered to be the largest native Breed of cattle, supposedly originating in (you guessed it) South Devon in the 16th century. They were established as a breed in England in 1800 and expanded across the rest of the UK in the 20th century.
Tauros (coming soon…)
It was announced in October 2024 that the tauros breed of wild cattle could be introduced at the Dundreggan estate in Scotland as part of an ambitious new rewinding project. The tauros is a modern relative of auroch breed of cattle, a wild ancestor of domestic cattle before their extinction 400 years ago. At their peak, the auroch was one of Europe’s largest land mammals.
The plan is to introduce a herd of up to 15 tauros to Scotland from the Netherlands. Tauros bulls can stand up to 180cm tall and are known to significantly enrich ecosystems, as they are very active grazers and create ‘bullpits’, shallow depressions in the ground which create habitats for invertebrates and small mammals.
What is the biggest cow breed in the world?
Chianina is the biggest cattle breed in world, known as the 'white giant'. Bulls can weigh more than 1600kg and can stand up to 1.8m tall. One of the oldest breeds of cattle, Chianinas are nowadays found in Italy, Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada, but originated in Italy. They were originally bred as draft animals, hence their large frame and great strength. These days, they are also prized for their high-quality beef production.
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