Braunvieh Cattle, Cow (Farm World by Schleich)

From the Alpine region of Switzerland come the Braunvieh cattle, a dairy breed that has its roots in the Bronze Age and the breed for which the oldest herd book is known, spanning the years between 1775 and 1782. Braunvieh is German for “brown cattle” and the breed is also known as the Swiss Brown. In 1869 one Braunvieh bull and seven cows were imported to Massachusetts and would provide the foundation for the American Brown Swiss breed, one of the most common dairy breeds in the United States. Most modern Braunvieh in Europe are a mix of Braunvieh and the American Brown Swiss, imported back to Europe and used to improve dairy qualities in the Braunvieh. Herds of pure Braunvieh are still maintained and “original Braunvieh” certified. Historically the breed was used for dairy, beef, and draft but now it’s mostly just used for dairy. Their milk is known for its high protein and butterfat content. Toy Animal Wiki catalogs many figures of the breed, all by the German companies Bullyland and Schleich. Today we’re looking at the 2018 figure by Schleich.

The Schleich Braunvieh cow measures 5” (12.7 cm) from snout-to-rump and stands 3” (7.62 cm) tall at the withers (shoulders). Cows weigh between 1,433- 1,543 lbs. (600-750 kg) while bulls average 2,314 lbs. (1050 kg).  Cows average 55- 59” (140–152 cm) tall at the withers. This puts the Schleich figure at 1/18 in scale. Like most recent Schleich cattle the figure is presented in a static pose with its head looking slightly leftward.

I generally have high praise for Schleich’s cattle, which is why they dominate my cattle collection. This one is no different. She has a gentle demeanor appropriate for a cow, aided by her short face, dewlap, and rounded cheeks. A gold-colored bell is sculpted around her neck, attached to a brown belt with gold buckle. Bunched up skin folds are sculpted along the left side of her neck. The entirety of her body is covered in a fine coat of hair that gives her a pleasing texture. Tight curly hair is sculpted atop her head (poll) along with some longer hair along the edges of her ears. The switch at the end of her tail is beautifully rendered. Her short horns have faint grooves etched into them and the udder is complete with sculpted veins.

The figure is painted uniform light brown with a paler brown underside. In life, Braunvieh cattle come in various shades of brown, including gray-brown and dark brown. The nose is black on the figure but although the muzzle tends to be encircled by a pale ring that is not the case here. The horns are accurately tipped in black and in life the breed can be either horned or polled (hornless). The switch on the end of the tail is black with a brown tip and the color gradient here is quite lovely. The udder is pink, and the hooves are gray. The eyes and nose are black with a shiny finish that makes them appear wet.

The Schleich Braunvieh cattle is yet another example of the company’s excellent track record with domesticated bovines. The only negative criticism I can muster is that the static leftward looking pose is feeling a bit repetitive at this point. Even that could be considered a good thing though, as it makes displaying Schleich’s cattle together easier.  At least the particular shade of brown and the addition of the bell help this individual to stand out on the shelf. The Schleich Braunvieh cow is currently in production and widely available.