The 8th General Meeting of the Maine-Anjou Verband Deutschland e.V. took place at its member Antoine Hild’s site in Calembourg, France. The Hild family runs their business as a sideline business. The focus of the breeding lies in the production of breeding cattle which also regularly finds grateful buyers in Germany.

In beautiful sunshine, they met for coffee and cake in the groomed stable of the Hild family. Antoine Hild, Hans-Volkert Otzen (President of the Maine-Anjou Association Germany) and Christian Perrin (President of the Domaine Rouge Des Pres, French Maine-Anjou Association) welcomed the approximately one hundred guests.

Immediately afterwards, Pascal LeComte assessed the animals (see picture 1886). On the basis of a few selected animals which were presented in the ring, he then justified his assessments. Pascal made it clear that the ideal Maine-Anjou cow should be a cow of large stature and length, of sufficient width and good muscling. Especially in the German area, functionality, such as light calving, is an essential breeding goal. Animals which correspond to this breeding goal, we found with family Hild.

We are especially curious about the descendants of the new herd bull (see also picture 1833) which presented itself splendidly at the age of 16 months and kept an unspeakable calmness despite the many visitors.

The following general meeting proceeded quite quickly.

Afterwards, the Hild family invited to an opulent dinner (see picture 1935), which lasted until late after midnight. It was especially nice that it took place in the barn which led to the fact that small groups constantly returned to the boxes to philosophize and talk shop about the animals shown.

The rumour that the French federation had succeeded in finding and buying a pure, hornless Maine-Anjou bull gave cause for a certain joyful expectation. If this bull passes the tests, it will probably go into regular sperm production in 2020 for use in artificial insemination.

Finally, we would like to thank the Hild family once again very much for organizing this year’s general meeting, or more accurately celebration, with a great hospitality and the opportunity to see excellent animals and genetics.

We are already looking forward to our next general meeting on 20.06.2020, this time in Luxembourg. Please save the date and interested guests are always welcome to attend.

Hans-Volkert Otzen
President of the Maine-Anjou Verband Deutschland e.V. (MAVD)