Herd-Book Charolais (HBC)

The breeders' association for the Charolais beef breed, founded by breeders in 1864, a non-profit association. Its main task is keeping the breed's herd book, delegated to it by the breed's official breeding organisation, OS Charolais France. It has about 1,550 breeder members across France, with more than 107 delegates and breed-expert technicians. It offers members breeding advice, breed qualification, genetic and genomic tests, shows and sales.

Voluntary; open to any Charolais breeder who wants to register, qualify or sell breeding animals. Membership is requested through the breed expert for your area.

The fee depends on the number of herd-book cows (merit class A); the website gives no amount. New members have a 5-year discounted programme (“nous rejoindre”): in the first year only class-A cows likely to produce certifiable males are counted, and female certification is 50% cheaper.

Fee basis: number of animals

• Herd-book registration and qualification of breeding animals (HBC certificate)
• Breed-expert advice: bull choice, matings, heifer selection
• Discounted genetic and genomic tests (e.g. ataxia, polled, double-muscling genes, parentage)
• eCow: economic ranking of cows
• Shows, national sale, “100% Charolais” magazine

• charolaise.fr — Herd Book Charolais
• charolaise.fr — Devenir adhérent
• charolaise.fr — OS Charolais France