Dataset on productive, functional traits at first lactation and productive longevity from a herd of 185 Montbéliarde and Prim’Holstein cows managed under a low-input mountainous grassland farm

This dataset comprises a group variables describing many performant and functional traits during the entire productive career of Montbéliarde and Prim’Holstein cows. The data was collected between 1999 and 2010 at the at the INRA experimental farm of Marcenat (INRA, UE 1414, France). The experimental site of Marcenat (45º18’21”N, 2º50’13”E; altitude varying between 1015 – 1135m) is located in a mountainous with yearly average air temperature is 11 oC, and the annual average precipitation is 725 mm, with a maximum during autumn and moderate summer droughts. Data concerning dairy performance, BW and BCS, fertility, health events, culling dates and causes along with feeding (forage and concentrate intakes) were recorded. Productive lifespan of cows was described in the dataset by keeping track of the birthdate, age at first calving and age at culling.