Little mountainous Switzerland is home to several magnificent breeds of dairy cattle, which has allowed it to become one of the largest cheese producers in Europe. At the same time, one of the oldest, if not the oldest, currently existing (and at the same time very popular) breed is the Swiss Simmental cow. This is a universal cattle with satisfactory milk and meat qualities.
The history of the appearance of the Simmental breed
Today we can only say with confidence that the Simmental breed of cows is indeed one of the oldest. Its creation began in the 5th century and work on improving the breed continued until the second half of the 20th century.
There are different opinions regarding who was the ancestor of the Simmental cow. According to one version, Simmentals are a cross between wild aurochs and working cows, which local Gallic tribes used to extract peat. According to another version, the Simmental breed comes from Scandinavian cattle brought to Switzerland at the turn of Antiquity and the Middle Ages.
The question is also controversial: who was the first to create the breed - the Gauls (ancestors of the current French), or the Celts (ancestors of the Swiss). The only thing that is known for sure is that the breed owes its name to the Simmental river valley, located in the Bernese Highlands, not far from the modern capital of Switzerland. There is no doubt that it was the Swiss who made the main contribution to the development of the breed.
During the first few centuries, selective breeding was carried out mainly in the direction of creating cows that were hardy and resistant to high mountain conditions. At the same time, apparently, for a long time the Simmental cow was not distinguished by outstanding productivity. Until the 18th century, this was a short, but strongly built and hardy breed with very mediocre productivity indicators by modern standards.
However, for that era, Simmentals had quite good characteristics, so livestock breeders in other countries paid attention to them. Representatives of the breed were actively used to breed new and improve existing European breeds. Among others, Simmentals owe their appearance to such breeds as Montbéliarde (France), Fleckvieh (Germany), Bulgarian Red, Hungarian Pied and others.
In the 17th-18th centuries, the expansion of the Simmental cow in Europe began to become widespread. And in the 19th century, with the advent of scientific methods of selection and a change in the general paradigm, the characteristics of the breed were improved even more significantly. At the same time, the emphasis was no longer on endurance, but on productivity and exterior qualities. During this period, the breed began to acquire modern features, and interest in it abroad grew even more significantly. In particular, Simmental games came to Russia in the middle of the 19th century, and also quickly gained popularity here.
In the 20th century, breeders in various countries worked to further improve the characteristics of the Simmental cow breed, while in Switzerland itself this work also did not stop. Thus, to date, several main and many secondary intra-breed types have formed, which makes the Simmental breed the most variable of all those currently existing.
In the USSR, the breed was also actively used in animal husbandry. In addition to purebred Simmentals, many mixed breeds were bred on their basis (steppe Simmental, Ukrainian Simmental, Volga Simmental, Ural Simmental, Siberian Simmental, Far Eastern, etc.)
In 1990, we had almost 13 million head of such cows. Collapse of the Union economic problems The 90s and the change of breeds to more productive ones led to a significant reduction in the number of livestock. But even today in Russia there are about 2.5 million cows of the Simmental breed and its derivatives, which is about 15% of the total cattle population. In addition, Simmental cows are currently being actively bred in Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine and other post-Soviet countries.
Description and characteristics of the Simmental breed of cows
As mentioned above, today there are many intrabreed types of Simmental cows, which indirectly indicates its great popularity and demand. Moreover, all these subtypes can be reduced into four main groups:
- Milk variety. Specialized dairy types closest to the original Swiss cattle.
- Mixed varieties. The cattle have good meat characteristics, but the emphasis is still on milk production.
- Dual use. All cows milk well, and the bulls have a large live weight.
- Moderately meaty type. Cows have a well-developed, medium, well-fed constitution.
- Radical meat type. They have a massive constitution and are comparable in meat productivity to classic meat breeds.
In general, the classic dairy and mixed types are also characterized by a fairly strong constitution. At the withers, cows grow up to 140 cm with a body length of up to 165 cm. Simmentals have a rather large head with a wide forehead, a wide back, well-developed muscles under thick skin, and an udder that is usually round in shape. The weight of adult cows ranges from 550-650 kg, while bulls weigh in the range of 9-12 centners.
The official description of the Simmental cow breed does not contain a strict color standard. Most cows and bulls have a fawn, light tan, or red-red base color with abundant white spots on the sides and belly. The legs and head (especially the forehead and nose) are always white. In some countries, for example, in the USA, black cows are very common, of which about 80% are there, while the rest have a rich red-red skin color.
As many farmers note, the Simmental breed of cows has a calm, peaceful character, so there are no problems with its maintenance in this regard.
Simmental dairy breeds have fairly good average milk yields - from 4 to 5.5 thousand liters of milk per lactation. Absolute records for this breed exceed far beyond 10 thousand liters. In cows of mixed meat and dairy type, the milk yield is noticeably lower, but also quite satisfactory - 3-3.5 thousand liters. According to its characteristics, milk is very good: fat content is at the level of 3.7-4% with a fairly low content of somatic cells.
The meat characteristics are also pleasing, although Simmentals are, of course, far from being the top meat breeds. The calves of Swiss cows are born quite large (about 45 kg) and after six months they quadruple their weight. With the stall method of keeping and a high-quality diet, young animals are able to gain up to 900 grams of weight per day.
In well-fed animals, the slaughter yield reaches 56%, and in bulls it is often more than 60%. At the same time, the meat is of quite high quality, with an average fat content of about 12%.
Housing conditions and diet for Simmental cows
The great popularity of the Simmental breed is explained by the fact that, with fairly good productivity indicators, these cows do not cause any special trouble when organizing conditions for their maintenance and in selecting a diet.
In the summer, Simmental dogs can be kept outside under a simple canopy, or even left to spend the night in a pasture. In the cold season, of course, you will need a warm but well-ventilated room with a stable temperature.
In most cases, calving occurs without complications: the help of a veterinarian is not required, since the cow gives birth on her own and then quickly recovers. Calves demonstrate high survival rates and grow well even on artificial feeding.
The diet for Simmental cows is quite standard: grass in summer, hay in winter; on feeding all year round vegetables, compound feed. Since cows of this breed are quite large, they need increased nutrition, especially in winter, when you also need to ensure that the feed contains a sufficient amount of all useful substances. In the warm season, animals willingly graze, without, however, refusing an additional evening portion of grass or hay. In winter, in addition to hay and feed, cows can be given boiled corn grains.
To achieve high milk yields, cows need to be fed until they are full, so that the manger is never left empty. The fact that the cow is full will be indicated by her rounded sides.
Simmental breed of cows: pros and cons
The very fact that the breed is very popular and makes up a significant part of the livestock in many countries indicates a large preponderance of its positive qualities over its disadvantages. This is also evidenced by the very fact of the long existence of the breed, whose roots go back to very ancient times.
The main advantages of Simmental cows are:
- Satisfactory indicators both in terms of average milk yield and meat characteristics. Many farmers choose this breed precisely because it is truly universal.
- The good fat content of milk allows it to be successfully used for the production of high-fat dairy products - butter, cream and cheese. At the same time, the milk itself is valued for its excellent taste.
- Simmentals adapt quite easily to a wide variety of conditions. They feel equally good in the north and in the south, in a stall, in a meadow, in a private household, and in a large livestock complex.
- With their calm disposition and docile nature, Simmental cows compare favorably with some highly specialized breeds known for their restive nature.
- Good health and general endurance are another important advantage of this breed. If you do not violate the basic rules of keeping and feeding large cattle, cows of the Simmental breed will never get sick.
We cannot remain silent about some of the shortcomings that many farmers mention in their reviews of the Simmental breed of cows. When breeding Swiss cows, it is important to consider the following points:
- Representatives of this breed often have slightly incorrect positioning of the limbs, which makes it difficult for animals to move with high speed. In this regard, when driving a herd from pasture to pasture, there is no need to gallop.
- Some cows also have underdeveloped anterior udders. It is not always possible to connect such cows to a milking machine and you have to either milk them manually or select a special model of the device.
- Inverse relationship between meat and dairy productivity. This feature is present in one way or another in all existing cattle breeds, but in Simmental dogs it is especially manifested. Therefore, farmers have to keep their dairy herds separate from their beef herds, without crossing them with each other.
Prospects for breeding in Russia
In our country, the Simmental breed of cattle has been known for a long time and for a long time played perhaps the most important role in dairy cattle breeding. It was on its basis that many domestic breeds were bred or improved. At times, the Simmental breed and its derivatives accounted for 15-20% of the total cattle population in our country.
Today, with the existence of specialized beef and dairy breeds, the importance of general purpose breeds such as the Simmental has declined significantly. Large livestock complexes prefer to deal with highly productive, although more difficult to care for and maintain, cows.
However, many people still breed Simmentals because they produce a good yield of meat and milk, but do not cause much trouble. This factor is most important for small and medium-sized farms, as well as for peasants keeping cows at home.
Taking into account the fact that the pros and cons of the Simmental breed of cows are perfectly balanced, and good milk yields are combined with high meat productivity, it still remains one of the best in the universal meat and dairy segment.
Cows in households and on farms are capable of producing not only healthy and tasty milk, but also meat. Great option For those who need both, there is a choice of meat and dairy breeds. One of the most popular among them is Simmental, which differs good characteristics productivity. However, like any other livestock, this one needs proper care to reach its full productivity potential.
History of breeding the Simmental breed
The ancestors of the Simmental breed were domesticated in ancient times. Moreover, in the nineteenth century they were widespread in Switzerland, where they were improved by crossing with other species.
In this way, new breeds were developed, such as the Red Bulgarian and Red Sadskaya. In Russia, Simmental cows appeared already in the twentieth century and became widespread throughout the territory.
External characteristics
Cows and bulls are quite tall, have large muscle mass and a strong skeleton. Some farmers claim that the weight of these males can be gigantic, which makes it profitable to sell them for meat. The animals also have a wide chest and short, strong legs.
Animals of this breed are suitable for both dairy and meat breeding.
The color of the cattle can range from fawn to red, with the head usually white. The skin, as a rule, is very dense and thick, the udder of cows is round with large teats. The horns are small, the neck is of medium length. The body weight of a cow can reach six hundred kilograms, a bull - a thousand or more. The height is usually about one and a half meters, the length is one hundred and sixty centimeters.
Proper management of cows
To keep cows and bulls of the Simmental breed, no special conditions are required. First of all, you should take care of the barn. A log, plank or concrete room lined with insulating materials is suitable. The floor must also be insulated, even if it is cast from concrete. It should be covered with boards and bedding made from the remains of hay, straw or sawdust.
Cows of this breed are quite calm and it is recommended to use a free-stall type of housing for them.
It is important to equip the barn with a small walk. To do this, you do not need to build a huge enclosure with high walls; half the height of human height is enough so that animals cannot step over or jump over it. You can install such a fence from slabs or any boards. The size of the room and paddock should be calculated based on the number of cows, calves and bulls that will be in the flock. In this case, calves should be protected by an additional fence with a gate.
The feeder can be made from boards. It should be large enough to hold the amount of hay needed for at least one head (or depending on the number of animals).
Once or twice a day (morning and night), the floor in the barn and paddock must be cleared of manure and dirt, for which you should use a large shovel. After the cleaning procedure, a new layer of clean bedding should be laid. This is important for safety and hygiene reasons and to avoid the need for frequent washing of animals before milking. You can milk cows either by hand or using a special milking machine.
You can disinfect the room and prevent the occurrence and spread of fungus using slaked lime or soda ash. They should be used to treat the walls and, if possible, the floor.
Milk yield
The skeleton of cows and bulls is quite strong and massive, but the amount of meat on it is also large. As a rule, it contains no more than fifteen to seventeen percent fat.
Milk productivity depends on the breeding and growing area, as well as on the quality of feeding.
Average figures during lactation and best nutrition range from two and a half to six thousand kilograms of milk, but in some cases it reaches ten thousand. The average fat content of the product is three and a half to four percent.
In order to increase milk yield, it is important to feed cows with high-quality feed, fresh vegetables and fruits, and boiled potatoes.
Animals have the following advantages:
- disease resistance;
- proportionally high income of meat and milk (on par with);
- unpretentiousness of calves to keeping and raising;
- rapid weight gain;
- calm character;
- quick and easy adaptation to changes in living conditions;
- the possibility of crossing with other breeds with the prospect of improving productivity characteristics;
- protein-rich milk, suitable for making high-quality cottage cheese and cottage cheese;
- long lactation period.
In addition to high-quality and tasty meat and milk in large quantities, animals have another important rural areas advantage - they can be used as draft animals.
How to feed
In the spring, with the appearance of green grass, feeding cows and bulls of the Simmental breed is greatly simplified. Usually the food they find in the pastures is enough for them. For drinking, there are usually always watering holes in rural areas. However, it is believed that the cow will return home on its own in the evenings after grazing if it is fed with vegetables and animal feed.
When dry feeding, more water should be given than usual.
In mid-autumn and until spring, you have to feed the livestock correctly yourself. To do this, you should stock up on eight to ten kilograms of hay per head per day. Don't forget about water. You can take animals to water or water them using water pipes, buckets and troughs.
Breeding at home
Breeding Simmental cows is quite simple. It is believed that calving is easy for these animals, and there is a possibility of twins, which can help increase the population in the shortest possible time. Insemination of females is easy both natural and artificial.
Calves at birth can reach a weight of fifty kilograms. They can also be grown on artificial feeding. This is important so that the cow does not try to feed all her milk naturally. Plus, if a calf drinks too much, it can get sick. It should be fed at least three times a day with fresh fresh milk. If it is not possible to obtain such a product, you can slightly heat the existing supplies on the stove.
Before feeding, you need to make sure that the milk has not started to sour. Food that is too cold or too hot for a newborn animal can also be dangerous.
Buying a calf of any age and in any part of Russia will not be difficult, since the Simmental breed is very popular. It is best to do this in special farms, after making sure that the animal has all the necessary vaccinations and branding.
Video
For more details regarding the productivity and maintenance of Simmental cows, watch the video
Conclusion
The Simmental breed of cows is one of the most popular due to the possibility of obtaining a large amount of healthy milk and meat with its help. Animals are characterized not only by high productivity, but also by unpretentiousness, as well as a high percentage of survival and resistance to disease. At the same time, purchasing dairy cows for maintenance or breeding is quite simple due to their wide distribution in Russia.
It is very important for cattle farmers to get the maximum benefit from the animal. It’s good when the animal produces a lot of milk and meat as a result. To satisfy such a desire, you only need to fulfill right choice breeds Regarding these characteristics, the first breed that is worth paying attention to is the Simmental.
Those involved in research in the livestock industry do not have a specific opinion about how the Simmental breed of cows came to be. There are two opinions on this matter. Some experts believe that this breed originated from wild aurochs, which were crossed with Helvetian cows. Another opinion is that the Simmental breed is a descendant of cows from the Scandinavian Peninsula, namely those that were brought to Switzerland in the 5th century.
Another name for the breed is Bernese. This is due to the fact that in the valley in which the cows lived there flowed a river called Simma (Bern). Considering that one of the most advanced industries in Switzerland is the production of high-class milk, cheeses and beef, Swiss scientists took care to create a suitable breed of cows with high productivity.
At the same time, it was important that the animals were distinguished by high productivity in terms of both dairy and meat directions. The development of the breed took place over many centuries. Animals grazed in alpine meadows, feeding on rich herbs.
The first representatives of the Simmental breed were unproductive, but over time, these animals became an excellent meat and dairy breed of cattle. Now the Simmental cow is found on 5 continents. As for Russia, it came here in the 19th century.
Characteristics and external data with photographs
Regarding the characteristics of the breed, first of all it is worth noting that it is considered a universal species. This breed is in demand for good reason, because it belongs to both the dairy and meat breeds of cows.
The detailed characteristics of the Simmental breed are as follows:
- A feature of the exterior of such an animal is, first of all, its color, which can vary between fawn and red.
- The animal has a powerful skeleton, well-developed muscles and an udder.
- The color of the nasolabial mirror, eyelids, tongue and hooves is light pink.
- The udder has a cup-shaped appearance, the shape of the nipples on the udder is cone-shaped.
- The skull is characterized by a well-developed frontal lobe.
- The chest is deep.
- The weight of an individual that has reached the age of three is 500-600 kg; bulls reach a live weight of 1 ton.
- Dimensions of the animal in height at the withers – 140 cm, width chest– 70 cm, along the oblique of the body – 160 cm.
Regarding milk yield, how much milk such a cow gives primarily depends on the feeding and habitat of the animal. The average indicators of this characteristic are 4-5 thousand kilograms during one lactation. At the same time, the average percentage of fat content in milk is 4.1%; there are no somatic cells in it. The amount of protein in dairy products averages 3.4%.
Important. On average, a cow can live 10-12 years.
Simmental cows reach a live weight of 600 kg. Pros and cons of the breed
Those who have encountered keeping this breed of cow say that the animals have many advantages. The cattle are very obedient and understand what they want from them. If you provide them good conditions maintenance and care, then the animals will show many of their worthy qualities.
The pros and cons for this breed are as follows:
- The cattle have good physical activity and appetite. Animals have a strong immune system and quickly adapt to different living conditions.
- It is convenient to feed such animals on pastures, since they prefer to eat roughage.
- The interval between calvings is short, and there is a high probability that two twin calves will be born at once. This allows the livestock to increase in a very short time.
- The birth process is quite easy, young animals are not prone to mortality. After birth, calves do not require special conditions regarding feeding and maintenance. They are also able to easily adapt to any conditions.
- The younger generation is unpretentious, in one day they are able to gain weight in the amount of one and a half kilograms.
- Milk has good taste and quality characteristics, despite the fact that the milk yield is also very high.
- This breed can be used in breeding to achieve the goal of increasing meatiness and milk production.
Young animals of the Simmental breed can gain up to 1.5 kg of weight per day. Regarding the shortcomings, the farmer is unlikely to have to face them if he provides proper maintenance and care for these animals. However, there are situations that the farmer cannot influence. They concern individual cows that may have disproportionate udders, incorrect leg placement and a sagging back.
Another disadvantage of this breed is that when breeding them for meat, you may encounter the fact that it contains a large number of bones. If you want to breed this breed at home, subsequent generations may have some disadvantages regarding the exterior. Otherwise there are no problems with this cattle.
Care and maintenance
Any farmer knows that the entire process of care and maintenance can be divided into several points. These are the conditions in which the animal is kept and its diet.
Regarding the care rules that the Simmental breed needs, they are as follows:
Important. If the Simmental breed is kept in the northern regions, then a manure bed can be used for bedding the barn. This will help improve the temperature level and microclimate in winter.
Feeding Simmental cows
To ensure a high level of productivity of livestock of this breed, it is necessary to create the right diet that will meet certain requirements.
The diet should be:
- Maximum variety.
- Corresponding to the period.
- Suitable for the purpose of breeding the animal.
- The period of physiological development.
To calculate the diet of animals, two methods are used: old and new.
They are as follows:
- Old method: 1 feed unit is equal to 1414 kcal, which corresponds to 1 kg of oats in terms of nutritional value.
- The new method is a calculation where 1 energy feed unit is equal to 10 MJ of the energy component.
The diet of Simmental cows must include roughage Highly productive animals require individual selection of feed.
The diet of the Simmental breed should include:
- succulent feed, namely, pasture forbs, seed grasses, vegetables and root crops;
- roughage, waste after threshing, cereals and legumes, hay and straw;
- cereal concentrates, such as bran, meal, cake;
- vitamin and mineral complexes. Vitamins A, D, E, minerals selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc are required.
Important. Pregnant cows need a 25% increase in the protein component of the diet after an increase in metabolism occurs. Protein for them will be provided by legume hay, silage and haylage. However, excess protein can lead to complications during childbirth.
Calf care
The process of breeding this breed is quite simple; it can be done naturally or artificially. Newborn calves do not need any special care measures. After birth, the young immediately gets to their feet. Babies weighing up to 50 kg are born.
Simmental calves do not require special care. Mostly it goes away without complications. An adult cow is able to give birth on her own, without outside help, and as soon as the birth takes place, she recovers in a short period of time and then provides decent care for her calf. She has a very well developed maternal instinct. The calves themselves have high survivability rates and can easily tolerate any living conditions. They can be artificially fed.
The Simmental breed of cows was developed in Switzerland. Unfortunately, it is impossible to say the exact date when this breed was bred, since breeders have been working on the breed for hundreds of years. It is known for sure that Simmentals appeared in the vastness of Russia already in the 19th century.
It is noteworthy that this breed was very popular in Soviet times. This is explained by the fact that such cows are unpretentious in food and do not require special conditions of maintenance and care. This breed can be perfectly kept both in the household and on a large farm.
History of the origin of the breed
- this is one of the oldest varieties, which originated almost from wild representatives. The first attempts to breed this breed were made back in the Middle Ages. It was then that the French tried to cross a wild aurochs with a working cow. However, those cows were very far from modern Simmentals.
Swiss scientists made a significant contribution, who ultimately developed this variety.
It is noteworthy that cattle received their modern appearance already in the 19th century. It was during this century that laws were passed to improve cattle breeding. Thus, only large and healthy animals that had strong bones were selected for breeding.
Centuries-old selection has given its advantages. This type of cattle has high both meat and milk parameters. In addition, it is resistant to various pathologies and diseases.
What advantages does the Simmental breed have?
- This breed belongs to the meat and dairy type, that is, it is capable of producing both meat and milk of good quality.
- With good fattening of young animals, you can get a large gain.
- A distinctive feature of the Simmental breed is its early maturity.
- Such cows and bulls acclimatize very well and get used to new conditions.
- The Simmental breed of cows has good immunity and is capable of doing hard work.
- The skin of animals of this breed is highly valued.
However, before you acquire such a cow or bull, you should also pay attention to flaws. So, the main ones include the following:
- The Simmental breed of cows requires care, otherwise it will begin to degenerate.
- Such animals should be fed only with high-quality hay.
- Cows and bulls of this breed have incorrect placement of their limbs. In addition, they have a sagging back.
- Cows may have poorly developed front udders.
Characteristics of external data
It is noteworthy that representatives of this breed are quite large. With proper nutrition, a cow of this breed can weigh more than 600 kg if we are talking about a 2-year-old cow. But Simmental bulls can gain weight up to 1 ton.
If speak about colors skin, it can be fawn or fawn-variegated. But transferred individuals can have a black and white color.
Main features of the breed:
- small and forward-curved horns;
- strong constitution;
- the neck may be sagging;
- large head;
- round and large belly;
- a long tail with a fairly thick tassel at the end.
Features of cattle
Despite the fact that the cow has an impressive size, it has a calm and docile character. Therefore, breeding them is quite simple.
It is noteworthy that Simmentals will Great feel comfortable in any corner of Russia, as they tolerate both heat and cold very well. In addition, they can go for a long time without water.
It should be noted that with good care, cattle can produce about 5 thousand liters of milk during the lactation season. The life expectancy of such cows is 10–12 years.
The weight of an animal directly depends on its age. The cows themselves are large and dense.
The height can be 135 cm, and the body length is 160 cm.
Please note that at birth a small calf can weigh about 45 kg.
What is the milk production of this breed?
The area of residence determines how much milk the cow will produce.
On average, during the lactation period, one cow can produce from 3 thousand to 5 thousand kg of milk.
The fat content of this milk is 3.8%.
Features of Simmental calves
It should be noted that this type of livestock is characterized by high growth rates and high daily weight gain. By 15–18 months of its life, a bull calf, with good nutrition, can reach a weight of 500 kg. Simmental calves are quite strong, and pathologies are extremely rare. Birth weight can range from 36–45 depending on the sex of the livestock.
How to properly keep livestock?
Cattle of this breed require enhanced nutrition, especially in the winter season, since it is during this period that there is a lack of vitamins. In summer, it is best to take Simmentals out to a field where they can enjoy meadow or field grasses. In addition, we should not forget that they need feed hay and feed.
If we talk about winter livestock management, it should be noted that cows need to be fed hay, corn leaves, oats and wheat.
Animals should always be fed until they are full, but should not be overfed. It is best to feed 2-3 times a day.
It should be noted that overfeeding can be fraught with poisoning, severe emaciation or even death. You should not feed the animal young corn or freshly cut hay. Speaking about the diet of calves, it should be noted that they must be left either with the cow or transferred to a separate diet.
To understand that the cow is already full, you should look at her sides: they should be round, and the udder should be filled with milk.
How common is this breed of cow?
Buying cattle of this breed in Russia is very easily. It is noteworthy that only near Moscow there are several dozen farms where you can buy such a cow or bull.
It should be noted that Simmentals in Russia are used mainly for improvements local breeds. Thus, the local Sechenov variety of meat and dairy cattle was bred. However, today it has practically disappeared. Most pure Simmentals can be found in Bashkiria, Voronezh or Belgorod regions.
As a result, it should be noted that Simmentals are a very old breed of cow. It is noteworthy that they are meat and dairy products. Consequently, they produce milk and meat of equally good quality.
Simmental breed bred in Switzerland. The Simmental breed was first brought to Russia in the first half of the 19th century. Productivity direction - dairy and meat.
In recent years, herds of meat Simmentals have appeared (Orenburg region). The Simmental breed is bred mainly in the Central, Southern, Volga, Siberian and Far Eastern federal districts.
Animals of the Simmental breed quite well developed. Live weight of calves at birth - 34-42 kg, upskirt at 18 months of age - 343, cows — 550- 590, bulls— 850-1100 kg.
The height at the withers of adult cows is 133-135, - 138-145 cm. Animals of the Simmental breed are of proportional build, with strong bones, the muscles are well developed, the limbs are usually placed correctly, the skin is thick.
The color of the animals is predominantly fawn and fawn-variegated. In stud herds the average cow milk yield is 4480 kg of milk fat content 3.77% (milk fat production 169 kg).
The high pregnancy rate (average 93% for heifers and cows), the short calving period of 378 days and the high twin rate (about 5%) guarantee a high calf weaning rate. Ease of calving is also a characteristic feature of the Simmental breed.
According to early maturity Simmental breed no different from . The age of first calving was 31.4 months, and in breeding farms- 31 months. Animals of the Simmental breed are characterized by high adaptive ability. Purpose of purebred breeding Simmentals— obtaining animals of double productivity with the predominant development of the milk trait. Undeniable outstanding properties Simmental cattle for meat production, due to excellent muscle development, high average daily weight gain and low obesity of fattening bulls when they reach a live weight of 600 kg or more.
The experience of Germany, Austria and Russia shows that Simmental cows can be successfully used in beef cattle breeding according to cow-calf program. At the same time, the number of fattening livestock is ensured not only through purebred breeding of the Simmental breed, but also through industrial crossing with bulls meat breeds.
Simmental breed widespread abroad (USA, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France and a number of other countries). Further breeding in our country is focused on purebred breeding of animals for dairy and meat production, as well as on the creation of dairy and meat types. For this purpose, along with the use of our own sires, it is planned to create reproducers of Simmental cattle of Austrian and German selection.
Based on crossing the Simmental breed with Holstein bulls of the red-motley color, it was bred (1998).
Crosses from a cross with the red-and-white breed (less than 50% blood) should be bred according to the program for creating a dairy type of Simmental cattle. The Borodino type, which has high productivity, was bred in the breed.
The Association for the Improvement of Simmental Cattle is located at the All-Russian State Research Institute of Animal Husbandry (VIZH) of the Russian Agricultural Academy (Dubrovitsy village, Moscow region).
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