Living outside the city can be beneficial not only for your health but also for your wallet. Raising livestock is an option. Cow breeding is particularly profitable in this regard. To ensure your investment pays off, it's crucial to choose the right heifer.
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How to choose a cow?
It is advisable to buy it from a highly productive sow, or it could be a mated heifer or a cow that is due to calve soon.
You can simplify the task of acquiring a high-yielding cow if you first familiarize yourself with the breeds that are more suitable for breeding in a particular area. Let you will find a breed of cattle, which attracted you with its excellent performance indicators, however, you will still not be able to achieve this productivity if it cannot acclimatize to the area where you live.
It is important to know that all existing cow breeds are usually divided into three groups:
dairy;- meat;
- meat and dairy.
dairy;AND representatives of each group have their own characteristicsFor example, some breeds may produce a lot of milk, but of poor quality. Others may produce high-quality milk, but the quantity will be small. Therefore, the choice should be based on the criteria most important to you.
Popular breeds
There are enough cows in our country, and they all differ in certain characteristics. But eThere are some of the most common ones among them, which are in demand among most farmers.
Holstein breed
Today, this breed of cows can be found frequently not only in Russia, but also abroad. The first specimens of the breed were bred in Holland, but the most significant contribution to improving its milk qualities Breeders from the USA and Canada contributed to this breed. It was with this breed that work was carried out to increase the quantity and fat content of milk.
The main representatives of the Holstein breed have a black and white coat. Some animals have characteristic spots on the lower part of the body, on the limbs, and on the head. The red-and-white color stands out in this group, but today it is classified as a recessive breed. Back in the 1970s, this breed served as the basis for the development of an independent breed, which has its own characteristics compared to the red-and-white Holstein breed.
These animals not only have excellent external characteristics, but also productivity indicators - they produce a small amount of milk, but it is high in fat.
- Live weight of these animals ranges from 700 to 750 kg. Cows, weighing over 1,000 kg, hold the record. Bulls are even heavier, reaching 1,250 kg. Newborn heifers and bulls typically weigh less: 40 kg for heifers and 45 kg for bulls. The animals stand 143 to 145 cm at the withers.
- The chest is 86 cm deep and 65 cm wide. Heifers at the age of one and a half years reach a height at the withers of 126 cm.
- Representatives of this breed show themselves as dairy animals; their muscles are not as pronounced as those of the European black-and-white cow.
Simmentalka
Animals of this breed represent the dairy and meat direction. They appeared thanks to the efforts of Swiss breeders, who worked to improve the local Scandinavian cattle imported in the 5th century. There is also a theory that the ancestors of this breed are animals descended from crossbreeding between the wild aurochs and peat bog cattle.
Within this breed, it is customary to distinguish two directions:
- meat;
- meat and dairy.
In our country, there are the most representatives of the meat and dairy line of this breed.
Cows are mostly fawn, fawn-and-white, red-and-white, or red with a white head. Their horns and hooves are light waxy, as are their nasal mirrors and tongues. Representatives of this breed have a well-developed body.Newborn calves weigh 42 kg, one-and-a-half-year-old heifers weigh 343 kg, and adult cows weigh 550–600 kg. The animals' height at the withers is no more than 140 cm.
On average, they produce 3,000-3,500 kg of milk per year, with a fat content of no more than 3.7-3.9%. When properly fed, the animals show good weight gain. Therefore, by the age of one and a half years, they reach a weight of 500 kg. Adult bulls have a live weight of 900–1200 kg.The meat yield at slaughter is 55–60%. The meat is of good quality: it has sufficient fat, tender fibers, and is calorie-dense.
Cows and bulls of this breed have a well-developed body, are short in stature, and have well-defined muscles. The head is large, broadening toward the forehead. The neck is shortened, but the muscles are clearly defined.
Black and white breed of cows
The first specimens of this breed of cows were obtained in the former USSR by crossing various local cow breeds, which were raised in different regions at the time, with a Swedish black-and-white cow. After spending considerable time on breeding, specialists it was possible to obtain a breed with a non-uniform black and white coloring, whose development was also facilitated by local conditions, feeding, and hereditary factors. It was officially recognized as a black-and-white breed in 1959. It was primarily bred in Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Belarus, and throughout Russia.
The live weight of these animals is 420–550 kg. When bred at breeding farms animals have more impressive characteristics: cows weigh 550–600 kg, bulls – between 800–1100 kg. At slaughter, the meat yield is 50–55%.
Under favorable conditions and feeding, cows of this breed gain an average of 1,200 grams per day. As a result, animals at 18 months of age can weigh 420–460 kg.
They have a strong build and are completely consistent in appearance with dairy cattle. The distinguishing feature of the animals is excellent adaptability to any climate zonesThese animals are large in size, with a slightly elongated, proportional body, a medium-width chest, and a broad back and rump. The abdomen is prominent, and the udder is characteristically rounded or cupped. They have straight legs. The traditional color is black and white, though red and white cows are less common.
Ayrshire breed
It is an ideal option for breeding, as it has an optimal ratio of milk quantity and quality.
A characteristic external feature of cows and bulls is their red-and-white coloring. Their body structure indicates they are dairy cattle. With a light skeleton, it is distinguished by a clearly defined middle part of the bodyThe neck is thin and medium in length, the udder is large and voluminous, cup-shaped with spaced teats. The head is slightly elongated, and the horns are lyre-shaped.
The chest is deep, medium-width, and has a small chin. Cows of this breed are generally considered medium-sized, reaching up to 125 cm at the withers. Their legs are short, regular, and have well-defined joints. Milk flow during milking is 2 kg/min.
Cows of this breed give birth for the first time at 25–26 months of age. Heifers are fertilized at 15–17 months of age, when they reach 350–360 kg. Newborn calves typically weigh no more than 30 kg, but by the time they reach one year of age, they weigh 240–280 kg. Adult cows have a live weight of 450–570 kgFor bulls, it is 800 kg. Meat yield at slaughter is average. In animals aged one and a half years, the meat yield is 50-55%. Cows have excellent milk production. During a single lactation period, a single heifer can produce 6,000-7,000 kg of milk with a fat content of approximately 4.2-4.3%. Moreover, milk from such cows contains fat globules.
Other breeds
In addition to those listed above, there are other breeds that can also be a good option for a future herd.
Red breed of cows
These animals represent the dairy line, however, some cows may show signs of being a meat and dairy breed. During the development of this breed,The emphasis was on creating a cow that would easily adapt to breeding conditionsTherefore, these cows tolerate hot climates well and are distinguished by good immunity and endurance.
Characteristic coloration of animals — red, which can have various shades, ranging from light red to dark cherry. Some animals have a darker chin and lower legs. Some cows have white markings on the head, udder, and legs. The characteristic color of the nasal mirror is dark gray, the horns are gray with gray streaks, and the hooves are black.
These animals differ from other breeds in their light build, fine bone structure, and clearly visible milk production. Their heads are slightly elongated and small. The udder is also small. The neck is long and narrow, and the dewlap is weakly defined, while the chest is shallow and flat. there are signs of underdevelopment of the anterior part of the bodyThe abdomen is significant. Signs of underdevelopment are also present in the rear part of the body. The legs are strong and erect.
Jersey cattle
Animals of this breed have been bred for quite some time, and the first specimens were bred in the UK on the island of Jersey. The advantage of these cows and bulls is their adaptability to any climatic conditions. graze beautifully in pastures, without trampling them. The animals are quite shy and nervous, but under optimal conditions, this does not affect productivity, even when bred in Russia.
Jersey cows and bulls usually considered shortThe animals stand no more than 115–120 cm at the withers. Their characteristic coloring is light red, although some animals may have a darker shade, as well as white markings on the underparts and legs. Typically, the front of the cattle is darker than the back.
Bulls are very easy to distinguish by their external features: they have a darker color on their neck, head and legs. many representatives of the breed have a black stripe, running along the back. The forehead is broad and concave, the facial part of the skull is shortened, the neck has numerous small folds, the chest is narrow and deep, the loin is long, there is a slight sag in the back, the rump is wide, the root of the tail is slightly raised, the udder is quite large and bowl-shaped with nipples protruding in different directions.
Jersey cows are excellent dairy breeders, so they produce a low percentage of meat at slaughter. Over the course of a single lactation period, these animals you can get up to 4000–6000 kg of milkThe fat content is quite high and reaches 5-6%, in some animals it can reach 8%.
Conclusion
Breeding cows in the countryside or on a private plot does not create much trouble if you prepare thoroughly. Availability of theoretical knowledge Knowledge and practical experience about raising these animals will undoubtedly be useful. However, it's important to remember that the breed of cows also plays a significant role.
This is especially important for those owners who live in areas where cow breeding is not as common. Therefore, choosing a heifer will require special care. Dairy breed productivity indicators are of great importance, but no less attention must be paid to the ability to acclimatize in a particular region of Russia, since without this, the cow will not be able to demonstrate the characteristics characteristic of its breed.
