home Self-development Characteristics of the Simmental cattle breed. The Simmental is a reliable versatile livestock. What are the shortcomings of the breed you need to pay attention to when buying it

Characteristics of the Simmental cattle breed. The Simmental is a reliable versatile livestock. What are the shortcomings of the breed you need to pay attention to when buying it

Livestock has been one of the most demanded and necessary industries for many years. Cattle farming is a lucrative and profitable industry. Farmers produce a wide range of meat and dairy products. To meet the ever-growing demand for food, breeders are constantly working on developing new breeds of animals that are characterized by low susceptibility to dangerous diseases and have high productivity.

Before purchasing young animals for further breeding, it is necessary to carefully study the features of the selected species and the rules for caring for it. Experienced farmers recommend paying attention to the Simmental breed of cows, which are distinguished by high quality meat and large milk yields.

Description

The Simmental breed of cows is a popular type of cattle, which breeders began to actively breed at the beginning of the 17th century. Simmental cows are bred in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

The long and painstaking work of breeders has led to the emergence of several subspecies breeds, which have differences in functional purpose.

Dairy- to receive only milk. The maximum milk volume during lactation can be 10,000 liters.

Mixed- a universal breed, which is intended for obtaining milk and meat. The amount of dairy products per year reaches 4,000 liters.

Dual-use- an improved form in which cows provide milk and bulls are intended for meat.

Moderately meaty- the breed is intended for the production of meat products and has massive forms.

Radically meaty- very large breeds that are raised for a large amount of meat.

All of the above subspecies have high taste characteristics of meat and dairy products. The percentage of fat throughout the year is kept at the level of 4. The amount of fat mass in high-calorie beef, which has a tender structure, does not exceed 18 percent. The meat yield for males is more than 60 percent, for females - at the level of 55 percent.

To determine the type of cow, you need to look at the amount of milk produced. If a little milk production is obtained from one milk yield, it means that the animal belongs to the meat type and is capable of producing healthy and strong offspring, from which large and healthy simmental bulls will subsequently turn out. The maximum weight of an adult bull can be up to 1300 kg. The weight of young animals at six months can exceed 250 kg, and the daily gain is 1.2 kg.

Cows of this species have a large and wide head, a massive back zone, a well-developed muscular frame, a large chest, and a round and voluminous udder. The elastic skin of the mammary glands has a loose structure. In most cases, the anterior lobes are less developed than the posterior ones.

The individual characteristics of this breed are pink nostrils, a white tail tip and elastic skin that can be easily moved. The presence of pigment around the eyeball allows animals to quickly adapt to bright sunlight.

The color of animals can be either light red or bright red. Distinctive feature- the presence of large spots.

The area of the legs and head is always white.

Dark spots on the head they talk about the impure blood of the animal and about the mixing of several breeds.

The maximum length of females reaches 175 cm, and the height of an adult animal is 150 cm. The weight of a cow ranges from 500 kg to 700 kg.

The average weight of a newborn calf is 40 kg.

This breed is grown not only by private farmsteads or small farms, but also large livestock companies that are engaged in the mass production of dairy products and marbled beef.

sunken back;
small chest;
incorrect position of the hind legs;
undeveloped udder and its high fat content.

Advantages and disadvantages

Simmental pet breed has many advantages:

obtaining a stable milk yield at any time of the year;
endurance to any climatic conditions;
a life span of more than 15 years;
the use of leather in the textile industry;
mobility and activity;
a good appetite;
calm character;
feeding with coarse fodder;
lack of aggressiveness and inappropriate behavior;
high resistance to various diseases;
use for work in agriculture;
high fat content of dairy products;
high quality meat;
quick adaptation to any living conditions and unpretentious care;
the opportunity to engage in animal husbandry in any climatic conditions;
regular production of healthy and strong young animals;
high fertilization rate;
no complications during childbirth;
long-term use of milk feeding;
the breed's susceptibility to selection and improvement in all characteristics.

Among the minor disadvantages, experienced farmers recommend paying attention to the following parameters:

high price range;
immobility;
frequent and large feeding;
the presence of grain in the diet is mandatory;
unusual position of the legs;
the presence of a depression in the back and sagging of the vertebral discs;
asymmetrical udder shape;
underdevelopment of the front lobes of the udder;
the presence of hair on the mammary glands;
the presence of a large amount of bone mass in the meat product.

In order to reduce the number of negative aspects, it is necessary to isolate the subspecies from each other and prevent them from mating.

Features of the content

Experienced farmers often opt for the Simmental breed because of its undemanding conditions of maintenance and care.

Breeders identify the main conditions for the comfortable growth and development of pets:

the presence of a minimum amount of dampness;
comfortable temperature regime should be in the range from + 5 to + 22 degrees;
the presence of a high-quality ventilation system;
production of wood or brick flooring;
mandatory installation of the internal sewerage system;
regular replacement of bedding material, which may consist of straw, peat or sawdust;
the presence in the walking area of special sheds that can protect from rain, snow and sun;
no strong gusts of wind in the stall;
feeding only dry food without mold and rotten grass;
Carrying out four milking times in the summer and three milking times in the winter;
use for drinking only clean water at room temperature.

In summer, animals can spend the night both on pastures and on open terraces with a canopy. Experts recommend for stays in spring, summer and autumn period construct summer pens, which should be divided into sections and have a roof.

On the territory of these sites, you can not only keep cows, but also milk and feed. Despite the cost of this building, it will greatly simplify the care of animals and increase their productivity.

For wintering cows, experts recommend preparing warm brick sheds with a good ventilation and heating system. The entire concrete floor of the barn should be covered with a thick layer of straw or sawdust. The central part of this room is the stall. The number of pens in the barn depends on the number of animals. The feeder and drinker are integral parts of every stall. The wooden feeder should be trapezoidal and split in two. One compartment is intended for dry food, and the second for root crops and viscous formulations.

Despite the high level of resistance to low temperatures, it is strictly forbidden to keep the animal at temperatures below –25 degrees for a long period of time.

As a drinker, you can use a regular stainless steel bucket or trough. One animal drinks about 70 liters of warm and clean water daily, and for dairy cows this figure should be doubled.

Due to the presence of a large amount of muscle mass, this breed needs a nutritious and balanced diet. In summer, green grass is suitable for food. In winter, high-quality and well-dried hay and straw should be used. To increase milk yield at any time of the year, it is necessary to feed the cows with cake, barley, compound feed and boiled corn. In order to diversify the diet, farmers recommend using silage, vegetables, chopped dry grass and complex vitamin mixtures.

If in the summer in the evening it is necessary to feed the cow with fresh grass, before serving it, it is imperative to dry it in the sun for several hours.

In order for the animal not to overeat, it is necessary to add food to the nursery no more than 3 times a day.

The milking process can be carried out both manually and automatically.

Failure to comply with the rules of care and an unbalanced diet can provoke the development of mastitis in dairy cows. If the first signs of the disease appear, an urgent need to consult a doctor.

The following factors can be the main causes of this disease:

undeveloped udder;
low body position;
non-compliance with milking technology;
diseases and injuries of the mammary glands;
disorders of the thyroid gland;
prolonged exposure to low temperatures.

To eliminate this disease, medical professionals often recommend giving the animal antimicrobial and antiviral drugs. After the completed course of treatment, it is strictly forbidden to use milk for food within 7 days, as well as to give it to animals.

Folk remedies can be used along with traditional medicines. It is necessary to wash the udder with nettle broth with salt after each milking. Moving your hands up and down will speed up the removal of purulent deposits and prevent their stagnation.

A clay compress containing a decoction of plantain and yarrow will speed up the healing process... This remedy should be applied to the mammary glands and rinsed off with warm water only in the morning.

To reduce pain, it is necessary to inject a special anesthetic gel into each nipple using a sterile syringe.

In order for the healing process to be quick and easy, it is necessary to separate the cow from the main herd, use only dry grass in the diet and be sure to donate the animal three times a day.

To prevent the development of mastitis, it is necessary to sterilize all the milking equipment, keep the stall clean and feed the animal with a variety of foods.

To maintain strong immunity, it is necessary to clean the pens and replace the litter 3 times a week, and the cleaning of the feeders and drinkers must be done at least 1 time a day. All used equipment must be disinfected after each cleaning. At least once a month, it is necessary to process the entire room with a solution of manganese and formalin.

Breeding

The Simmental breed of cows is distinguished by fertility and the birth of healthy offspring.

The first mating of a heifer can be done at the age of 3-4 years. The presence of an early pregnancy can provoke the birth of defective offspring and harm the health of the cow. The animal bears its cub for about 270 days.

Veterinarians distinguish two types of mating:

artificial;
natural.

The allowable interval between the appearance of offspring should be one and a half years.

For more than 10 years, the animal retains its reproductive functions.

The calving process proceeds calmly and without unpleasant surprises. Two months before calving, the animal is isolated from the main herd, transferred to dry food and the amount of fluid consumed is reduced. An animal in the process of childbirth does not need outside help. The only task of the owners is to disinfect the premises, wash away blood clots from the calf and cow, and replace the bedding material.

A newborn calf must be examined by a veterinarian.

The mortality rate of young animals does not exceed 5 percent.

Newborn animals can immediately stand on their feet and move independently. For the first week, young animals should be with the cow and feed on colostrum. After that, it must be transferred to a separate stall and begin to feed with dry feed. At the age of 4 months, the offspring is completely weaned from the female.

The main breeding feature of this breed is the frequent birth of two calves.

For feeding young animals, you can use both an artificial feeding method and a natural one. In order to increase the future milk yields of cows, it is necessary to introduce grain feed into the diet of heifers as soon as possible.

With an artificial feeding method, the following sequence of actions must be observed:

sterilization of bottles and teats;
filling the container with an artificial mixture or natural milk;
squeezing a small amount of product onto the surface of the nipple;
feeding the animal;
registration of the time and amount of food eaten.

To obtain offspring, many farms raise breeding bulls. Novice breeders should take into account that a bull over 5 years old is a very aggressive animal. To correct his behavior, it is imperative to install an iron ring between the nostrils, with which you can stop the angry male.

The Simmental is one of the first cows that experienced farmers will advise you if you are clearly concerned with breeding cattle and want a cow that gives a lot of milk and meat. Many are already familiar with this breed. For the rest, we will try to tell you more about it in this article.

Gauls or Celts - the question of which of these two was the first to decide to create such a breed is still open. All that is known is that the breed was named after the Simmental river valley, which is located in Switzerland. Hence the conclusion that this people clearly did a lot for the development of such a breed of cows.

Initially, humans selected cows that could survive the harsh conditions of the highlands. Until the 18th century, the Simmental breed was, although strong and hardy, but small, with not the highest percentage of productivity. However, due to her tenacity, people paid attention to her. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, it began to spread and gradually acquired a mass character.

In the 19th century, breeders worked seriously on the cow, as a result of which she began to have more improved qualities. But now the main thing in the breed is not its endurance, but its productivity and the taste of meat and milk. In this century, interest in the Simmental breed has grown and abroad. In Russia, the breed appeared in the 50s. 19th century and gained great popularity in a short time.

In the 20th century, breeders in many countries simultaneously worked to improve this breed. This led to the emergence of several intrabreed types of cows, which made her the most diverse breed. In the USSR, breeding specialists were also involved in this breed. People bred not only purebred cows of the breed, but also others, which were named by region (steppe, Ukrainian, Volga, Far Eastern, Ural, etc.).

By the end of the 20th century, there were about 13 million Simmental heads in our country. After the collapse of the USSR, the number of cows dropped dramatically. At the moment, there are 2.5 million heads. This makes up almost 15% of all cows in Russia. In addition, today this breed is bred in countries such as Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine.

Types of Simmental cows

As mentioned above, today there are many intra-breed types. All of them can be grouped into the following main groups:

Dairy. Specially created types of cows for the production of dairy products.
Mixed. Such cattle have good meat, but the taste and quality of milk is still a determining factor.
Dual purpose. There is the following division here: cows give good milk, bulls give meat.
Moderately meaty. With this type, the emphasis is on meat characteristics. Cows have a more well-nourished physique.
Radical meat. Cows have a stronger physique, but are comparable in quality to other common beef breeds.

Despite this division, almost all (dairy and mixed) types of cows have good beef characteristics.

Simmental meat types

Such breeds are more common in Russia. It is believed that they can produce both good meat and quality milk. However, each of the heads has its own deviation in one direction or the other. There may be cows from the same herd that have tastier either meat or milk. Therefore, here you should be more observant: if a cow does not have a lot of milk, but strong calves are born, then this particular individual is better left for meat purposes.

Calves usually grow big and strong bulls. Some of them sometimes weigh more than a ton. This requires only a balanced diet. If the calf is fed a low-calorie diet, they will not gain much weight.

Dairy types of Simmental breed

These breeds are more versatile. In addition to good milk yield, they can provide high-quality meat characteristics. You may be aware that many breeds skip milk in extreme heat. However, this does not happen with the Simmental breed - they keep milk at any temperature. In addition, they rarely succumb to any disease.

The breed's milk is quite fatty, so you can make good cottage cheese, cheese, butter, sour cream from it. However, you need to understand that for a large milk yield you need to feed the cow well and you will not get a lot of milk on one hay.

Description of the breed

The Simmental breed is unpretentious and undemanding in its content. They quickly get used to the new environment and conditions. They perfectly adapt in any territorial conditions - they will be equally good both in the cold Urals and in the southern part of the country.

Also, cows are distinguished by a large percentage of fertilization - more than 93%. And multiple pregnancies account for only 5% of all cases. The main thing here is to choose the right bull seed. Let's talk in more detail about the appearance of the Simmental cow breed.

Simmentals' appearance

Simmental cows have a large, wide head in the forehead, large back, developed muscles and a round udder. In length, they reach 170 cm with a height of up to 145 cm. The weight can be different - from 540 to 660 kg. Bulls are much larger and can weigh up to 1.2 tons. Calves in the first days of life weigh in the region of 40 - 45 kg.

The color of cows can be very diverse - from light fawn, to red or bright red with large spots all over the body. The legs and head of all cows are always the same color - white. There is also a black color, but they are not common in our country. This is more typical for the United States, where the black color of Simmental cows is 80%.

Features of raising cows

Since the Simmental breed is distinguished by good endurance, the calves are born strong and healthy, and thanks to the high quality milk, they develop well.

Calves can be fed both naturally and artificially. If you decide to give the calf to the mother for sucking, then after giving birth it should be left with her. On such a diet, he can live up to 10 months. If you decide to artificially feed your baby, at birth it should be placed in a separate pen.

In order for the cow to produce a lot of milk in the future, experienced herders recommend switching cows to grain early. Bulls are introduced to him a little later. They can be sucked for several years and do not show any desire for another feed.

Feeding heifers

As mentioned above, gobies can remain suckled for a long time without the need to transfer them to dry food. With heifers, everything is different - they need to be taught early to feed. Below we present a calf feeding table.

Table 1. What should calves receive in feed?

Indicators	0-1 months	1-2 months	2-3 months	3-4 months	4-5 months	5-6 months	6-7 months	9-12 months	12-18 months	18-24 months
Live weight at the end of the period, kg	53	72	91	110	130	150	204	260	344	425
Dry matter, kg	0.82	1.52	2.7	4	4.8	5.8	6.5	7.5	8	10
Feed units	2.2	2.5	2.8	3.1	3.4	3.7	3.9	4.4	5.2	6.1
Crude protein, g	280	400	480	540	600	600	620	660	810	950
Fiber, g	0.03	0.15	0.4	0.8	0.96	1.16	1.45	1.65	2	2.5
Ash, g	56	105	190	280	336	406	455	525	560	700
Table salt	5	10	10	15	20	20	25	30	35	45
Calcium, g	8	12	22	32	40	48	52	52	52	52
Phosphorus, g	5	8	14	20	25	30	33	33	33	35
Potassium, g	8	15	27	40	48	58	65	75	80	100
Sodium, g	1.2	2.2	4	6	7.2	8.7	9.8	11.8	12	15
Magnesium, g	1.6	3	5.4	8	9.6	11.6	13	15	16	20
Iron, g	56	105	190	280	340	400	450	500	500	500
Copper, g	8	15	27	40	48	58	65	70	70	80
Zinc, g	24	45	80	120	145	174	195	225	240	300
Corbalt, mg	0.2	0.37	0.67	1	1.2	1.45	1.62	1.87	2	2.5
Manganese, mg	40	75	135	200	240	270	325	375	400	500
Iodine, mg	0.12	0.23	0.41	0.6	0.72	0.87	0.97	1	1	1
Carotene, mg	30	45	60	75	90	105	120	140	170	210
Vitamin D, thousand ME	0.5	0.75	1	1.2	1.44	1.68	2.16	2.8	3.6	4.7

Table 2. How to bottle feed a calf: step by step instructions

Illustration	Description
	Step one: take a bottle and a teat, this set should be individual for each calf.
	Step two: Stir the cow's milk replacer as directed or pour the expressed milk of the mother into the bottle. Place the teat over the bottle, then offer to the calf by squeezing some of the mixture onto the teat to taste and smell.
	Step three: When the calf has eaten, record the feeding time and the amount of milk eaten by the animal. The older the calf is, the more milk it will drink.

Simmental productivity

For the entire period of milk production, Simmental dairy breeds can yield more than 5,000 liters of milk. But this is only an average. The largest milk yield was over 10,000 liters. Mixed cows produce much less milk. For them, this figure varies in the range of 3,000 - 3,500 liters of milk per lactation. The fat content of milk is about 4%, which is considered a pretty good figure.

Simmentals give a large number of milk

Meat cow breeds are also doing well, although there are far more meaty breeds. Already in the first days of life, simmental girls have a good weight (about 50 kg, which already characterizes them as cattle). At the age of six months, the calves already reach the mark of 200 kg of weight. With a balanced and abundant diet, they can gain up to one and a half kilograms per day.

The Simmental breed is becoming widespread mainly due to its good adaptation to living conditions and unpretentiousness in care and diet.

In summer, Simmentals can be under a canopy, or even spend the night on the pasture. In winter, of course, a warmer room with the possibility of ventilation will be needed.

Calving is usually calm and effortless. Nobody needs any additional help, the cow gives birth herself and gets better in a short time. Calves, as mentioned, are born with excellent health, low mortality rates and grow rapidly even when artificially fed.

Cow feeding

The diet is pretty simple. Grass is good in summer, hay in winter. In addition, it is worth constantly feeding the animal with vegetables and compound feed. Since these cows are very muscular and have a large build, they need abundant nutrition.

More attention should be paid to this in winter, when cows do not receive the necessary amount of nutrients on their own. You also need to add boiled corn to the diet. In the summer, the animals graze with great pleasure in the pastures, but do not mind eating at home when you give them grass or hay in the evening.

To increase milk productivity, you can include cake and barley in the diet of cows. You can also buy ready-made compound feed. It contains all the elements you need to be productive.

Pros and cons of the breed

Each breed has its own merits and demerits. Now we will analyze them based on simmental breed.

Advantages of the breed:

Great activity and good appetite.
High level of immunity.
Fast adaptation to a wide variety of conditions.
They differ from other breeds by their calmness and patience.
It is convenient to feed on pastures, as the cows feed on fodder.
A high level of fertilization, which makes it possible to significantly increase the ranks of cows in a short time.
Easy and fast delivery.
Calves are born healthy, there is practically no mortality.
Calves are also unpretentious in food and living conditions, like their parents.
A huge amount of milk and good taste characteristics.
Good predisposition of the breed to improvements in the breeding process.
A high percentage of fat, which allows you to cook good dairy products (sour cream, butter, cottage cheese, cheese).

Disadvantages of the breed almost impossible to identify. They are very rare and only in the following manifestations:

Possible incorrect positioning of the legs, disproportionate udder or sagging in the back.
There may be a lot of bones in the meat.

Prospects for breeding simmental

In our country, in Russia, such a breed of cows as Simmental has been widespread for a long time and for a very long time was considered the most popular of all types of cattle. It was on the basis of the Simmental that the most versatile and improved breeds were bred. Sometimes in our country, Simmental cows and breeds produced from it accounted for about 20% of all heads in cattle breeding.

There are already more improved beef and dairy breeds of cows. Rather, they are specialized in one area. The popularity of the versatile cows, which include the Simmental breed, is now in decline. Now pastoralists prefer new breeds of cows, which, although more demanding in care, are more productive.

However, there are those who are still engaged in breeding Simmental cows, because from them you can get a large percentage of both milk and meat, at the same time not requiring much effort in care and maintenance. This is mostly common in household... Despite the declining popularity and some disadvantages, the Simmental breed is still one of the best versatile breeds that are capable of producing good productivity.

Video - Simmental breed of cows, exhibition

Small mountainous Switzerland is home to several excellent breeds of dairy cattle, which has made it one of the largest cheese producers in Europe. At the same time, one of the oldest, if not the oldest of the currently existing (and at the same time highly demanded) breeds is precisely the Swiss simmental cow... This is a versatile livestock with satisfactory milk and meat qualities.

The history of the emergence 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 as to who was the ancestor of the Simmental cow. According to one version, simmentals are a cross between wild tours and working cows, which the 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.

Also controversial is the question of who was the first to start creating the breed - the Gauls (the ancestors of the current French), or the Celts (the 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, which is 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, selection selection was carried out mainly in the direction of creating hardy and resistant to high-altitude cows. At the same time, apparently, for a long time, the Simmental cow did not differ in outstanding productivity. Until the 18th century, this was a short, but well-knit and hardy breed with very mediocre productivity indicators by modern standards.

However, for that era, simmentals had quite good characteristics, so livestock breeders from other countries paid attention to them. Representatives of the breed were actively used to develop new and improve existing European breeds. Among others, Simmental breeds owe their appearance to such breeds as Montbéliard (France), Fleckvie (Germany), Bulgarian red, Hungarian motley and others.

In the XVII- XVIII centuries the expansion of the Simmental cow in Europe began to acquire a massive character. And in the 19th century with the emergence scientific methods breeding and changing the general paradigm, the characteristics of the breed were improved even more. At the same time, the emphasis was no longer so much on endurance as 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, simmentals 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 cows, despite the fact that this work did not stop in Switzerland itself. So by the present moment, several main and many minor intra-breed types have been formed, which makes the Simmental breed the most variable of all existing ones.

In the USSR, the breed was also actively used in animal husbandry. In addition to purebred Simmental breeds, 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 nearly 13 million such cows. The collapse of the Union, the economic problems of 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, at the moment, Simmental cows are 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 intra-breed types of the Simmental cow, which indirectly indicates its great popularity and demand. Moreover, all these subtypes can be summarized in four main groups:

Dairy grade. Specialized dairy types that are closest to the original Swiss cattle.
Mixed varieties. Livestock has good meat characteristics, but the emphasis is still on milk production.
Dual use. All cows are well milked, and bulls are distinguished by a large live weight.
Moderate meat type. Cows have a well-developed medium well-nourished constitution.
Radical meat type. They have a massive constitution and are comparable in meat productivity to classic beef breeds.

In general, the classic milk and mixed types are also characterized by a rather 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 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 breed of cows does not contain a rigid color standard. Most cows and bulls have a fawn, light tan, or reddish 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 United States, black cows are very common, of which there are about 80%, 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.

The Simmental dairy-type breeds have quite good indicators of average milk yield - from 4 to 5.5 thousand liters of milk per lactation. Absolute records for this breed go well beyond 10 thousand liters. In cows of mixed meat and dairy type, milk yield is noticeably lower, but also quite satisfactory - 3-3.5 thousand liters. According to its characteristics, milk is very good: fat content at the level of 3.7-4% with a rather low content of somatic cells.

Meat characteristics are also pleasing, although up to top meat breeds Simmentalists, of course, are far away. Calves from Swiss cows are already born quite large (about 45 kg) and after six months have quadrupled 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 quite high quality, the fat content is on average about 12%.

Conditions and diet for cows of the Simmental breed

The great popularity of the Simmental breed is explained by the fact that, with fairly good performance indicators, these cows do not cause any particular trouble in organizing conditions for their maintenance and in choosing a diet.

In summer, Simmental cats can be kept outside under a simple canopy, or even left to spend the night in the pasture. In the cold season, of course, you will already need a warm, but well-ventilated room with a stable temperature.

Calving in most cases goes without complications: the help of a veterinarian is not required, since the cow gives birth on its own and then quickly recovers. Calves show high rates survival, grow well even on artificial feeding.

The diet for cows of the Simmental breed is quite standard: in summer - grass, in winter hay; on top dressing all year round vegetables, compound feed. Since cows of this breed are quite large, they need enhanced nutrition, especially in winter, when you also need to ensure that the feed contains a sufficient amount of all nutrients. In the warm season, animals graze willingly, without refusing, however, and an additional evening portion of grass or hay. In winter, in addition to hay and compound feed, cows can be given boiled corn grains.

To achieve high milk yields, you need to feed the cows to their fullest so that the nursery is never empty. The fact that the cow is full will be indicated by its rounded sides.

Simmental cow breed: pros and cons

The very fact that the breed is very popular and makes up a significant part of the livestock in many countries speaks of its great preponderance. positive qualities over the shortcomings. This is also evidenced by the very fact of the long existence of the breed, the roots of which go back to very deep antiquity.

The main advantages of Simmental cows are:

Satisfactory indicators for both average milk yield and meat characteristics. Many farmers choose this breed precisely because it is truly versatile.
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, milk itself is valued for its excellent taste.
Simmentals are quite easy to adapt to a wide variety of conditions of detention. They feel equally well in the north and in the south, and in the stall, and in the meadow, and in a private household, and in a large livestock complex.
With a calm disposition and obedient nature, Simmental cows compare favorably with some highly specialized breeds known for their restive nature.
Good health and general stamina are another important advantage of this breed. If you do not violate elementary rules keeping and feeding cattle, Simmental cows will never get sick.

It is impossible to 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:

In representatives of this breed, a slightly incorrect positioning of the limbs is often observed, which makes it difficult for animals to move at high speed. In this regard, when driving the herd from pasture to pasture, there is no need to arrange a gallop.
Some cows also have poor fore-udder development. It is not always possible to connect such cows to the milking machine and either have to be milked manually or select a special model of the device.
Inverse relationship between meat and milk productivity. This feature is present in one way or another in all existing cattle breeds, but it is especially manifested in the Simmental. Therefore, farmers have to keep the dairy herd separate from the beef herd, without crossing them with each other.

Breeding prospects in Russia

In our country, the Simmental cattle breed has been known for a long time and for a long time played an almost important role in dairy farming. 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, when specialized beef and dairy breeds exist, the importance of universal breeds such as the Simmental has diminished significantly. Large livestock complexes prefer to deal with highly productive, although more difficult to care for and maintain, cows.

Nevertheless, many people still breed Simmental because they give a good yield of meat and milk, but at the same time they do not cause much trouble. This factor is most important for small and medium-sized farms, as well as for peasants who keep cows at home.

Taking into account the fact that the pros and cons of the Simmental cow breed are perfectly balanced, and good milk yield is combined with high meat productivity, it remains one of the best in the universal meat and dairy segment.

If you are an experienced farmer, you probably know very well about the Simmental cow breed. Cattle farmers always want to get from the animal as much income as possible... In the case of cows, this is the maximum milk yield and a large amount of good meat... Fortunately, nowadays selectors are doing their best and breed breeds that combine both qualities to the fullest. One of these is the Simmental breed. It is about the history of the appearance and characteristics of this breed that we will talk about today.

When choosing an animal for further breeding on a farm in order to obtain meat and milk, you need to pay attention to many important points: how easily the cow adapts to the local climate, how difficult it is to take care of her and whether her productivity is so good.

Bulls and cows of the Simmental breed distinguished themselves in the three above-mentioned indicators. For curious farmers and all those interested, it is probably very interesting where this breed came to us.

Gallery: Simmental breed of cows (25 photos)

The history of the emergence of the breed

There is no such consensus as to where the Simmental breed of cows came from. There is a version that the ancestors of the Simmentals were wild bulls, which were once crossed with Helvetian cows.

But today there is a more widespread opinion about the emergence of the Simmental breed - cows and bulls were imported to Switzerland from Scandinavia, where they subsequently acquired the current indicators. It happened around the fifth century, but, of course, the exact date has not been preserved. It is known that the Simmental cow is also called the Bernese, because the first mentions of cows of this breed indicate that the animals were grazed near the banks of the Bern River.

The Simmental cow is the progenitor of all dairy species in agriculture. The versatility of the species allowed the breed to be at the peak of popularity from the 5th century to the present day.

Work on improving the breed has been going on for a long time. The formation of the meat and dairy species began in the 5th century and continued until the middle of the last century.

History of appearance

There is a version that Gauls were the first to breed the Simmental, the ancestors of the modern French. Another legend says that the Celts (the forefathers of the Swiss) were the first to notice and began to improve the appearance. Be that as it may, Switzerland is considered the birthplace of the Simmental species. The name of the breed received the appropriate - in honor of the Simmental river valley.

The selection was based on the goal of creating a cow that can adapt to high altitude conditions, and at the same time, will have good productivity. At first, the improvement did not give results, and only in the 18th century the stocky cow began to acquire the appearance and qualities inherent in the Simmental today.

In the 18th century, the breed gained popularity among farmers., and breeders in Europe are seriously working on improving the exterior and productivity of the cow.

V agriculture The Simmental came to Russia at the beginning of the 19th century and is still considered the most popular breed.

Gallery: Simmental breed of cows (25 photos)

Characteristics of the Simmental cow breed

The Simmental cow breed is divided into several intra-breed species, each of which has its own direction:

Both the mixed and the milky type have a good physique. The musculature of the cows is strong and well expressed.

The length of the body of the bull is 165 centimeters, the height at the withers is 140 centimeters. The legs and cows are straight and set correctly. The head of the Simmentals is massive and wide. The horns are curved and directed forward. The short neck and wide back are also massive. The chest is deep set, wide. The udder of the cows is large. The front nipples are often larger than the rear ones.

The average female weighs between 540 and 660 kilograms. The weight of an adult bull starts at 900 kilograms. Some males weigh more than a ton.

Breed standard does not provide a clear set of available suits. There are fawn, light red, red-red shades. The breed is characterized by spots on the body, predominantly white. The bull's hooves, eyelids and nose are colored pink. In some regions of America, there are black representatives of the Simmental breed. Farmers are unanimous: the simmental bull is a calm cattle. Problems with the maintenance of this species usually do not arise.

How to contain a simmental

The popularity of the breed is due to the fact that simmentals are unpretentious in the diet, and also undemanding in terms of conditions of detention. Cows are content with regular feed and at the same time have a high milk yield, and the meat type quickly gains weight.

Simmentals feel great in the fresh air, so they can not only be taken out to the pasture in the daytime, but also left for the night in the courtyard under a canopy. Of course, this only applies to summer period... Some farmers even practice overnight herds in pastures.

In winter, it is necessary to equip a room that will be well ventilated and at the same time heated - the temperature for the livestock needs a stable one.

Diet for the Simmental breed does not differ from the menu of other cows. Livestock feeds on hay in winter and grass in summer. The feed consists of vegetables, fruits and compound feed. It is necessary to feed cows with them all year round.

So that the milkiness is on high level, it is necessary to monitor the nutrition of the animal: the cow should not be hungry. It is best to have food in the nursery at all times.

Cows calve without complications... Usually the cow gives birth on her own, and the help of a doctor is not required. The female quickly departs from childbirth. Calves of the Simmental breed are distinguished by high survival rates even on artificial feeding.

Performance

Simmental breed is different good performance. On average, during the lactation period, a dairy cow gives milk yield from 4 to 5 thousand liters of milk. There are record holders who bring more than 10 thousand liters. In the meat and dairy type, milk yield is much lower, however, it also meets the needs of the farm - 3-4 thousand liters. The quality of the milk is good. With a low level of somatic cells, its fat content is optimal and ranges from 3 to 4%.

Milk yield depends not only on the conditions of detention and nutrition, but also on climatic conditions region. In areas where summers are warmer and longer, cows are more milk-producing. Some regions boast a simmental milk yield of 6,000 liters.

There are two to four milkings per day. Simmental cows are calm, so milking takes place without complications. The same cannot be said about representatives of other large breeds.

"Milk" period of the cow lasts an average of 15 years. The highest rates are observed during the ninth calving in order.

Among the beef breeds, the Simmental cow is not in the forefront, however, the meat indicators of the breed are high. Calves are born with a weight of about 45 kilograms. In just half a year, a calf quadruples its weight. When kept indoors, the weight gain is quite high - 900 grams per day.

At good conditions and the correct diet, slaughter yield is at around 56%, and bulls often exceed 60%. The fat content of the meat was about 12%.

Like any other breed, the Simmental has its pros and cons.

Pros of the breed

Among the advantages it is worth noting the following characteristics:

disadvantages

Any kind has a number of disadvantages... The Simmental breed of cows was no exception. Disadvantages:

Prospects for breeding simmental

The Simmentals have long occupied an honorable place in the country's cattle breeding. Farmers love the breed for its excellent performance, unpretentiousness and gentle disposition. Simmentals sometimes account for 20% of the country's cattle population.

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