Simmental, breed of cows: photo and description, characteristics, pros and cons of the breed

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The Simmental cow breed is one of the most ancient. It is versatile, has both excellent meat and dairy characteristics. Simmental bulls gain weight very quickly. Their meat has a pleasant taste, so farmers often take them for fattening. Simmental cows produce excellent fat milk, which is perfect for making cheeses. They give birth to strong calves and have stable lactation. Simmental cows are very hardy and easily adapt to any conditions.

History of the breed

Work on Simmental cattle began in the 5th century. The breeders were Celtic farmers, the ancestors of modern Swiss. The name of the animals was given by their homeland - the Simmental Valley. Breeders wanted to get cattle that would be adapted to grazing in highlands and have good milk production. However, it was only in the 19th century that higher milk yields were obtained from cows.

Until nowThe Simmental cattle breed was distinguished by a strong physique, but mediocre milk production. Cows were in excellent he alth, so many peoples sought to add their blood to their local cows. For example, Simmentals were used to create breeds: Bulgarian Red, Fleckfie, Montbéliarde, Hungarian Pied, etc.

In the 19th century, serious work was carried out on cattle in order to obtain higher milk yields. And the breeders finally achieved success. In the middle of the 19th century, Simmental cattle was brought to Russia. Here, too, work was carried out to improve the qualities of the breed. It was acclimatized for many republics of the Soviet Union. Even photos of the Simmental breed of those times have been preserved. Currently, these cows are very popular in Russia. Simmentals are also bred in other countries: Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan.

Description

The Simmental cattle breed is characterized by a strong skeleton and proportionate physique. Animals have well-developed muscle tissue, thick skin, strong skin.

Description of the Simmental breed:

• Calves at birth have an average weight of 34 to 42 kg, their mothers from 550 to 590 kg, their fathers from 850 to 1100 kg.
• The height at the withers for bulls is 138-145 cm, for cows - from 133 cm.
• Animals are predominantly red and white in color.

Simmental cattle are unpretentious, have excellent adaptive qualities. This breed was distributed on the territory of most regions of Russia. Simmental cows will feel great andin the cold Urals, and in the hot south. These cows are most often covered from the first time, the number of successful fertilizations is kept around the 93% mark. Also, in 5% of cases, pregnancy in cows is multiple. Calving is often easy, especially if the semen of the bull was picked up by an experienced livestock specialist.

Features of cultivation

The Simmental breed is very hardy and adapts perfectly to any conditions. Thanks to these qualities, calves are born he althy and strong. Milk from Simmental cows is very nutritious, which contributes to the good development of young animals.

The calves of this breed are raised both on suction and separately from their mother. If the farmer decided not to separate the baby from the cow, then after giving birth they are left together. The calf can be suckling up to 9-10 months. If the baby is planned to be fed by hand, then after birth he is placed in a separate house.

Heifer farmers usually try to accustom to grain early, as it is very important to develop the rumen effectively. This will allow the cow to produce more milk in the future. Gobies are most often introduced to grain a little later. In general, they can stay on suction for a very long time and have little or no interest in concentrated feed.

Meat Simmental

This breed is considered universal in animal husbandry. Simmental cattle is able to please the owner with both good milk productivity and excellent meat gains. But each individual has a more pronounced tendency to one ofdirections. For example, there are cows that give very little milk, but large and hardy calves are born from them. Then we can say that it is this animal that is best kept for meat purposes.

Simmental calves usually give good weight gain. Large and strong bulls subsequently grow out of them. The weight of many record holders in the Simmental breed is more than a ton. In order to get such large bulls, they need to be well fed. Usually animals are offered haylage, silage, concentrates, grain. They should always receive a balanced diet. If the Simmental bull is fed low-calorie food, then his weight gain will be small.

Milky Simmentals

This cow breed is unique in its versatility. Simmental calves can be raised not only for meat, these cows, with proper care, can show high milk production. It is very convenient that cows adapt perfectly to any climate. Many breeds shed milk in the heat, and Simmentals retain milk yield. They are less susceptible to certain diseases than other animals.

Milk from Simmental cows has a high fat content, it produces a lot of cottage cheese, cheese, butter. They make amazing sour cream out of it. Farmers who keep such cows at home say that it is not uncommon for more than 1 liter of cream to settle in a jar. But the more productive a Simmental cow is, the more she eats. You can't get good milk yields from this cow on hay and water alone.

To increase milk production in the dietSimmental cows include cake, meal, barley. If the owner cannot independently draw up a nutrition plan for his cow, then he can buy ready-made feed. Simmentals, which show high productivity, must include premixes in the diet.

Productivity

Simmental breed can hardly be called precocious, usually their first calving occurs at 2.5-3 years. The average milk yield is from 3000 to 5500 liters of milk per lactation. Outstanding cows are more productive. Cases have been recorded when Simmental cows gave up to 12,000 liters of milk per lactation. Of course, such productive cows are rare, and they require special care. The milk of these cows is balanced in terms of protein, which is why it is so tasty. Fat content usually ranges from 3.8% to 4.5% in different animals.

In a private economy, Simmental cows for the first lactation give at the peak of 15-17 liters of milk. After the second calving, cows increase their milk yield and show productivity of over 20 liters per day. But we are talking only about cows of the Simmental breed, which have a dairy orientation. If a cow has a pronounced beef body type, then most likely, even with good feeding, the owner will receive a maximum of 10 liters of milk per day from her.

Breed advantages

The advantage of Simmentals is their natural endurance. They are less susceptible to disease than most breeds. This cattle perfectly adapts to any living conditions. Simmental gobies with proper feeding will always pleasefarmer with high gains. Cows show good milk production and stable lactation.

Simmental cattle have an affectionate and obedient disposition. Animals are patient, calm and peaceful. They can be pastured in a herd on free range, but they will also feel comfortable in a farm environment. Strong immunity allows you to use cows for a long time. Not infrequently, Simmental cows at home lived up to 15-17 lactations.

This breed often produces several calves at once. This quality allows the owner to receive a good financial profit. Simmental calves will not stay long with the owner, most likely they will be bought soon after the announcement is made. The population likes strong and large young animals. You can also raise calves yourself for meat and make a profit after slaughter.

Cons of the breed

As with any productive animal, Simmentals should have only high-quality feed in their diet. Only a balanced diet will help them maintain high productivity. If the farmer cannot provide this and feeds the Simmental cattle with hay and water, then he will not see milk or meat from these cows. Animals will show good milk yields and gains only if the diet covers all needs.

Simmental cows sometimes have physical disabilities, such as weak legs. If for a light village cow this is not a problem, then for animals that weigh about a ton - a sentence. Also, this breed has a sagging back, whichnegatively affects the work of internal organs. Cows have a vicious udder shape, underdevelopment of the lobe, hair growth on the mammary gland.

Owner Reviews

Farmers fell in love with Simmental cattle for their complaisant disposition, many liked calm and affectionate cows. Cows of this breed are extremely smart, they easily remember the sequence of milking or the time when the hostess gives them grain. Simmental cows are confident, but not pugnacious. They will not allow themselves to be offended in the herd, but after the establishment of a hierarchy, they will not cause problems for the shepherd with empty skirmishes.

The diet of Simmental cows should be balanced in fats, proteins and carbohydrates. They have a good appetite, eat a lot and with pleasure. But all the money that the owner spent on feed, they will return with good milk production and excellent weight gain.