Charolais, breed of cows: characteristic (photo)

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

Cows on farms are bred mainly for milk. But sometimes the farms also contain beef cattle. Such cattle usually gain very large weight and are characterized by precocity. There are not as many breeds of such cows as dairy cows. But the owners of farmsteads and farmers still have a choice in this regard. For example, the Charolais cow breed is considered very productive.

When and where was bred

France is the birthplace of this precocious, well-received breed from farmers. For the first time, such animals began to be bred in this country in the province of Charolais. Hence the name of the breed.

One of the traditions of French cooking is the use of mainly lean beef for cooking various kinds of dishes. Accordingly, the selection of beef cattle in this country is mainly aimed at increasing the muscle mass of livestock with a small amount of fat.

This is how the popular breed of Charolais cows was bred in France. Keeping such cows in this country began back in19th century Subsequently, the Charolais breed has spread widely throughout the world. Today, such cows are grown in almost all countries of the planet where beef cattle breeding is well developed.

In Russia, traditionally only dairy cattle are kept. In our country, Charolais cattle are not widely distributed. Large farmers do not breed such cows. But many private owners keep them.

How much does a calf cost

Reviews from domestic owners of farmsteads such cattle deserve good. But Charolais in Russia, as already mentioned, is not a very common breed. Private traders have the opportunity to buy such a calf. But the cost of young charolais in our country, unfortunately, is quite expensive. The price of a calf in most cases is at least 30 thousand rubles. The cost of breeding bulls of this breed can reach up to 90-100 thousand rubles.

On top of everything else, since there are no Charolais breeding farms in Russia, the owner of the farmstead always runs the risk of acquiring a half-breed. It is possible that such a bull will gain a lot of weight in the future. But still, it will no longer be Charolais.

Features

Of course, like any other beef cattle, Charolais cows and bulls are distinguished primarily by their large size and weight. The girth of the chest behind the shoulder blades in these animals can reach 200-210 cm. The backbone of the cattle of this breed is very powerful and strong.

Also distinctive features of Charolais cattle are:

• powerful wide waist;
• rectangular case;
• strongly pronouncedmusculature, especially on the chest and hips;
• small flat head;
• thick short limbs;
• big eyes.

In most cases, Charolais cows are horned. However, sometimes polled individuals can also be found in the herd. The color of such cows is usually light cream. Such cattle looks quite unusual. Photos of Charolais cows presented in this article demonstrate this clearly. Charolais's light color complements the soft pink nose and wax horns and hooves.

The height of a cow of this breed can reach up to 165 cm at the withers. But in the conditions of the Russian climate, this figure for Charolais usually still does not exceed 145 cm. The length of the body of bulls of this breed can reach up to 190-220 cm. For queens, this figure is 165-182 cm.

Charolais cow breed characteristics in terms of productivity

At birth, these calves can weigh 30-65 kg. That is, the young of this breed are born very large. Because of this, Charolais cows often have difficult births. In many cases, such cows even have to have a caesarean section.

Twins are rarely born in Charolais cows - only 3% of cases. But the weight of the calves of this breed is gaining very quickly. In just one day, their body weight can increase by 850-2270 g. Adult bulls of this breed weigh 900-1650 kg, cows - 500-1500 kg.

The rapid weight gain of Charolais calves is explained, among other things, by the fact that the uterus of this breed is distinguished by good milk production. Lactation in Charolais cows lasts about 205-290days. During this period, they produce up to 1300-4700 liters of milk.

They usually keep such cattle before slaughter on farms for at least 2 years. The fact is that Charolais bulls up to 18 months gain weight relatively slowly. After 1.5 years, the indicators of early maturity increase greatly. Until the age of 2 years, the weight of this cattle increases very rapidly.

The advantages of cows of this breed, among other things, include a high life expectancy. In the past, Charolais bulls were also used as draft animals. Such animals could serve faithfully on farms up to 15 years.

The main advantages of the breed

Very often beef cattle have to be fed expensive concentrates in large quantities to get good performance in terms of weight gain. With the breed of Charolais cows, the situation is a little different. One of the absolute advantages of such bulls is that they can gain a lot of weight on roughage - on hay and grass.

The advantages of this breed in comparison with some others include very tasty, juicy marbled meat. Fat in Charolais cattle, like many other French bulls, is usually low. The yield of muscle mass in the carcass of cattle of this breed in most cases is at least 80%.

The ability to quickly acclimatize in almost any corner of the planet is what, among other things, distinguishes these cows. The description of the Charolais breed given above makes it possible to judge it as one of the best meat breeds to date. And indeed,such gobies can be considered almost the largest in the world. At the same time, cattle of this breed can be grown in almost any country - both in the south and in the north. In cold climates, cattle of this breed are overgrown with thick wool.

The advantages of this breed, many farmers include the possibility of successful crossing with other cattle. Half-breed calves from these cows are often as productive as their parents.

Character traits

The characteristics of Charolais cattle are therefore simply excellent. Farmers also refer to the advantages of this livestock as a calm character. Even large herds of such cattle, judging by the reviews, are very easy to manage. Charolais wombs, as noted by many farmers, take very good care of their offspring. There is practically no loss of calves in a herd of such cows.

Are there any disadvantages?

Of course, the disadvantages of the Charolais cow breed, like any other, also exist. In addition to heavy calving, the disadvantage of this cattle is that the calves often show defects. These can be, for example:

• double shoulder blades;
• soft uneven back;
• roof sacrum;
• hypertrophy of the posterior third of the trunk.

Features of care

Charolais is considered unpretentious in keeping cattle. Rations for these livestock on farms are usually developed as cheaply as possible. Concentrates are given to these cows, but most often in small quantities.

Despite the fact that the coldthese cows tolerate well, in the conditions of the Russian climate it is desirable to keep them in heated sheds. The thick wool with which such cows are covered in winter does not allow them to catch a cold. But there is practically no fat in such cattle in carcasses. And therefore, in severe frosts, he can still freeze. In addition, when kept for a long time at temperatures below zero degrees, Charolais cows may experience frostbite of the udder.

Of course, you can keep such cattle in the cold regions of Russia, for example, using the stall method. But most of all, these cows are suitable for breeding in the central regions of the country, as well as in the south of the Russian Federation.