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Age of insemination of Simmental cows. Simmental breed of farm cows

Among the variety of livestock industries, the leading one is cattle breeding. This industry generates half of all income received from livestock farming. Dairy products, meat, and material for light industry are obtained from these animals. Beef and veal meat come in second place after pork. Milk contains easily digestible substances necessary for people and animals.

And high-quality leather is used to make shoes, clothes and many other products. By-products such as horns and hooves are used to make buttons, combs and other items. Cattle are also used as traction force in agriculture. Today we will talk about the Simmental breed.

What interesting things can you learn about the Simmental breed?

Simmental cattle are representatives of meat and dairy type breeds. The birthplace of this breed is Switzerland. Of all the cattle in this country, this breed accounts for 60 percent.

This breed is one of the old breeds. It was created by crossing breeds with meat, dairy and working productivity. The formation of this breed was facilitated by both economic forces, and natural history.

The Simmental breed was brought to our countries in the second half of the last century.

The color of the Simmental breed is red-motley or red-motley. Cows of the older type have a red-motley color. IN lately The most common color is light red, slightly turning into fawn-variegated. A lighter coat color is typical for pampered animals. Pure breeds have a light pink nose, tongue, and eyelids. If the listed places have a dark color, then the cow is not purebred.

The color of the horns is yellowish and the tips are brownish. In Switzerland it is believed that if the tips of the horns are black, then the cow is not purebred.

The constitution of Simmental cattle is strong, and in some cases even coarse.

A feature of the breed is its large and coarse head. The frontal part is also quite developed, the horns are also quite developed.

The neck of cows is of medium length and thickness, but the neck of Simmental bulls is very fleshy and short. The withers are quite wide, and in bulls they are sometimes forked.

Animals have a deep, wide, long and large chest coverage. In animals that were not raised correctly, there may be a catch behind the shoulder blades.

The animals have a high, straight, medium-length, wide and muscular croup.

The tail is set quite high.

The legs of the Simmental breed are short, the bones and joints are well developed. You can notice a defect on the hind legs (the angle between the tibia and the metatarsus is very large, also called “elephant foot”), and the front legs are distinguished by being turned outward. The animals have strong, light-colored and well-developed hooves.

The skin of cows is elastic and heavy; its weight ranges from 10 to 14 percent of the entire body weight. Large bulls and oxen have very valuable leather.

In general, the Simmental breed is distinguished from others by its height, rough bones and large chest. Animals have well-developed muscles, thick skin and well-positioned limbs.

The Simmental breed is well developed, its The average measurements are:

The weight of newborn calves is 34-42 kilograms; already at the age of one and a half years their weight reaches 340 kilograms.
The weight of an adult heifer ranges from 650 to 850 kilograms; fattened cows can weigh more.
The weight of an adult bull ranges from 750 to 1100 kilograms, and bulls that have been sufficiently fattened can reach 1300 kilograms.
The height of one bull at the withers is 138-145 centimeters, and the height of a cow is 133-135 centimeters.
The body length of animals is on average 158 -162 centimeters.
The girth of the metacarpus ranges from 18.5 to 20 centimeters.

What kind of udder do Simmental cows have?

The milk productivity of Simmental cows is average.

The udder and milk crowns are developed differently than in dairy-type breeds.

The mammary glands of cows are somewhat rough. The posterior lobes are slightly less developed than the anterior ones.

It also happens that the udder of cows can become overgrown with thick hair.

The average milk productivity per year varies from 2500 to 5500 kilograms, its fat content varies from 3.8 to 4.1 percent.

An integral indicator in the productivity of cows is such a concept as the udder index. This concept stands for ratio total number milk to the milk yield of the two anterior lobes of the udder. From this you can find out how correctly all parts of the udder are developed and understand the productivity of the cow. The breed we are describing has an index of 42-45 percent. Which indicates good milk production.

What advantages does the Simmental breed have?

There are many advantages of keeping the Simmental breed in agriculture, but we will tell you about the main ones:

Since the Simmental breed belongs to the meat and dairy type, it can be understood that the meat and milk are of fairly good quality.
When fattening young animals, you can get a large gain, which exceeds the performance of Shorthorns and Herefords. But if we compare the edible and inedible parts of these breeds, then the latter two have more edible parts.
A biologically positive characteristic of this breed is its precocity.
Quick acclimatization to different conditions is also a positive characteristic.
Simmental cattle have good health and are able to do hard work.
When breeding a breed along lines or cross lines of Simmentals, it is generally accepted that in an important way improvements at breeding plants and breeding farms.
The high value of the skin of these animals is a positive factor.
The obedience and understanding of animals is also important.
The positive side of this breed is its mobility and energy.
Animals of the described breed are resistant to diseases.

What disadvantages of the breed should you pay attention to when buying it?

What is the milk and meat productivity of the Simmental breed?

Indicators meat productivity very good due to the ability to quickly fatten. The meat is of high quality, quite tasty, not too fatty, the muscle fibers are not deep-fiber, but still the weight of the bones is greater than the weight of the meat. The fat content in meat is about 17 percent.

Average milk indicators range from 2500 to 5500 kilograms of milk, and its fat content reaches 4.1 percent.

High milk yields are obtained in the homeland of the animals, and amount to 15,898 kilograms of milk. High milk yields are also obtained in Hungary. The largest milk yield was obtained from the cow Dama and amounts to 19,665 kilograms of milk per year of lactation. The highest milk yield per day from this cow was 70.1 kilograms of milk.

In purebred Simmentals, milk production is quite good. Average values range from 3200 to 3500 kilograms of milk, and its fat content from 3.7 to 4.1 percent. The best purebred cows produce from 8,200 to 10,900 kilograms of milk with a fat content of 4.05 to 4.87 percent. The record holder is the cow Zozulya with a milk yield of 12,760 kilograms.

In some farms, very high weight gain of young animals of the Simmental breed was obtained. For example, in the Voronezh region, the weight gain of the Naslednik 2 bull was one and a half kilograms per day. Under normal conditions, bull calves do not need weight gain. It should be noted that high milk yields and high rates of concentrates cause the deposition of fat in the body, which may not have a very good effect on sexual function. And with a high milk yield, calves eat less roughage, which is the basis for the formation of animals in the meat direction.

Igor Nikolaev

Reading time: 4 minutes

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The Simmental breed is one of the oldest cattle breeds. Its homeland is Switzerland. The breed's stud book dates back to 1806, but there are earlier references to animals in church and secular books.

Local residents who lived in the Simmental Valley were engaged in cattle breeding. The breed got its name from the name of this valley. Animals were valued for their beauty.

Cows and bulls of light color proudly strode through the green lush meadows of Switzerland. Simmentals were considered noble animals. Their unique productivity was noted.

Cattle belongs to the meat and dairy sector. The characteristics of cattle have attracted foreign livestock breeders. Already at the beginning of the 17th century, Swiss cattle began to be imported to other countries. At the end of the 18th century, the Swiss Cattle Breeders' Association banned the export of Simmentals. They began to export the semen of stud bulls.

The Simmental breed has undergone changes. This is how the German, Austrian, American, and Australian subspecies of Simmentals are distinguished. In Russia, bulls were used to breed Bestuzhev, Kalmyk, and Kazakh white-headed cattle breeds.

Breed characteristics

The cattle have a light color, spotted, light fawn. There is a reddish color. Bulls are darker than cows. Swiss purebred cattle have a white nasal surface. Light hair in the area around the horns and on the limbs.

The animal's body is strong, compact, and its chest is wide. The muscular system is well developed, but under the thick skin the muscles are not noticeable. Simmental skin has great value on the market. The animals have a massive head with a wide forehead.

Purebred individuals have horns. Many subspecies of Simmentals are polled. The fur on the head is white. Reddish around the eyes. Swiss cows have only white hair on their heads.

The height of a bull at the withers is 155-160 cm, that of a cow is 150 cm.
A bull calf is born weighing 40 kg, a heifer weighing 35 kg. Calving usually occurs without complications. There is accelerated growth and weight gain in young animals. Calves are capable of gaining up to 1200 g per day. At 8 months, bull calves weigh 320 kg, heifers 270 kg. The breed is considered precocious. The first insemination of heifers is carried out at the age of 14 months.
By 12 months, a calf can weigh up to 500 kg. It is taken to slaughter at 18 months. Its weight reaches 680-700 kg.
The weight of adult Simmental bulls is 1100 kg, cows – 900 kg. Slaughter yield 62%.
There is little fat in the meat, 12%. A fattening period is provided for bull calves.
The cows have good milk production. During lactation they produce more than 3.5 tons of milk. Fat content – 3.9%. They are bred in Russia Simmental cattle dairy and meat direction. During lactation, a cow can produce up to 10 tons of milk. Fat content is unique – 4.56%. Record holders were noted on farms in the Central Black Earth region.
The udder of cows is well developed and cup-shaped. The nipples are cylindrical and point downwards. The distance between them is sufficient to carry out hardware milking.
The productivity of cows increases until the 7th lactation.
Lifespan is up to 14 years before calving.
Simmental bulls have good immunity. Keeping livestock is not difficult. Cows are unpretentious when it comes to food, but they show high productivity with good nutrition and maintenance. They are not distinguished by strong manifestations of emotions.

Experts note that Simmental cows often give birth to twins. The number of such females is 5% of the total population.
If same-sex twins develop during multiple pregnancies, then livestock farmers should not worry. Full-fledged calves will be born. With heterosexuality, the heifer always remains infertile. She is fattened together with the bulls. She will not be able to give calves or milk.

How to provide care for cattle?

Simmental cattle tolerate humid climates and low temperatures well, but not frosts. In cold weather you can only walk them. In summer, animals graze on pastures; in winter, they are kept in stalls.

Simmentals tolerate both free and stall housing well. This does not affect productivity, but livestock breeders still prefer to place cows and bulls in separate stalls or stalls. With this type of housing, you can control how much food the animal eats.

In summer, Simmentals are housed in open pens with a canopy. Feeders and drinking bowls are arranged under the canopy. During the grazing period, animals are out for a walk all day long. The feeding regime of the transition period is taken into account. The first spring grazing is carried out on scarce pastures.

Animals receive the full winter diet. In the future, pastures of better quality, with lush grass, are selected. The amount of concentrates and vegetables is reduced. Before walking, animals must be given hay. Roughage is necessary for normal rumen function.

In summer, the livestock eats grass to its heart's content.
Animals are given 2 kg of hay per 1 kg of weight. If a cow weighs 500 kg, then her hay requirement is 10 kg.
Concentrates in the summer are given 150 g per 1 kg of weight: about 750 g. Combined feeds with mineral supplements are chosen. This is necessary for both good milk quality and the health of the cow. In summer, milk yield increases. Along with milk, a lot of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium salts leave the animal’s body. The lack of salts must be replenished.
A cow receives 70 g of table salt.
Water – 70 liters per day.

In winter, the diet for cows consists of hay, silage, haylage, and vegetables.

Some amount of silage can be replaced with vegetables: potatoes, turnips, pumpkin, zucchini. Cows love watermelons, but you can’t give them too much. Feed may cause disturbances in gastrointestinal motility.

A different diet is prescribed for Simmental bulls. It is aimed at accelerating body weight gain.

At 1 month, young animals are fed colostrum, up to 8 liters per day. Additionally, calves are given 100 g of concentrates. The dry mixture is steamed and served in semi-liquid form. Instead of concentrates, you can cook oatmeal.
At 2 months, the calf receives 4 liters of whole milk and 4 liters of skim milk. They begin to feed hay, up to 200 g. The portion of concentrates is increased to 700 g.
3 month – 8 liters of skim milk, 1 kg of hay, 500 kg of potatoes, 1.5 kg of grain mixture.
4th month - they continue to give milk, 2 kg of hay, 1 kg of vegetables, 1.6 kg of grain. They begin to produce silage - 500 g.
5 month - 4 liters of milk, if the calf wants, 2 kg of silage and hay, 1 kg of potatoes, 2 kg of grain mixture.
6 months - no milk, 3 kg of hay, 6 kg of silage, 1 kg of vegetables, 2 kg of concentrates.

Along with the grain mixture, Simmental bulls receive mineral supplements. At 6 months, the calf should eat 20 g of table salt, 25 g of phosphate. IN summer period Instead of silage and vegetables, the calf receives green grass. Such a diet allows him to gain 400-450 kg in six months. Next, the portion of feed is increased.

When the bull reaches a weight of more than 700 kg, it is put into fattening. During this period, nutrition is not balanced. The duration of fattening is 3 months.

Cows in households and on farms are capable of producing not only healthy and tasty milk, but also meat. An excellent option for those who need both is to choose meat and dairy breeds. One of the most popular among them is Simmental, which has good productivity characteristics. 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 indicators 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 meat and milk (along 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. He 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 everything necessary vaccinations and brand.

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 high percentage survival and disease resistance. At the same time, purchasing dairy cows for maintenance or breeding is quite simple due to their wide distribution in Russia.

The brand name “Simmental breed” belongs only to cows with ancestral species connections with cattle from the Bernese Oberland.

The breed's breeding characteristics were formed from the stock of Gothic cattle as a result of centuries-old interspecific crossing and natural selection.

Steel selection criteria dignity currently existing Simmentals and breed characteristics:

short stature, heavy body with short legs;
milk productivity (60%);
ability to adapt;
flexible disposition;
good health, resistance to diseases.

Breed bred in 84 geographic regions and constitutes a quarter of the number of cattle registered in the registration books.

This type of cow came to our country 2 centuries ago through “advanced” landowner farms, which actively spread this breed in the Tula, Smolensk and Voronezh regions. Simmental cows have become the basis of breeding work to breed highly productive dairy breeds.

Reference: Cattle on the globe are represented by two and a half hundred breeds, for which 3 types of classification have been created. Simmental cows are first in the top ten meat and dairy products.

Characteristics

Visual assessment of the characteristics of a species always begins with the color. Simmental skin is thick, often straw-colored with a pink tint, in large white spots. Less commonly, cows have red-motley sides. Defines color:
- growing climate zone;
- living conditions and food;
- purity of the breed.
The head is large, wide, on a thick (medium length) neck; with sharp light horns (modern Simmentals, even bulls, are more often hornless); characterized by a white or pink nasal planum;
The body is heavy, but proportional, with strong bones; with a deep but wide chest (bulls have a developed dewlap). The height of cows (at the withers) is 1.35, bulls are 10 cm higher;
The withers and muscular wide croup rest securely on straight, short legs. A feature of the species is the “elephantiasis” of the hind limbs;
The cow's udder is large, cylindrical in shape, with noticeable differences in the development of the front and rear parts; nipples are long and wide.

Interesting: The product, which is made in Switzerland from the milk of Simmental cows, also acquired brand status as Emmental cheese. Its circle weighs 75 kg, or even 130. This is the main element of Swiss fondue.

Photo

Photo of the “Simmental” breed of cows:

Productivity

These cows justify their meat and dairy purpose with a profitability of 100%:

Important: In Simmental breeding, you cannot be sure that the next generation will appear without defects in appearance. Interspecific crosses do not lose the characteristics of the breed if the blood level is less than 50%.

Care and feeding regimen

Rules for caring for cattle include:

It is calculated:

according to the old one: for 1 feed unit - 1414 kcal (based on the nutritional value of 1 kg of oats);
according to the new: for 1 ECU (energy feed unit) - 10 MJ of metabolic energy (4.2 J = 1 cal).

For for highly productive animals, feed is selected individually. The diet of Simmental cows consists of:

succulent feed (pasture forbs or seed grasses; silage - crushed fermented mixture; vegetables and root crops);
roughage (hay, straw, waste from threshing cereals and legumes);
grain concentrates (bran, cake, meal);
vitamins (E, D, A), minerals - Ca, Mg, P, Zn, Na, Se, NaCl; Both the deficiency and excess of these elements are important.

Important: In pregnant cows, with an increase in metabolism by 25%, the need for protein increases, which is supplied in the diet by bean hay, silage, and haylage. Excess protein can complicate childbirth.

Health

Cattle have a set of diseases unique to them:

However, for the Simmental breed Only mastitis poses a serious danger, the cause of which may be:

udder defects;
low body height;
violations of milking rules;
udder injuries and infections;
retention of placenta;
endocrine disruptions in the body.

Along with drug treatment, a significant role is played by disease prevention:

prevention of udder hypothermia;
exclusion of injury, infection;
compliance with feeding and care rules.

Simmental cows are a good choice for private or farm. Even crossing with other breeds, they dominate, passing on to their offspring their best qualities of universal productivity.

Useful video

Species features and characteristics of the “Simmental” breed of cows in the video below:

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

If you are an experienced farmer, you probably know very well about the Simmental breed of cows. Farmers who breed cattle always want to get from the animal as much income as possible. In the case of cows, this means maximum milk yield and a large amount of good meat. Fortunately, at present, selectors are working hard and are breeding 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 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 a cow adapts to the local climate, how difficult it is to care for it, and how good its productivity is.

Bulls and cows of the Simmental breed excelled in the three above indicators. For inquisitive farmers and everyone interested, it is probably very interesting where this breed came to us.

Gallery: Simmental cow breed (25 photos)

History of the breed

There is no such consensus on where the Simmental breed of cows originated. There is a version that the ancestors of the Simmentals were wild aurochs bulls, which were once crossed with Helvetian cows.

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