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How much milk do Simmental cows produce? Simmental cows

Brand name " Simmental breed» belongs only to cows that have 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 farming. 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:

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Meat and dairy types of cattle are the most popular. These include the Simmental breed of cows. It was developed in Switzerland and has a number of advantages. Simmentals quickly get used to different living conditions and are highly productive, which is why farmers choose them.

Breed Features

Description of the Simmental breed of cows: large, muscular body. The height of an adult at the withers is 150 cm. An adult cow weighs 700–800 kg, a newborn weighs 40–50 kg, and a one-year-old calf weighs approximately 440 kg.

The body is proportionally built, they have a wide body and a large head. The nasal planum has a light pink tint. The chest is deep (65-70 cm), wide (45-48 cm), has a large girth; bulls have a more developed dewlap. The body is straight and wide. The udder is round in shape, the skin is thick and elastic. They have red and white coat color on the head, the belly and udder are usually light. The wool is thick and pleasant to the touch. Both sexes have white horns.

There are many farms in Russia where this breed of cattle is raised. The price depends on productivity and age. These cattle are bred for both meat and milk. Cows and bulls of the Simmental breed that are not capable of reproducing offspring are sent to slaughter.

Advantages

The heifers have a calm, easy-going character and a highly developed maternal instinct. The first calving occurs at 28-30 months, childbirth is usually easy and quick, complications are rare. A newborn calf quickly rises to its feet.

Positive characteristics of the Simmental breed:

not picky about food, eats straw without losing weight or density.
high milk yield;
early puberty;
high immunity.
young animals grow much faster than other breeds.
Both cows and bulls have strong limbs, their hooves do not wear out for a long time.
live about 15 years.

Milk contains a lot of protein and solids. It is used to prepare different types cheeses

Productivity increases as you get older, in the first 4 years it is:

4166 kg, fat content 4.15, protein – 3.4%;
4663 kg, fat content 4.18, protein – 3.35%;
4971 kg, fat content 4.19, protein – 3.32%;
5056 kg, fat content 4.13, protein – 3.29%.

With good care, the quality of milk yield will be high. A herd of cows produces 6-8 thousand kg of milk per year, fat content from 4.13 to 5.52%.

Simmental calves are easy to care for and can gain up to 1.5 kg of weight per day. The advantage of the breed is that it quickly adapts to different climatic conditions.

Flaws

improperly developed hind limbs;
sagging back;
disproportionately developed udder.

The Simmental cattle breed is not demanding in terms of care and diet. The cows eat regular feed and produce high milk yields. They also love fresh air, so in warm weather they are left to sleep in the yard under a canopy.

Diet

The diet is the same as other cows. In winter they eat hay, and in summer they eat fresh grass. Add additional food from vegetables and animal feed. In order for productivity to be higher, it is important to create a varied diet that will correspond to the season and the physiological characteristics of the animal. Diet and menu:

succulent and concentrated feed;
rough food;
vitamins D, A, E and minerals.

The main fattening for the Simmental breed of bulls and cows is hay and straw. In the cold season, hay is a source of calcium, carotene and other instant vitamins. The most useful food is made from legumes and cereals. Straw is also being added to the menu. The highest nutritional value is found in barley, oatmeal and millet. In summer, cows eat grass in the pasture. It contains a lot of carotene and calcium, is easily digested and absorbed by the body.

Thanks to the combination of green food and walking in the fresh air, the cow’s body becomes stronger and in the future she will give stronger offspring. Livestock's need for vitamins and minerals is provided through special feed:

Haylage. Feed made from leguminous grass, dried to 45-50% humidity. The composition contains a lot of protein and no sugar.
Herbal flour. It is produced in a special way that helps preserve carotene.
Fattening must contain all the substances necessary for the animal. The health and productivity of the cow depends on its quality.
Simmentals are fed 2-3 times a day, but to their fullest. After each meal, there should be food left in the manger. Young corn should not be given.

Cowshed

Diseases

According to the characteristics, the Simmental breed of cows is resistant to many diseases, only mastitis for heifers is dangerous. The disease manifests itself in the first 5 months of life.

Causes of the disease:

improper milking;
udder injuries;
retention of placenta;
endocrine disruptions.

Signs of mastitis are redness and swelling of the udder, fever, and the animal begins to shift from foot to foot during milking due to pain. The fastest and effective way cure the disease. these are antibiotics. But they should be given only during the dry period, otherwise the milk will be unfit for consumption. To cure mastitis faster you need to:

exclude contact of a sick cow with the rest of the herd;
give only dry food;
milk three times a day.

The mammary gland of a sick cow is washed with a decoction of nettles and salted water. After each milking, a light massage is performed, movements are directed from top to bottom. This will speed up the removal of pus and stagnant masses. Catarrhal or fibrous mastitis is treated with clay applications. To prepare them you will need:

red or white clay;
plantain;
yarrow.

A decoction is prepared from herbs and mixed with clay. Then the udder of the Simmental is lubricated and the medicine is left overnight. In the morning, rinse thoroughly with warm water. The healing properties of clay eliminate pain and swelling, and herbs have an antibacterial effect. With this disease, massage does not give a positive result.

A special gel containing aloe juice helps to quickly relieve inflammation and cure livestock. It is injected into each milking via a syringe applicator. It is important that it is sterile, otherwise complications may arise.

Prevention

Simmental cows and bulls need prophylaxis to prevent the occurrence of mastitis:

keep the milking machine sterile;
change the cow's bedding on time;
provide a balanced menu.

It is necessary to maintain immunity with the help of medications. The first few days after calving, the calf can independently suck milk from the mother. After 3-5 days, the cow is given drugs that prevent mastitis: Uberol, Mastiprotect.

Every experienced farmer is familiar with Simmental cows. Many pastoralists prefer such animals because of the desire to increase income at minimal cost. For short time Simmentals are capable of gaining a lot of weight and also producing large amounts of milk. They highlight the result of many years of work by breeders, combining the best qualities of beef and dairy cattle.

It is known that the Simmental breed is one of the oldest breeds on the planet, which appeared in Switzerland and for centuries were grazed in the beautiful Alpine meadows along the banks of the Simment. Over time, they spread across the European continent and gained worldwide recognition. . After widespread popularization over breed Leading breeders began to work, wanting to improve its qualities and characteristics. Currently, Simmentals are one of the most popular and profitable breeds that are found throughout Russian Federation, but the largest number of individuals is concentrated in farms ah Central Chernozem regions.

Origin story

When choosing the right breed cows for home keeping, as well as developing a business selling milk and meat, a beginning farmer should take into account a number of important aspects:

Can an animal adapt to new climatic conditions?
Are there any difficulties in home care?
What is the productivity of the animal?

Simmental cows and bulls exhibit all three characteristics, making them an excellent solution for promoting a home farming business.

The exact date of appearance and homeland of the breed, unfortunately, are unknown. However, many scientists They are of the opinion that the ancestors of Simmentals were wild aurochs bulls, which were once crossed with the Galloway breed of cows.

However, some European researchers put forward a different theory, believing that representatives of the breed were brought to Switzerland from the Scandinavian Peninsula, where the current breed characteristics were formed. This happened somewhere in the fifth century AD, however, there is no exact confirmation of such data. The breed is often called Bernese, which is associated with the first mentions of cattle grazing on the banks of the Berne River.

Already in the 19th century, several individuals were brought to Russia, where after some time they became the best and most productive animals in five regions of the former USSR. It is no secret that Swiss butter has always been of the highest quality - the same applies to the milk from which it was made. Nevertheless, the Swiss paid special attention to the quality of the meat product. For centuries, Simmentals were grazed in clean air and fed with lush mountain grass. As a result, it was possible to develop an excellent breed that produces delicious milk and high-quality beef.

Gallery: Simmental cow breed (25 photos)

Characteristics of the Simmental cow breed

To expand your understanding of the breed, you should carefully study its main characteristics and advantages.

This variety is generally classified as powerful, large and muscular. Cows have muscular legs, which are necessary to easily support such an impressive weight. The head is quite large, and the horns are slightly curved. The neck is of medium length and goes into a wide and strong chest.

Bulls have a characteristic muscular dewlap. They also have a long and thick tail, at the end of which there is a fluffy tassel.

The description of the breed mentions the following characteristics:

Among distinctive features the following are distinguished:

Productivity

Productivity indicators can be divided into three groups:

Yield.
Amount of meat.
Calving.

Milk production reaches 3−5 tons of natural product during lactation. The exact indicators are determined by the area where the animals are bred. Over 15 years of life adult cow produces about 52 tons of milk with a fat content of 4%. There were cases when it was possible to achieve a better milk yield of 6 tons of milk with a fat content of 5.5%, as well as 8 tons of a product with a fat content of 5.5%.

As for the amount of meat, already one-year-old bulls weigh about 400 kilograms. Almost every day they gain from 1 to 1.5 kilograms of mass. The taste of the meat is excellent. It is very soft, non-greasy and tasty, with a characteristic coarse fiber structure. One cow produces about 55% meat. The same figure for bulls reaches 65%. Due to their rapid growth and ability to quickly gain weight, representatives of the breed can become a very valuable source of beef.

Puberty period

Puberty comes very quickly. Heifers give birth to their first offspring at the age of 2.5 years. A little more than a year passes between each calving. Childbirth takes place easily and with virtually no human assistance. And because of the excellent maternal instinct of cows and very tasty milk, calves grow very quickly. A few hours after birth, they try to stand on their feet, and soon they independently move to the udder.\

Advantages of the breed

When searching for descriptions of the breed, you can find many advantages that are characteristic only of these amazing creatures. The only disadvantage mentioned is the high content of bones in the meat. Advantages:

How to keep Simmental cows at home

If you intend to breed cattle on your farm, pay attention to a unique variety of cows - the Simmental breed. These animals do not require special conditions for keeping and breeding. It is enough to graze them in the meadow and milk them in a timely manner. As for the frequency and duration of milking, such parameters are determined taking into account individual characteristics.

After the birth of the offspring, the young cow is milked approximately twice a day. Older individuals require three or even four milkings. Try to adhere to a clear regime - this will avoid many troubles. The cow will learn to be punctual and will return home on her own at milking time, trying to drag the rest of the herd along with her. Simmentals can be milked manually or using special milking machines.

IN summer period cows can be kept in the fresh air practically around the clock. The main thing is that they have somewhere to hide during possible precipitation. To do this, you should build a special canopy. In winter, cows should be provided with a warm barn with good ventilation. It’s okay if other domestic animals are placed in the building - cows do not conflict with them.

When caring for cattle, carefully inspect them for fleas and lice. For prevention purposes, the entry of infected individuals into the pen should be limited. Most often, fleas attack young calves, so they need to be examined especially often and carefully.

Important features of care and breeding

Although there are no serious difficulties in caring for these representatives of the cattle breed, some subtleties still need to be followed.

The first calving occurs at 2.5 years, with the interval between births exceeding 12-14 months.

For every day of life, the animal gains up to 1 kilogram of weight, so it needs to be fed abundantly and efficiently. In order for fattening for meat to be successful, it is important to properly create a menu. The diet of Simmentals should include boiled corn, which is mixed with water. Among the important components of a proper diet are hay in the amount of 1-2 bales per day, as well as mixed feed - 2-3 kilograms per head. In addition, animals need to be fed succulent feed, root vegetables and cake.

Due to their unpretentiousness in choosing food, raising calves is not difficult. Small creatures quickly adapt to new conditions and do not require complex care.

The speed and productivity of growth is determined by many factors. If care follows the established rules, the calf gains about 1 kilogram of weight in one day. As for calving, it occurs very easily and without complications. Mortality rates are below average, so breeding success is very high. The birth rate is very high, with a high percentage of twins occurring.

Conclusion

It is not difficult to buy representatives of the Simmental breed of cows. In the Moscow region alone there are several dozen private farms that sell not only dairy and meat products, but also calves, cows, and young bulls.

Simmentals are a very popular breed of cow, which is very popular and loved by many farmers. This is due to many advantages that are characteristic only of these animals.

Today, Simmentals are raised for both meat and milk. For the first purpose, young bulls, less than one year old, are used, as well as old cows, incapable of reproduction.

Attention, TODAY only!

The Simmental breed of cow is one of the first that experienced farmers will recommend to you if you are clearly concerned about breeding cattle and want to get a cow that gives a lot of milk and meat. Many people 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 create such a breed still remains 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 these people have clearly done a lot for the development of this breed of cows.

Initially, people selected cows that could survive the harsh conditions of the highlands. Until the 18th century, the Simmental breed was strong and hardy, but small, with not the most high percentage productivity. However, because of her tenacity, people took notice of her. At the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries, it began to spread and gradually became widespread.

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

In the 20th century, breeders from many countries simultaneously worked to improve this breed. This led to the emergence of several intrabreed types of cows, making it the most diverse breed. In the USSR, breeding specialists also studied 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 decreased greatly. On at the moment there are 2.5 million heads. This represents almost 15% of all cows existing in Russia. In addition, today this breed is bred in countries such as Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Ukraine.

Types of Simmental cow breed

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

Dairy. Specially created types of cows for dairy production.
Mixed. Such cattle have good meat, but the taste and quality of the milk is still a determining factor.
Dual purpose. Here there is the following division: cows give good milk, bulls give meat.
Moderately meaty. This type focuses on meat characteristics. Cows have a more well-fed physique.
Radical meat. The cows have a stronger constitution, but are comparable in quality to other common beef breeds.

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

Meat types of Simmental breed

Such breeds are more common in Russia. It is believed that they can produce both good meat and high-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 either better meat or milk. Therefore, you should be more observant here: if a cow does not have a lot of milk, but gives birth to strong calves, then it is better to leave this particular individual for meat purposes.

The calves usually grow into large, strong bulls. Some of them sometimes weigh more than a ton. This requires only a balanced diet. If you feed your calf a low-calorie diet, they won't gain much weight.

Dairy types of Simmental breed

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

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

Description of the breed

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

Cows also have a high 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.

Appearance of Simmentals

Simmental cows have a large head, wide in the forehead area, a large back, developed muscles and a round udder. They reach a length of 170 cm with a height of up to 145 cm. Weight can vary - from 540 to 660 kg. Bulls are much larger and can weigh up to 1.2 tons. In the first days of life, calves weigh around 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 heads of all cows are always the same color - white. There are also black colors, but they are not common here. This is more typical for the USA, where the black color of Simmental cows is 80%.

Features of raising cows

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

Calves can be fed as natural method, and artificial. If you decide to give the calf to suckle with its mother, then after birth it should be left with her. On this diet he can live up to 10 months. If you decide to artificially feed your baby, he should be placed in a separate pen at birth.

To ensure that the cow produces a lot of milk in the future, experienced cattle breeders recommend switching cows to grain early. The Bulls are introduced to him a little later. They can be suckled for several years and show no desire for other food.

Feeding heifers

As mentioned above, bull calves can remain on suction for a long time without the need to switch them to dry food. For heifers, everything is different - they need to be accustomed to food early. Below we present a calf feeding table.

Table 1. What should calves receive in feed?

Indicators	0-1 month	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 IU	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 pacifier, this set should be individual for each calf.
	Step two: Stir cow's milk replacer according to instructions or pour expressed mother's milk into a bottle. Place the teat on the bottle, then offer it to the calf, squeezing a little of the mixture onto the teat so he can taste and smell it.
	Step three: Once the calf has eaten, record the time of feeding and the amount of milk the animal consumed. The older the calf is, the more milk it will drink.

Productivity of Simmentals

Over the entire milking period, Simmental dairy breeds can produce more than 5,000 liters of milk. But this is only an average. The largest milk yield was more than 10,000 liters. Mixed cows produce much less milk. For them, this figure varies between 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 amount of milk

Meat breeds of cows also make good progress, despite the fact that there are much meatier breeds. Already in the first days of life, Simmentals have a good weight (about 50 kg, which already characterizes them as cattle). At the age of six months, calves already reach 200 kg in weight. With a balanced and plentiful 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 the summer, Simmentals can be under a canopy, or even spend the night in the pasture. In winter, of course, a warmer room with ventilation will be needed.

Calving usually proceeds calmly and without special effort. No additional help is required; the cow gives birth on her own and recovers in a short time. Calves, as already mentioned, are born in excellent health, low level mortality and increase rapidly even with artificial feeding.

Cow nutrition

The diet is quite simple. Grass is suitable in summer, hay in winter. In addition, it is worth constantly feeding the animal with vegetables and animal feed. Since these cows are heavily muscled and have a large frame, they need plenty of nutrition.

More attention should be paid to this in winter, when cows do not receive the required amount of nutrients on their own. You should also add boiled corn to your diet. In the summer, animals graze on pastures with great pleasure, but they don’t 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 feed. It contains all the elements you need to be productive.

Pros and cons of the breed

Each breed has its own advantages and disadvantages. Now we will analyze them based on the Simmental breed.

Advantages of the breed:

Great activity and good appetite.
High level of immunity.
Quick adaptation to a wide variety of conditions.
They differ from other breeds in their calmness and patience.
It is convenient to feed on pastures, as the cows eat feed.
High fertilization rate, which makes it possible to short term significantly increase the rows of cows.
Easy and quick birth.
Calves are born healthy and there is virtually no mortality.
Calves are also unpretentious in food and living conditions, like their parents.
Huge amount of milk and good taste characteristics.
Good predisposition of the breed to improvements in the selection process.
A high percentage of fat content, which allows you to prepare good dairy products (sour cream, butter, cottage cheese, cheese).

Disadvantages of the breed almost impossible to detect. They occur very rarely and only in the following manifestations:

Possible incorrect positioning of the legs, disproportionate udders or arching in the back.
There may be a large number of bones in the meat.

Prospects for breeding Simmentals

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

Now there are already more improved both meat and dairy breeds of cows. They are rather specialized in one area. The popularity of universal cows, which includes the Simmental breed, is now greatly reduced. Nowadays, cattle breeders give preference to new breeds of cows, which, although more demanding in care, are more productive.

However, there are those who are still breeding Simmental cows because they can produce a large percentage of both milk and meat, without requiring much effort in care and maintenance. This is mainly common in households. Despite its fallen popularity and some disadvantages, the Simmental breed still remains one of the best universal breeds that are capable of producing good productivity.

Video – Simmental breed of cows, exhibition

They have been breeding cattle for centuries; in particular, they keep cows not only on private property, but also breed them on an industrial scale. Cows with meat and dairy productivity were especially popular; animals of this type produce high-quality milk with a fairly high percentage of fat content and meat with excellent taste.

The Simmental breed of cows is one of the best among all meat and dairy cows. Keeping such animals in your own backyard is quite profitable, because these animals regularly have high milk yields, and the young animals are distinguished by early maturity and quickly gain body weight, so by six months Simmental bulls gain up to 170-180 kg, and at this age they can already be sent to slaughter

About other positive qualities of these cattle, breeding and further care- all this will be described below.

Description of the Simmental breed

The homeland of this breed of cattle is Switzerland, but there are no specific facts about how it was born. It is only known that this breed was raised by Celtic farmers more than 15 centuries ago. These tribes lived on the territory of modern Switzerland; they had well-developed agriculture and cattle breeding. The animals were bred in the Simmental Valley, which is why the breed is called that. During the breeding process, breeders sought to obtain animals that would feel comfortable on high mountain pastures and would have high milk production. However, more than 14 centuries passed before the Simmental cow began to produce really good milk, and its milk became so rich that it made very tasty cheeses.\

Simmental cow breed

But all these centuries, representatives of this breed of cattle were distinguished by their strong body build, with milk productivity below average. But these animals had high immunity, were unpretentious to living conditions and care, so they were often used for breeding work in order to improve the characteristics of other breeds, as well as to create new ones:

Bulgarian red;
flexie;
Montbéliarde;
Hungarian Pied and many others.

And only in the 19th century, after long and serious work, breeders managed to increase the milk productivity of Swiss cows of this breed without compromising the quality of dairy products. And about a century and a half ago, Simmentals were brought to Russia. For decades, Russian (and then Soviet) breeders carried out work to improve some of the qualities of these animals. In particular, work was carried out on their acclimatization in different regions countries. Currently, the Simmental cattle breed can be found in many regions of Russia, as well as in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine.

The Simmental bull was used by breeders from different republics of the Soviet Union to develop new breeds of cattle, as well as to improve the productivity and other qualities of modern cows.

Simmental bull

Since at present the productivity of this livestock is both meat and dairy, therefore the conformation of the cows is appropriate. Farmers primarily raise these individuals for meat, with milk production coming in second place. Although adult representatives of Simmentals are not tall, their body is so massive that from the outside these animals seem very heavy and huge.

The height at the withers of an adult Simmental bull is 1.37-1.48 m, and the oblique length of the body is 1.62-1.64 m, and cows of this breed are 10-12 cm lower than males. The chest is quite wide and deep, the dewlap is good developed The back is flat and straight, its width is greater than average. The withers, not well defined and smoothly turning into a powerful scruff, are almost invisible.

The small head extends into a short but muscular neck. In bulls, the neck muscles are so developed that they are very similar to a hump. The thickness of the neck from the top of the crest to the larynx is equal to the length of the head. The lumbar region and sacrum are straight, the same size as the back. The powerful and long tail reaches the lower parts of the limbs. The limbs are small in size with well-developed strong muscles, the legs are placed correctly. The cow's udder is small, round, almost cup-shaped.

Interesting! The traditional color of Simmentals is red: from solid to piebald.

Other color options can vary from light shades of red to dark brown. The spots of piebald color can be insignificant or occupy almost the entire body, behind which the main color is practically invisible.

The disadvantages of the main breed standard include:

sagging back;
the chest is smaller than a certain size;
the hind legs are positioned incorrectly;
the anterior lobes of the udder are less developed than the posterior lobes;
fatty udder.

Important! An adult bull (over 5 years old) is aggressive, so you should be careful with it. If such a male is left for breeding, then a ring must be inserted into his nasal septum.

Characteristics of the Simmental breed of cows

Weight of representatives of the Simmental breed:

cow weight - 540-920 kg;
bull weight - 840-1320 kg;
newborn Simmental calves can weigh from 33 to 44 kg;
with proper fattening, by six months the young animals weigh up to 210-225 kg;
by the year the weight difference between bulls and heifers is more than 90 kg;
the weight of young animals per year is 235-345 kg;
with a properly formulated diet, a calf can gain 0.8-1.0 kg per day.

One-year-old bulls and culled females can be sent to slaughter.

How much milk can an adult cow produce? It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously - on average, milk yield from one female can range from 3.4 to 4.9 tons of milk per year. If a cow is milked correctly, she can produce up to 5.9-6.1 tons.

Important! To increase milk yield, cows should be given more succulent feed, and her drinking bowl should be constantly full.

The average fat content of milk is 4-5%, and the maximum is up to 5.9-6.1%.

Breeding and general rules for caring for the Simmental breed at home

Caring for the Simmental breed

Since individuals of this breed have grazed on high mountain pastures for centuries, they have endurance and good adaptation to any climatic conditions. Calves are usually born with high vitality, with a survival rate close to 100%. This is facilitated by high-quality mother's milk with a high percentage of fat content.

Most often, the calf is left next to its mother for up to 8-9 months, gradually introducing adult food into its diet.

Owners of heifers begin to accustom them to grain crops earlier so that their rumen develops more effectively. But bull calves can be suckled for up to 10 months without compromising weight gain.

But in general, breeding and rules for keeping Simmentals do not differ from the rules for keeping other meat and dairy cattle breeds.

Disadvantages and advantages compared to other breeds

The main advantages of the breed include:

Aggression of adult bulls

The obvious disadvantages include the aggressiveness of adult bulls. A special feature of cows is the possibility of problems arising during the first calving: newborn calves are quite large, so you need to be close to the cow during the first birth.

This breed can be divided into representatives of a meat orientation and meat and dairy. And it is difficult to say at birth what the young animals will be like in the future.

Livestock breeders note that cows are distinguished by their intelligence and calm disposition, remembering well the time when they will be milked or fed. The diet should usually contain fats (preferably animal origin), proteins and carbohydrates.

If possible, with the appearance of the first grass on the pastures, it is better to turn these animals out to graze - this way the owners can save on feed, and the cows’ milk production will sharply increase on lush grass. But it is better for a shepherd to graze a herd of Simmentals near a pond so that the cows do not feel thirsty.

Simmental cows produce a good yield of tasty fatty milk and high-quality meat. Thanks to these qualities, animals occupy a leading position among meat and dairy cattle breeds.