Features of the red steppe breed of cows
Man has been engaged in animal husbandry for a long time. Goats, geese, ducks - the list is endless. But there is a special animal among domestic helpers, which is extremely popular with caring owners and brings them a lot of benefits. This is a cow. Throughout its life, this animal supplies a person with milk, which is incomparable in its composition and level of usefulness with any other product, and after that it is a source of no less useful meat. One of the most common types of domesticated large horned cows is the red steppe breed of cows.
Red steppe breed of cows
What are the origins of the breed
The roots of the appearance of the red steppe breed go back to the end of the 18th century. In those distant times, the Ukrainian lands were part of the Russian Empire, which was actively expanding its borders. One of its new acquisitions was the Tavria Peninsula, known to us today as the Crimea. It was there, in the area of the Molochnaya River, which flowed through the territory of the Tavricheskaya province, that the heroes of this review appeared. The fauna of this territory was not very diverse in the village, so the inhabitants began to breed red-steppe cows.
Due to the rapidly changing political situation in the empire, many peasants began to change their place of residence. The peasants of Tavria were no exception. And it is quite natural that during the relocation to another place, a new red steppe cow also roamed along with the villagers. So on the territory of the Volga region and Donbass, Kherson and Yekaterinoslav, new individuals appeared. Here, breeding was carried out at the discretion of the owners: either within the framework of the species, or by further crossing with local breeds. The homeland of the steppe cow has a hot climate, therefore, in other regions of the Russian Empire, it was not particularly widespread. Inhabitants of other regions in large mass bred offspring of this group or other types of cattle.
What were the cows
It was easy for red steppe cows to get used to life in new conditions, they showed their unpretentiousness in nutrition and maintenance, turned out to be resistant to various types of diseases, but most importantly, they showed a high average annual milk yield, as a result of which, quite expectedly, this breed became very popular among livestock breeders and widely spread not only in Ukraine, but also in many other countries of the world with a similar climate.
As time went on, living conditions and the political situation changed. In 1923, this type of home companion of a rural inhabitant was officially registered in the Soviet Union. Today, the described variety is one of the most popular species in our country. It is most numerous on the territory of Zaporozhye and in adjacent regions of the state. Her milk delights children and adults from all over the world.
In modern conditions, this breed has undergone some changes and, unlike its first representatives, is not only dairy, but also has a powerful muscular body, which is especially appreciated by our compatriots.
What is she like, red steppe?
The general characteristics of cows of the red steppe breed deserves special attention. Initially, the Ukrainian red breed had a number of external flaws. The cows were very narrow-chested, their backs sagged, their rump hung down. In addition, the musculature was not very strong, which gave a meager weight, and individuals of the species suffered from too high legs. By crossing for more than a hundred years, the main disadvantages of the exterior have been practically leveled and now the characteristics of the breed are as follows:
- dairy orientation of the species;
- more developed muscles in comparison with the first representatives of the breed;
- good endurance in relation to high air temperatures;
- strong immunity.
Let us dwell in more detail on the appearance of individuals of the red steppe cow. It was mentioned above that the modern red steppe is the owner of magnificent muscles. And yet, the main purpose of these rural pets is milk production, therefore, experts recommend for butchers to choose other breeds that show higher weight indicators.
The average weight of an adult steppe cow ranges from 470 to 530 kg. A well-fed bull weighs about 740-860 kg. In rare cases, its breeding relative can reach a mass of 1200 kg. It is the low weight that allows females to produce milk productively. Redskin calves are born small and very dependent on their mother.
Detailed description
Large-horned representatives of the genus are animals whose head is rather light, and its shape is sometimes elongated. The chest in individuals is shallow, flat, rarely red. Both the cow and the bull have a narrow, slightly long neck. The red steppe cow is characterized by a long and straight back, sharp withers, powerful and mobile loins. The problem with the breed is a poorly developed backside, which sometimes leads to the appearance of defects, for example, drooping. The legs of the cows of this species are even and strong, so they are very stable on different surfaces and easily overcome obstacles.
The steppe breed of cows has a developed glandular udder that can hold a large amount of milk. The color is mainly red, but sometimes calves are born in a light red and dark red palette. Bulls are usually darker than the female half of the species. The average height of cows of the red steppe breed at the withers is about 125-133 cm.Numerous photos for a more accessible acquaintance with the appearance of the described individual can be found in the public domain on the Internet. A good reason to choose a cattle of this particular breed is a highly developed reproductive function.
Redskin calves are not born very large and are very dependent on the mother. Their weight ranges from 24-33 kg. But with the right content, after six months, the baby grows up to 180 kg.
As for the notorious milkiness of the species, it depends on the place of residence of a particular individual and the conditions of its keeping. Average milk yield is 2500-5000 liters of milk per year. These are quite high indicators, especially compared to representatives of other species, especially since the quality of milk does not suffer from its quantity and gives fat content up to 3.6%. A tribal member of a species, with proper care, can even increase these numbers. In addition, milk from individuals of this species is characterized by high nutritional value, richness of microelements and excellent taste. This means that the breeding of cows of the red steppe breed is fertile soil for any farmer.
Care features
The future owner of a cow of the red steppe breed can be sure that he will not incur high material costs, because most of the individuals are unpretentious.Especially if near the main habitat there is a pasture with grass, which is the main diet of cows. Vegetation is a valuable product from a biological point of view. However, the farmer should pay attention to the fact that in search of a suitable place for grazing cattle, you should not drive the cattle too far.
The fact is that every kilometer of a cow's path can be converted into 1 liter of milk. It is also important to monitor what kind of water your pet drinks. Good lactation is possible with regular intake of clean and fresh liquid. Cows of the red steppe breed have high adaptive properties, therefore they tolerate heat well. But in winter, the optimal temperature for keeping is 10-13 ° C. In this case, the room must be dry, clean, well-ventilated, without drafts. Even in the cold season, experts recommend organizing small cattle walking.
The summer diet of the red steppe cow, as already mentioned, consists of grass and pasture. But for the winter, of course, you will have to prepare a large amount of hay. If urgently needed, one third of the food can be replaced with straw due to the unpretentiousness of the breed. Experienced farmers advise, in addition to the herbal part, to diversify the winter menu of pets with fodder varieties of root crops. It is important to monitor the quality of the food offered to the cow. If it is spoiled or has an unpleasant smell, then you risk getting milk with the same characteristics. To maintain the health of the wet nurse, she must periodically be given multivitamin preparations or complexes. They must contain vitamins A, D, E. To eliminate the sodium deficiency, which may arise as a result of plant nutrition, you can give salt.
Let's sum up
One of the features of the breed is strong immunity - the red steppe breed of cows steadfastly accepts viral attacks. But this is not at all a reason to refuse the standard vaccination of animals against diseases such as foot and mouth disease, anthrax and emkar. Depending on the situation, it is possible to organize preventive measures aimed at combating ticks and gadfly larvae.
In general, the breeding of cows of the red steppe breed is a very profitable business for rural residents, farmers and selection farms. The unpretentiousness, resilience and milkiness of the representatives of the species made the cattle one of the most popular breeds of cattle in the entire post-Soviet space! If you want your farm to have a “productive” cow, the red steppe breed of cows is what you need!