Simmental breed of cows
The Simmental breed of cows belongs to one of the oldest species, its ancestors appeared in Switzerland already in the 5th century.
Simmental breed of cows
About the Simmental breed
Cows of the Simmental breed went through their development in several separate stages, ending by the second half of the twentieth century. The Simmental breed of cows has become widespread, thanks to its unique ability to quickly acclimatize. She became the genetic material for breeding other cattle, among which the Bulgarian red cattle, the motley Hungarian representatives, the red-motley Slovak animals, the monbéliard and flekvie stand out.
In Russia, the Simmental breed began to be bred, starting from the 19th century. Today, more than 35 domestic regions are engaged in its breeding. The price of the Simmental cows starts from 100 thousand rubles.
The development of the Simmental breed was facilitated by the desire of the Swiss to obtain a source of high-quality raw materials for cheese making - milk, as well as no less high-quality beef. As a result, the strength of breeders was directed towards improving cattle in both directions.
The emerging Simmental cattle was named after its place of origin - the valley of the Bern River (Simma), therefore these cows are often also called Bernese.
The development of the Swiss cattle took place in the natural conditions of alpine meadows and mountain air, thanks to which the unproductive Simmental breed began to give good indicators of meat and dairy production.
Exterior standard
Animals of the Simmental breed are distinguished by a rough, strong proportional physique, reaching up to 1.35-1.4 m at the withers, growing in length to 1.6-1.65 m.In developed limbs, the girth of the metacarpals reaches 20 cm.
Adult heifers gain weight of 0.55-0.65 tons. Bulls weigh more: from 0.9 to 1.2 tons. The maximum weight indicators are set at 0.87 tons for heifers and 1.3 tons for bulls. In addition to these common characteristics inherent in animals from Switzerland, the characteristic of the Simmental breed of cows includes distinctive breed characteristics:
- the head of cows and bulls is distinguished by a wide frontal bone,
- the chest is deep enough, in bulls it ends with a developed dewlap,
- the dorsal region is wide with a raised sacrum,
- muscle mass is well developed,
- Simmental skin is thick and durable,
- the udders of heifers are often rounded with large nipples.
From a photo of a Simmental cow, it is immediately noticeable that the color of the suit in the description of the Simmentals is predominantly fawn, sometimes there are fawn-colored animals and representatives of cattle from the genus of Simmentals painted red with a white head.
Simmental performance
The Simmental cow breed is characterized by an optimal combination of milk and meat productivity, productivity indicators (how much meat and milk are produced by cattle) and productive qualities (fat content and proteins) directly depend on the region in which the cattle are raised.
Indicators of milk yield from simmentals are about 3.0 - 3.5 tons of milk.
In the central black earth part of Russia, absolute records have been set for milk yield from Simmental cows: about 10-12 tons of milk with a fat content of 3.9 to 4.85%.
In terms of meat productivity, Simmentals have established themselves as a breed with a high rate of weight gain during the entire growth period.
Sexual maturity of Simmental heifers begins at 2.5 years. By this age, a Simmental cow is able to calve, and childbirth takes place practically without complications. Calves of the Simmental breed are large: one calf weighs on average from 44 to 46 kg, increasing its weight by the age of 6 months at least 4 times.
It is easy to raise young animals, as the animals are viable, do not require increased attention and the creation of exceptional conditions for growth and development.
To justify the financial investment, farmers recommend feeding newborn Simmental bulls. While in a stall, they can add up to 1.0-1.1 kg in weight.
An adult Simmental cow at slaughter produces up to 55-56% of meat, from Simmental bulls, the slaughter yield is greater - up to 65%. Beef has a high calorie content, coarse fibers and moderate fat content up to 12%.
The attractiveness of simmental breeding
For the purpose of breeding, reviews of domestic and foreign farmers distinguish this type of cows from other representatives of cattle, due to the advantages of animals. In the absence of obvious disadvantages, the advantages include:
- simultaneously highly developed qualities of 2 directions of production: dairy and meat,
- pickiness in the feed of both adult animals and young calves,
- a long period of milk feeding of young animals, which reduces farm costs for fattening calves,
- intensive growth of newborn animals and their easy adaptation to housing conditions,
- insemination of heifers can be done both naturally and artificially, while calving takes place without complications.
- good breeding qualities of productivity, which can be genetic material, giving, when crossed with other cattle, high productivity in the dairy or meat direction.
In addition, farmers note the calm nature of the animals, their good health and obedience. All of the listed advantages prove that the bulls of the described breed are an excellent choice and should be started.