We study the breeds of cows by photos and descriptions
In order for heifers or bulls to meet the expectations of the breeder, it is not enough to acquire the first animals that they like. It is necessary that the breeds of cows selected for the farm are adapted to the climate in a particular area and to be raised in a private backyard.
Descriptions and photos of cow breeds, the most demanded and popular in Russia and neighboring countries, will help to determine the choice and learn more about the existing varieties.
All breeds of cows, of which there are several hundred in the world, are divided into three types: meat, dairy and meat and milk. Russian diversity is much less. The number of breeds found in the country is limited to seven dozen, with most of them being dairy cow breeds. This choice has developed historically. The short summer in many regions and the cold winter, which deprived the cows of the juicy forage they needed, prevented good gains from meat animals. The cost of keeping animals in the cold season made the products much more expensive than other early maturing types of meat.
Although today dairy cow breeds in Russia are still popular and simply necessary, many farms, using foreign experience and their own developments, have begun raising modern meat animals.
Dutch breed of dairy cows
Cows and bulls from Holland were the ancestors of such breeds known today in Russia as Kholmogory, black-and-white. Even now, animals are actively used in breeding and selection work in many countries of the world.
Dairy cows are extremely popular in Europe, and over the past century, thanks to tireless selection, animal productivity has increased significantly. Dutch cows in black and white color have become more compact, muscular and hardy.
For a calendar year, a cow gives up to 4.5 thousand liters of excellent milk containing up to 4% fat.
Representatives of this breed of cows mature quickly, adult bulls can reach a weight of 1200 kg, and cows - 800 kg. Calves are born with a weight of about 35–40 kg, but every day they are becoming heavier, increasing by 800–1200 grams.
Simmental breed of cows
Switzerland has become the homeland of more than one of the breeds of cows, which is not surprising given the excellent natural conditions of this country, an abundance of lush alpine grasses and a fairly mild climate. The meat and dairy breed of cows, called the Simmental, has perfectly taken root not only on the fat Swiss slopes, but also in Russian conditions.
Cows of the Simmental breed are quite unpretentious, easily adapt to various types of feed and therefore can be easily kept in backyard private farmsteads. The animals are distinguished by good milk yield, giving an average of five thousand liters per year, and excellent milk quality, the fat content of which is close to 4%. Record-breaking cows even have milk yields of 12 thousand liters. Milk productivity is not the only plus of the cow breed. Being versatile, animals provide the owner with good lean meats.
The weight of an adult well-fed cow is about 600 kg, and that of bulls is more than 800 kg.
In Russia, Simmental cows can be found in the southern regions, for example, in the Black Earth Region, in the Saratov and Rostov regions.
Ayshir breed of cows
The dairy breed of cows originally from Scotland has an enviable endurance and excellent productivity. Not having such an outstanding weight as many of its modern relatives, the red-and-white Ayshir cows consistently produce more than 5 thousand liters of milk with a fat content of up to 4.2% per year. Acclimatization works best in temperate regions where animals will not be exposed to the exhausting summer heat.
A distinctive feature of this breed is rather large lyre-like horns even in females. Animals have a wide chest, wide-set straight legs and a slender short neck. Harmonious physique with mildly expressed muscles immediately gives out the milky orientation of the breed. Animals are early maturing and can give birth as early as two years of age.
Jayser breed of cows
Another dairy breed of cows from Great Britain is considered one of the oldest, but over the years of its existence, it has not lost its relevance. These are Jersey cows, famous not so much for their abundant milk yield as for their record fat content of milk, reaching up to 7%. This quality of the product initially negatively affected the distribution of animals in the world. British lawmakers have banned the export of cows from the country, so as not to mix the breed with others. But gradually the severity of the ban weakened, and animals appeared on the farms of neighboring and distant states.
The spread of this breed of cows was facilitated by its unpretentiousness and successful acclimatization in a variety of conditions, including arid regions and the tropics. Cows are distinguished by light bones, small heads, long bodies and large cupped udders. The color of animals is most often brownish or brownish. Red and white markings of different shades are acceptable.
The weight of an adult bull does not exceed 700 kg, while females are 150-200 kg lighter. Jersey cows are not bred for meat.
Holstein breed of cows
Dairy Holstein cows were not obtained in Europe, as it might seem, judging by the name of the breed, but in the New World. Breeders of the USA and Canada took the black-and-white variety of Dutch animals as a basis and over a hundred years have greatly changed it, making it the most widespread in the world.
The characteristics of the Holstein breed of cows include the average annual milk yield of about 7-8 thousand liters of milk, a relatively low fat content of 3.7%. At the same time, animals are distinguished by high rates of milk flow up to 3.5 liters per minute.
Modern Holsteins are large bulls and cows weighing up to 700 kg, growing up to 1200 kg. Dairy cows have a large, long body, deep chest and strong straight back.
Among dairy cows in Russia, Holstein cows occupy one of the leading places, which is facilitated by their own breeding farms, which supply excellent healthy livestock that can meet any expectations of a farmer or owner of a private backyard.
Swiss breed of cows
Highly productive meat and dairy Swiss breed of cows obtained in Switzerland. These are animals of predominantly brown color, with thin skin and thick short hair. The body of tall large bulls and cows is long, the back is straight and strong. The characteristics of the breed include a wide chest, a short, dense neck and a short head with a straight profile and small dark horns. Adult cows grow up to 600 kg, bulls can weigh up to 950 kg.
Cows of the Swiss breed are distinguished by excellent health, quick acclimatization and early maturity. However, the proper results from animals can be achieved only with appropriate care and a well-chosen diet. Good quality meat and up to 5 thousand liters of milk are obtained from livestock per year.
Black and white breed of cows
Dutch cows and local animals became the ancestors of the black-and-white variety bred in the Soviet Union. Dairy cows are widespread throughout Russia and are second only to representatives of the red steppe breed and Simmental cows in terms of the number of livestock. Due to the popularity of the breed on the territory of the country, several types of black-and-white cows have developed, having a common origin, but adapted to different living conditions and keeping. So, for example, the Ural cows are very different from the Far Eastern tribesmen, and the Central Russian ones from the cows grazing in the southern regions of Russia.
The black-and-white breed of cows stands out for its high milk productivity, but the meat qualities of animals are not in last place. Like all close varieties with Dutch roots, black-and-white animals of domestic selection are inherent in:
- long body;
- wide back;
- rather large size.
Record milk yields of black-and-white cows can reach 18 thousand liters, but the average cow per year gives more than 6 thousand liters of milk with an average fat content of about 3.5%.
Today, Russian breeders are trying to get animals to increase productivity and get a fatty product demanded by the consumer.
Kholmogory breed of cows
Among the dairy breeds of Russia, cows of the Kholmogory variety are known to almost everyone who is at least a little familiar with animal husbandry. The domestic Kholmogory breed of cows was obtained in conditions that are not too favorable for raising cattle. However, the Arkhangelsk breeders managed to create a variety not only adapted to harsh conditions, but also characterized by excellent milk yield and decent milk fat content, reaching 4%.
On average, a Kholmogory burenka, which is well looked after and properly fed, gives more than 6 thousand liters of product per year. At the same time, adult females weigh about 550 kg, and bulls grow up to 800-950 kg. Animals of this breed have strong bones, well-developed muscles, medium-sized chest and wide rear. The volumetric udder speaks of the dairy orientation of cows.
Yaroslavl breed of cows
Yaroslavl cows, considered one of the best among domestic dairy varieties, are distinguished by:
- predominantly black color;
- amazing ability to adapt to a variety of living conditions;
- excellent production performance.
In comparison with meat and dairy and, moreover, meat relatives, Yaroslavl cows cannot impress with well-developed muscles. They are angular and rather small. Dairy cows have a maximum weight of only 500 kg, while bulls grow up to 800 kg. At the same time, milk from cows of the Yaroslavl breed can have a fat content of more than 4.5%, which is an excellent indicator for Russian animals.
Kostroma breed of cows
The meat and dairy breed of cows that appeared in the century before last became the successor of the lines of Yaroslavl, Shvitsky and Algaus cows. In the Soviet Union, the Kostroma breed of cows was registered and adopted for breeding in 1945. These are large, mostly gray-brown animals, whose strong constitution and weight, in bulls up to 1200, and in females up to 800 kg, immediately speak of the possibility of obtaining not only excellent milk, but also meat.
Average annual milk yield is 4.5-6 thousand liters with a fat content of about 4%. The cows bring high-quality offspring, perfectly adapt to different feeds and conditions of keeping.
Today animals of this breed can be seen in farms of many regions of the central part of Russia, as well as in the Republic of Belarus.
Red steppe breed of cows
For the southern regions of the country, animals are needed that can easily tolerate not only the hot dry summer, but also keeping them on pastures that are not too rich in fresh grass.This breed is the red steppe variety, which rightfully occupies the second place in popularity both in large farms and in small private farmsteads.
The red steppe breed of cows can be recognized by their characteristic bright color, ranging from light to dark red. In some cases, cows have white markings, often clustered on the lower part of the body, on the limbs or on the head. The dairy appointment of animals is indicated by their relatively small weight, up to 550 kg in cows, and also not very good musculature development.
A cow usually gives from 4 to 6 thousand liters of milk per year, and the record holders are almost twice this level. Today, work is underway to increase the fat content of milk from cows of the red steppe breed, as well as to improve their constitution.
Hereford breed of cows
The meat breeds found in Russia include the Hereford variety of cattle. A characteristic feature of this breed of cows:
- unpretentiousness, surprising for powerful animals;
- fast growth;
- excellent consumer properties of juicy meat with small fat layers.
The Hereford breed of cows is one of the most popular in the world and is valued, among other things, for its calm, controlled disposition, quick acclimatization and the ability to consume a variety of feed.
The weight of large cows with a wide chest and straight back reaches 650 kg, bulls grow up to 1000 kg.
Belgian blue cow
The beginning of work on obtaining cows of the Belgian blue breed was laid back in the 18th century in Belgium. Then it was assumed that animals will be universal and, along with meat, will provide owners with quality milk. But starting from the century before last, cows were regularly crossed with Charolais bulls to improve the meat quality. Since the middle of the last century, a new type of animals has been formed, in which a spontaneous mutation has been fixed, causing an accelerated growth of muscles.
With insufficiently massive bones, a long body and short legs, cows reach a weight of 1000 kg, and bulls are one and a half times more massive.
The color, as is clear from the name of the Belgian blue cow, is mainly gray, almost white, brown. Stains of different shades and sizes are possible.
Overdeveloped rear muscles prevent the cow from freeing itself from the burden; in young animals after 6 weeks of age, when the formation of muscles begins, problems with the limbs are possible. Therefore, the farmer needs to consider these features of the breed of cows and be ready to solve them.