The black-and-white breed of cows has long been used in the countries of the former CIS. Farmers everywhere choose this breed for its unpretentiousness, endurance and high milk yield. Cows are distinguished by their good-natured disposition, and their meat has high taste characteristics. The black-and-white cow will be an excellent choice for a beginning, inexperienced farmer.
Origin story
The breed was first bred and described in the early 40s of the 20th century. Crossbreeding of local cattle with imported ones was carried out bulls of Dutch and Swedish breed. Additionally, lines of Friesian black-and-white cattle were introduced. After the final formation of the type of constitution, animals with a red color were removed from the stud book and only black-and-white ones were left.
The breed was officially recognized only in the early 1960s. It was widespread in the Ukrainian and Belarusian USSR, but is now gradually being replaced by imported foreign breeds.
Breed habitats
The main breeding areas for black-and-white cows continue to be the countries of the former Soviet republics, including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Young animals - bulls and heifers - are well adapted to temperate climate conditions and can withstand even harsh winters on meager food. The productivity of a commercial herd with abundant feeding reaches 5,000 thousand liters of milk per year. Only cows with a characteristic color are entered into the stud book.
Description and characteristics of a black-and-white cow
The breed is medium in weight and milk production. Adult cows reach a weight of 500 kg, and breeding bulls weigh more than a ton. The direction of breeding is dairy, but if necessary, young animals can be raised for meat. The meat is tender, not tough, and low in fat. The herds make good use of pastures and gain weight even without the use of concentrated feed.
The breed is undemanding to environmental conditions. During the winter, cows grow thick hair that allows them to survive harsh winters. Already at two years old, the cow is completely ready to begin mating and receive milk, so the breed is considered precocious. The weight of calves at birth is 50-60 kg.
Advantages and disadvantages
The breed cannot be called ideal: like any fruit of selection, it has its pros and cons.
Selection is underway, both in Russia and Ukraine, to bring the breed to a single standard, as well as to increase milk productivity. For higher milk yields, it is recommended to cross cows with Danish and Dutch bulls origin.
How to properly maintain and care for
Caring for black-and-white cattle is no different from caring for other cows. The barn should be clean, dry and bright. Natural light prevails. In winter, artificial lighting should be turned on at least 6 hours a day. Animals adapt well to the off-season and grow hair, so you can alternate between grazing and tethered housing.
It is advisable to combine succulent and concentrated feed. New grass should be introduced into the diet carefully - grazing is gradually increased from several minutes to several hours. Cattle are particularly sensitive not to cold, but to drafts. Therefore, cracks and holes in the barn must be sealed with heat-insulating material.Dairy cows undergo regular veterinary examinations, especially if milk is sold for sale. It is prohibited to sell uncertified products.
Diet
The diet of the parsley depends on the physiological state of the animal. The owner must regulate the supply of food throughout the year. Dairy cows need a large amount of protein, so the percentage of hay, bran, and cake is increased in their diet. In summer, you can switch animals to alfalfa, clover, and forbs. The more varied the diet, the more the need for nutrients and minerals is satisfied. Therefore, it is recommended to add fresh vegetables - beets, carrots and turnips.
Calves are introduced to solid food as quickly as possible. This increases weight gain and also saves more milk for sale. At first, hay and feed are mixed in equal proportions to a homogeneous, semi-liquid mass and fed to the calves in a bucket. Gradually the mixture is made more and more solid, and in the end only hay is left.
Breeding specifics
The main goal of breed selection is to improve milk and meat productivity. To make the calf large and hardy, it is recommended to cross cows with representatives of the Dutch or Friesian breed. The main selection is purebred, so the main value is for breeding animals without any admixture of foreign blood. Stud books are open, but only blood from the breeds listed above is allowed.
Inbreeding, or closely related mating, is used only in experimental breeding farms. On commercial dairy farms, inbreeding can lead to a sharp drop in productivity and mass death of calves.
According to the theory of selection, bulls should be improvers, and cows should be improved animals. Therefore, the bull must meet all breed standards, have the correct weight and constitution; have good health, endurance and unpretentiousness, and most importantly, surpass a cow in all of the above qualities. There is no point in crossing a first-class cow with a poor bull just for the sake of producing milk - such breeding greatly degrades the class of the breed and, ultimately, leads to losses.
Diseases and prevention
Pieds are disease resistant, but there are common ailments among cows that every farmer should be aware of. Pathologies often develop due to violations of the technology for preparing and delivering feed. Cows have a complex digestive system, so any low-quality food is bad for their health.
Esophageal blockage occurs when a cow is given pieces of root vegetables that are too large for her to chew.
Food gets stuck in the esophagus and causes excessive salivation, anxiety, and refusal of food and water. The signs are bright and difficult to miss. The only help in case of blockage of the esophagus is to immediately call a veterinarian, and then grind the food before giving it.
Another common pathology is scar tympany. The rumen is one of the sections of the cow's stomach. Due to improper feeding, the stomach becomes full of gases and causes severe pain. The reasons are grazing on wet grass, overfeeding, and giving fermented milk products to calves. Before the veterinarian arrives, you can alleviate the animal’s condition - massage the stomach, smear the tongue with a small amount of creolin or tar.
Typical signs of disease in cattle are lethargy, refusal to feed, and elevated temperature.Normally, the temperature in the animal’s rectum is 38.5-39.5 degrees. An increase indicates poisoning, allergies or the onset of an inflammatory process. The condition of the animal can also be seen by other external signs. A healthy cow stands calmly, eats or chews cud, the muscles are not tense, the coat is thick and shiny.
Deviations from the norm should make the farmer wary and call a veterinarian. Care and proper nutrition are the key to an animal’s longevity and high milk yield. The pestle can provide the owner with a milk yield of 5-6 thousand liters.
