Types and colors of cows in Russia and the world, what cattle looks like, characteristics of breeds

Until the 17th century, the wild bull aurochs, the ancestor of modern cattle, roamed the steppes of Eurasia and the African continent. Domesticated animals have been known since the eighth century BC. In agriculture, female domestic bulls are called cows. They serve as the main source of milk and meat. Depending on the direction, dairy, beef and mixed breeds of cows are distinguished.

General description of the animal

Cattle belong to the mammalian artiodactyl animals of the bovid family.Females become cows after their first calving and lactation. From birth to maturity they are called heifers, and after the first pregnancy they are called heifers.

• height at the withers - 1.2-1.5 meters;
• birth weight - 18-45, sometimes 60 kilograms, depending on the breed;
• the average body weight of adult animals is 750 kilograms;
• minimum weight - 145 kilograms, maximum - more than a ton;
• the body is elongated, with a concave or flat back;
• the coat is short or long, the color is plain, piebald;
• the pelvic bones are thick, protruding on both sides of the tail;
• the tail is thin, with short hair, reaching the hooves;
• the end of the tail is covered with a long bristled brush, which the cow uses to drive away insects;
• legs are straight, thin or muscular, the hind pair are widely spaced;
• the neck is wide;
• the head is elongated, tapering towards the nose;
• the forehead is wide, flat, covered with curly hair, with a straight forelock or open;
• horns are short, long, straight or curved upward at the ends, absent in some breeds;
• the eyes are located on the sides of the head, the pupil is horizontal;
• The ears are oval, flat, velvety on the outside and covered with long hair on the inside.

Cows come in black, white, and gray colors. Animals that are completely red in color are called red. The typical coloration is spotted - white markings on a dark background and black on white, highlighted by white fur on the neck, belly, hooves or tail.

Cow spots are a genetic mutation resulting from domestication. Wild animals have only one color. Among domestic breeds, a single color is also common, usually brown, with a white star mark on the forehead.

The lifespan of cows is 20 years. Sexual maturity occurs at 10 months. They are ready for mating at 18 months. Pregnancy lasts 8-9 months. After the first calving, colostrum appears, which the calves feed on. To obtain milk, cows are milked 2-3 times a day. The lactation period lasts 8-11 months.

Classification of cows

It was the Russian animal scientist P. N. Kuleshov who first proposed distinguishing cows by body type at the beginning of the 20th century. He proved that with the increased development of one system of a domestic animal’s body, others are suppressed. With developed bones and skin, internal organs and muscles are usually depressed. Muscle development inhibits bone and hair growth.

According to Kuleshov’s classification, there are four types of cows:

• rough - powerful bones, muscles, thick skin, large horns, little fat;
• tender - thin skin, collected in small folds at the udder and on the neck, veins and bones protrude on the surface, the development of internal organs prevails over muscles;
• loose - the fat layer under the skin and on internal organs is overdeveloped, which negatively affects overall development;
• dry - strong veins, good blood circulation and digestion contribute to hair growth and milk production.

The four main types are mixed together. For example, animals combine traits of the tender and loose or tender and dry types.

Based on external characteristics, the following areas of cattle productivity are distinguished:

• meat - characterized by a rough and loose constitution, rapid gain of muscle and fat mass;
• dairy - animals of a delicate dry constitution, high milk yields are achieved due to the digestion of large amounts of food and active blood circulation in the udder;
• mixed - combines the characteristics of the rough and dry type, quickly builds muscle mass and produces a lot of milk.

The meat-dairy type has exterior defects that reduce the value of the meat: due to the deflection of the back, the amount of pulp decreases, and there is no fatty layer in the meat. Pure beef cows produce marbled meat with thin stripes of fat. Mixed cattle are often raised to produce milk. Classification of domestic cows by origin:

• purebred - bred through selective selection;
• outbred - animals without signs of belonging to a specific breed, local livestock;
• decorative - with an unusual appearance, bred for beauty.

Based on the length of the coat, short-haired and curly-haired breeds are distinguished. Felt and felt boots are made from cattle pile.

Popular cattle breeds

Over the centuries-old history of agriculture, more than three hundred breeds of domestic cows have been bred. Local farm animals, draft animals and purebred foreign ones were crossed. As a result, new varieties were obtained with improved milk or meat productivity, more adapted to life in harsh climates and unpretentious in nutrition.

Dairy direction

The most popular domestic breeds are:

• Holstein;
• Jersey;
• Ayrshire;
• Dutch;
• brown Latvian;
• Tagil;
• red steppe.

One cow produces 4500-7000 liters of milk per year. Aboriginal breeds are famous for their high milk yields:

• palsho;
• Yakut;
• Carinthian;
• Ukrainian gray.

Aboriginal cows are those that have been raised since ancient times in different countries of the world. They also include red steppe, popular in Kazakhstan.The Mongolian breed was raised by the inhabitants of medieval Central Asia - the Dzungars.

Meat breeds

General characteristics of beef cows:

• muscularity;
• massiveness;
• small udder.

They provide milk, but in limited quantities, for the offspring.

Popular varieties of beef cattle:

• Hereford;
• Aberdeen Angus;
• Charolais;
• limousine

The Belgian Blue and Piedmontese breeds show a large increase in weight. Cows are distinguished by giant, sculpted muscles that stand out under their thin skin. Muscle hypertrophy developed as a result of a genetic mutation.

But cow meat turns out to be tender, without fat streaks, and with a high protein content.

Dual use

Mixed cattle breeds differ from meat and dairy cattle in their versatility. They produce high volumes of milk and show rapid weight gain. One of the indicators may prevail. Popular combined breeds:

• Simmental;
• Swiss;
• Kostroma;
• Bestuzhevskaya.

The volume of milk produced per year is 3500-5000 liters. During fattening, the weight reaches 1,500 kilograms, and 65 percent of the carcass is sold. Mixed breed cows produce marbled meat without streaks. Curly-haired Highlands are also considered a mixed breed. The Scottish breed produces meat that is low in cholesterol, rich in iron and protein, and improves the health of the meadows.

Calf, bovine and cow leather is used in the production of outerwear, shoes, gloves and haberdashery.

Rare and decorative

Some breeds of cattle are notable not for their productivity, but for the size of their horns, color, or miniature size. The main ones:

• The Dexter is the smallest breed in Europe, originally from Ireland. Height does not exceed a meter due to short legs;
• galloway - called belted, since the dark body is crossed across by a white stripe; bred in Scotland;
• Texas Longhorn - the length of their horns reaches 1.8 meters, the color is red and white, they are used for riding;
• plush - decorative cows bred in the American state of Iowa, fluffy calves look like toys;
• Highland - Scottish cows with long hair belong to the meat industry; thick bangs protect the eyes from rain and snow;
• Watussi - African red cows with huge arched horns; refer to dual focus;
• White Shorthorn is an elite British beef breed that is on the verge of extinction.

The smallest cow in the world is the sacred Indian zebu. In adulthood, it reaches the size of a farm calf.

What breeds are popular in Russia

The choice of varieties of cows that are bred in our country is due to their ease of care, adaptability to temperate and northern climates and high productivity.

The most popular breeds, their description and orientation are shown in the following table:

In Russia, dairy and mixed breeds are the most common. They maintain high productivity even with dietary deficiencies.

Meat breeds require large amounts of succulent food all year round. Diet deficiencies have a negative impact on weight gain.

Recommendations for selection

The orientation of a cow can be determined by external signs. High milk production is indicated by a large cup-shaped udder with swollen veins. A dense build, a straight back and a small udder are signs of a meat breed. When choosing a dairy cow, it is important to consider its age. High productivity is observed from two to six years. To check the age of a cow, look at its teeth. From the age of five, the incisors begin to wear off. The more they are worn out, the closer the animal’s age is to ten years. Old cows have visible gaps between their teeth.

It also matters what kind of lactation occurs: milk yield increases from the second or third, and decreases from the fifth. Before purchasing, you need to check the quality and fat content of the milk. The color of a cow does not affect productivity, but is also one of the selection criteria.

Names of main colors:

• black;
• white;
• brown;
• Dark red;
• yellow.

Cow breeds are distinguished by color and build. For example, the white Shorthorn is easily distinguished from the Jersey variety, which is characterized by a red color. Important criteria when choosing meat breeds are fatness and fattening ability. In a well-fed animal, the skin stretches well, and the fat layer is felt underneath, but in a starved animal, it does not fold. Animals with a short, wide body, thin bones and thick skin are prone to rapid weight gain.

When examining a cow, pay attention to its character. If the animal is calm and interested in a stranger, it will be easy to care for. It is difficult to approach a restless cow to milk it. She can kick dangerously with her back hoof. A well-groomed appearance indicates the health and high productivity of cattle. In the absence of regular cleaning, cows' milk yield decreases.