Description and characteristics of red-motley cows, their contents

The youngest agricultural breeds of milk-producing animals are represented by the red-motley breed of cows. They were the result of crossing Simmental and red-and-white Holstein breeds. The purpose of breeding is to enhance the characteristics of each representative. The breed was officially included in the stud book in 1998. Selection work is still ongoing.

Origin

As an independent species, the red-and-white cow has existed for just over 20 years. To improve the performance of each breed, genetic breeders crossed Simmental bulls with Holstein cows for 20 years, constantly improving and consolidating the results obtained.

Officially, red-and-white cows were recognized in 1998, which was confirmed by the inclusion of the breed in the stud book. This breed is very popular both among amateur farmers and large agricultural farms.

Appearance and productivity of the red-and-white breed

Breed characteristics:

Although the color is called red, the natural color is brown, with large white spots distributed unevenly. Adult cow weight reaches 700 kg. The height at the withers at 2-3 years is 142-146 cm. The animals are rather weakly muscled, but the existing muscles are strong and elastic. This is worth paying attention to when choosing and subsequently purchasing livestock.

The red-and-white breed is valued not only as a dairy breed, but also as a meat breed. The yield of beef from a young bull is 55.8%, from a cow – 54%.In order to obtain such values, you need to correctly create a diet for cows and adjust it from time to time.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Holstein Red-and-White breed has many advantages:

1. High milk yield with the right diet.
2. Long reproductive period.
3. Animals quickly adapt to any climatic conditions.
4. Young individuals develop quickly.
5. Cattle are unpretentious in food.
6. The udder of most representatives of this species is cup-shaped, which is most optimal for manual and mechanical milking.

The red-and-white breed of cows has no disadvantages.

Subtleties of keeping and caring for animals

The level of care and living conditions directly affect such indicators as milk yield. In order for cows to feel as comfortable as possible, seasonal conditions must be taken into account.

Summer playground

During the summer, animals must be provided with round-the-clock walking. A fenced paddock or part of a field is suitable for this. Its size should be calculated based on the number of cows in the herd - at least 22 square meters should be allocated per head. m. A shelter must be installed in which animals can hide from strong winds, rain or scorching sun. There should be water and special feeders available in the public domain.

Arrangement of the premises

The barn room should be made of brick. In order for it to maintain a comfortable temperature in winter, it is necessary to take care of insulation and protect it from drafts. The room must be treated with special fire-fighting agents. The floors are made of wood. Ventilation should ensure constant air circulation inside the room.

Conditions of detention

The air temperature in the barn should fluctuate between +7...+21 degrees, air humidity should not exceed 65%. If during the warm season the ambient temperature goes beyond the upper value, livestock milk yield may decrease.

For good productivity, animals must be provided with long daylight hours. This can be achieved thanks to large windows and working artificial lighting.

Regular cleaning of stalls and equipment

Cow stalls should be cleaned twice a day – early in the morning and late in the evening. Individual buckets, drinking bowls and plastic feeders must be carefully treated to remove food debris and other contaminants. Once a week the litter is partially replaced, and once a month it is updated “to zero”. Once every six months, the premises are thoroughly cleaned using disinfectants.

Preparing for milking

Before milking, you need to prepare both the animal's area and the cow itself. You need to remove all dirt from the stall and add bedding if necessary. After this, you need to perform a massage - brush off dust and dirt from the cow, move and fix the tail, wipe the udder with warm water and a clean rag, dry and thoroughly massage all the lobules.

It is very important that the hands and clothes of the person doing the milking are clean and smell good.

Diet planning

Nutrition depends on several factors - the time of year, the region where the cows live, the age of the cow and its period of life.

In summer

In summer, preference is given to succulent green food. For 1 adult animal there should be at least 8 kg of forbs and 13 kg of beets. The diet includes melons. On average, 1 adult cow eats about 80 centners of feed per year.It is important to ensure that cows go out onto green pastures well-fed. Eating greedily grass can cause bloating, diarrhea and colic.

in winter

In winter, cattle should receive the following types of feed: succulent, roughage, concentrates. Per 100 kg of live weight there is about 1.8 kg of feed. During the day, the cow should receive wheatgrass hay, forbs, silage and haylage, and mixed feed for milk yield. It is very important to ensure that the feeding schedule does not change. Deviations from it are permissible within 8-12 minutes. Disruptions in your eating schedule can dramatically reduce your milk supply.

Water

1 adult should drink at least 45 liters of clean water per day. If the cow is pregnant, this figure doubles. Cold water can cause problems with the stomach and intestines, so before drinking, the water is warmed to room temperature.

Nuances of breeding

The maturation period of cows lasts from 12 to 15 months. After this, offspring can be obtained from them for 12-14 years. The weight of the animal must be at least 320 kg, otherwise the offspring will be weak and will not survive.

Estrus in red-and-white cows occurs once every three weeks. In winter it lasts 8-10 hours, in the summer months - 11-12. If there is a need to resort to artificial insemination, it must be done twice - directly during estrus and 10 hours after its end.

Diseases, their prevention and treatment

The main problem faced by farmers raising red-and-white cows is udder disease. This is especially common during calving. The cow's udder is swollen, hyperemic, its temperature is slightly higher than the general temperature of the animal.

Cracks that arise as a result of improper care of animals and violations of milking technology are treated with special fatty creams, for example, “Burenka”, “Zorka”.

If the animal's stall is poorly or rarely cleaned, pathogenic microorganisms accumulate in the litter, which provoke inflammation and numerous boils. They must be treated with an alcohol solution of iodine and ASD 3 fractions in a 1:4 dilution.