The choice of livestock for a farm depends on the direction in which a person plans to work. Dairy cows are purchased if the owner of the herd is interested in the production of milk and dairy products, since they are record holders for milk yield. A review of dairy cattle breeds will allow you to decide which cows you should have on your own farm.
Features of the dairy sector
Dairy cows are distinguished by their calm disposition, graceful form, and developed digestive system. The muscles are less pronounced than in meat and meat and dairy breeds. Their main task is to produce large volumes of milk. To do this, they must receive a lot of succulent food. The animals are unpretentious, they do not need large walking areas, and the livestock does not wander off to the pasture.
A typical representative of the dairy sector is a cow, characterized by the highest adaptability to various types of milking machines, convenient for manual milking, and a productive individual.
Fat sour cream, delicious cottage cheese, butter - this is not a complete list of products that a small herd of dairy cattle and even one cow can constantly provide their owners with.
The amount of milk yield is influenced by:
- heredity;
- animal breed;
- age of the cow;
- quality of food and care.
Milk yield increases from the 2nd calving, reaches a maximum after the 5th, then, after the 8th calving, it begins to gradually decrease. A cow is considered old after her 10th calf, some animals remain productive up to 13-15 years.
Important: it should be borne in mind that the quantity of products and their quality directly depend on the nutrition and living conditions of the animals.
Dairy breeds include animals with tub-shaped and cup-shaped udders and a minimum of fatty tissue.
Best breeds
Dairy and meat and dairy cows are kept on private farmsteads. The latter produce less milk, but its fat content is higher, and the yield of meat at slaughter is greater.The list of the best includes dairy and universal types of cattle.
Jersey
Dairy cow breed with British roots. Brought out in the 19th century. The weight of heifers is 400-450 kilograms, bulls are larger, up to 750 kilograms. Daily milk yield is up to 30-32 liters of milk with a high (5-8%) fat content of the product.
These compact, abundantly milking red cows with cup-shaped udders are unpretentious in keeping and easily adapt to heat and cold.
Ayrshire
Scottish dairy cows. The animals are hardy, stocky, reddish-red with white spots. Heifers - up to 500 kilograms, bulls - up to 800. They tolerate frosts well, are unpretentious in maintenance, and are resistant to diseases. Productivity characteristics:
- milk yield – 7000-10000 liters of milk per year;
- milk fat content - 4-4.8%;
- meat yield - 50%.
Popular in Finland and Russia. These cows live up to 20 years while remaining productive.
Heifers are mated at 1.5-1.7 years. Cows calve easily and are ideal for machine milking. The breed is popular in the Novgorod region and northern regions of Russia.
Black and white cows
Representatives of the domestic breed. Animals with a powerful physique and black and white skin color. There are 3 subspecies of the breed, depending on the region of content: Ural, Siberian, Central.Heifers weigh 600-650 kilograms, bulls - up to 1 ton. Milk yield – from 3500 to 8000 liters per year.
High-yielding black-and-white cows are most common in Russia. Calves are active, strong, with excellent survival rate.
Simmental
The oldest representatives of meat and dairy breeds come from Switzerland. Stocky animals with large heads. The color is light red with white spots. The weight of heifers is 600-650 kilograms, bulls - 800-1000 kilograms. When choosing a dairy Simmental, you should pay attention to the size and shape of the udder. It should be large with prominent veins and smooth, widely spaced nipples. Milk yield is about 5000 liters of milk per year.
Under poor conditions, the breed is prone to degeneration. When care and milking errors occur, mastitis develops.
Yaroslavl breed
Large animals are black in color with white spots on the face, around the eyes, and on the stomach. Yaroslavl breed cattle are bred to produce milk. Milk yield is from 3000 to 5500 liters per year. Milk with excellent taste and fat content of 4-4.3%.
Yaroslavl cows are common in different regions. Animals are easy to acquire. They are adapted to Russian weather conditions.
Kholmogory cows
A large universal milk-producing cow, producing 4000-6000 liters of milk per year. The color is black with white spots; black and red and white individuals are rare. Bred in the 19th century in the Arkhangelsk province. A distinctive feature is the crooked legs of the animals. The weight of heifers is up to 600 kilograms, bulls weigh 1000-1100 kilograms. Bred in the Non-Black Earth and northern regions.
Due to their impressive size, animals need spacious stalls. You should pay special attention to your feet; the hoof joints often become inflamed on hilly hills.
Dutch
The oldest dairy breed of cow. By crossing these animals with local breeds, the Kholmogorok, Yaroslavl and Black-and-White breeds were obtained. The animals are large, with a proportional build, high milk and meat productivity. Annual milk yield is up to 5000 liters. Meat yield – 55-60%. The weight of heifers is about 600 kilograms, bulls – up to 900 kilograms. The animals are white with large black spots. A distinctive feature is the white belt along the body in the area of the shoulder blades.
Dutch cows considered one of the best dairy breeds in the world. Dutch cattle are bred in many countries.
Finnish breed
Dairy productive cows. The number in Finland is 1% of the country's total population. Milk yield – 6000-6500 liters per year, milk with a fat content of 4.4%.
Brown Latvian
Compact dairy animals make up 90% of the dairy cattle population in Latvia. The skin is of different shades of brown. Modern cows produce 4500-5000 liters of milk per year, with a fat content of 4.4%.
The biggest disadvantage of the breed is its congenital predisposition to leukemia. Animals should be carefully selected and purchased from trusted producers.
Tagil subspecies
Meat and dairy breed of cattle. Most common in the Urals. Obtained from crossing local animals with Kholmogory and Dutch breeds. The weight of heifers is 450-600 kilograms, depending on heredity, bulls are 800-1200 kilograms. Delicious meat, high quality milk.
The milk yield of cows depends on their nutrition during the growing period. A cow gives more milk if she is well fed from childhood. Animals are consistently productive for up to 15 years.
Red steppe
A breed of cows characteristic of the warm southern regions. Large animals with a uniform red-brown color. The weight of heifers is up to 500 kilograms, bulls - up to 900. Productivity indicators are 4000 liters of milk per year. With quality care it reaches 5000.
Animals of the red steppe breed are unpretentious; they need walking and active movement so that the livestock does not stagnate.
Holstein subspecies
Large animals of black and white color. Rarely found red-and-white cows. Milk yield is up to 8500 liters per year, increasing sharply in warm climates. Milk fat content is 3.7%.
Dairy animals of the Holstein subspecies are bred in the southern and central regions and used for meat and milk.
Comparative analysis of dairy cow performance
When choosing animals for your own backyard or farm, you need to pay attention to the shape and condition of the udder, performance indicators, and the appearance of the cows.
| Breed of dairy cows | Amount of milk per year in liters | Product fat content |
| Ayrshire | 7000-10000 | 4-4,8 % |
| Jersey | 4000-4500 | 6-8%, reaches 9% |
| Finnish | 6000-6500 | 4,40 % |
| Kholmogorskaya | 4000-6000 | 3,90 % |
| Dutch | 5000 | 4,10 % |
| Black and white | 5000-8000 | 3.7% comes to 4% |
| Simmental | 5000 | About 4% |
| Brown Latvian | 4500-5000 | 4,40 % |
| Yaroslavskaya | 3000-5500 | 4,40 % |
| Red steppe | 4000 | 3,5-3,8 % |
| Tagilskaya | 3500-4000 | 4- 4,2 % |
| Holstein | 7000-8500 | 3,70 % |
The Jersey breed has become a leader due to the high fat content of its milk. It is used for the production of cheeses and cream. The Finnish breed is difficult to acquire; there are few such cows even in their homeland - Finland.
Which breed is better to choose?
When choosing a cow, you should take into account the weather conditions in the region. Pay attention to the fatness, condition of the udder, gait, and hooves of the animal. You should buy purebred animals from trusted producers who are ready to provide documents for the livestock. Animals must be vaccinated.
Of course, the selection of purebred productive livestock is a complex and costly matter. However, the expenses quickly pay off; animals, with proper care, bring high profits. The profitability of dairy production is one of the highest among various livestock sectors.
