Montbeliarde cows are elite cattle originally from France. The popularity of Montbeliards among farmers is explained by their versatility, endurance and unpretentiousness. These horned representatives of cattle can quickly acclimatize and adapt to the conditions of any climate. Another advantage is increased meat and dairy productivity. The Montbéliarde breed is quite rare: there are about 2 million animals in the world.
History of the origin of the breed
The targeted breeding process began in the 18th century. Farmers in Switzerland and France wanted to breed a new breed of cows, the representatives of which would be distinguished by their durability and productive qualities. For this purpose, Swiss outbred cows were crossed with representatives of motley, Charolais and other breeds. Selection work lasted for a hundred years.
Montbeliards were officially presented in 1889 at a French exhibition. In the same year, individuals were included in the official list of farm animals. These cattle representatives were first kept in the mountainous regions of France. Later, the breed spread across all the world's continents.
Habitats
Individuals of the Montbéliarde breed can be found in every corner of the world: from Californian dairy farms to the green meadows of Ireland. The highest concentration of heads remains in France among cheese farmers. Montbéliardes also live in African countries. For example, in Chile there are about 3,000 representatives of the breed.
Cows are exported to different countries. Most often, farmers purchase Montbéliardes to improve the quality of their existing livestock. Less often - for breeding a pure breed without impurities. The cost of an adult sexually mature animal ranges from 100,000 rubles. Montbeliarde cows are successfully kept and bred in different regions:
- Regions of the Middle East.
- European states.
- Canary Islands.
- Brazil.
- China.
Description and characteristics of Montbeliarde cows
Representatives of the Montbéliarde breed are easy to recognize because of their striking external characteristics. The average size of an adult is 1.5 meters high at the withers, body 1.6 meters long. The weight of a bull reaches a ton, a mature female – 600-650 kilograms.
Montbéliardes have a unique coloration: milky white belly, red-brown spots on the back, light hair on the head.
Appearance
The correct body build and original coloring made Montbeliards frequent heroes of advertising videos. Cows have smoothed lines of the body, their spine does not stand out. The shoulder blades fit evenly, the back is straight, and the legs are massive. Coat of cows dense, short. Other Montbeliarde breed standards:
- Large head sizes. The shape is round, slightly widened in the eye area.
- Symmetrical muzzle.
- Montbéliarde bulls have a pronounced dewlap.
- Mature Montbeliarde cows have larger than average udder sizes.
- At the end of the tail there is a characteristic fur tassel.
Milk productivity
A female Montbéliarde breed produces 7500-9000 liters of dairy products per year. The duration of the lactation period is 305 days. The peculiarity of milk is its constant composition, a high percentage of protein in the composition, and a stable level of fat. These are ideal indicators for cooking higher grades of cheese.
Meat characteristics
Montbeliarde cows have strong immunity; they are also able to digest even the roughest food. This has a beneficial effect on the quality of meat. The net yield per head at slaughter is at least 68%. At the same time, the meat is juicy, has little fat and a lot of animal protein. Montbeliarde cows are economically profitable to breed, as they quickly gain weight (average monthly gain is 45 kg).
Description of Montbeliard meat:
- Uniform scarlet color.
- No veiny areas.
- Delicate pronounced aroma.
- The back part is premium meat.
Advantages and disadvantages
Among the advantages of the Montbeliarde breed are high-quality tasty meat and milk, endurance, and unpretentiousness.Cows have a low percentage of somatic cells - this significantly reduces the risk of developing mastitis. Individuals are distinguished by easy calving and a high percentage of fertilization.
Keeping and caring for animals
Warm, spacious rooms are suitable for montbéliardes. Minimum area barn for a female with a calf – 18 square meters. The suitable height of the barn is 2-3 meters. A strict division into zones is required: feeder, stall, toilet. 10% of the area should be allocated to windows; lighting is required in the barn. It is advisable that during the winter months the air temperature in the barn does not drop below -10 degrees. To protect the walls, they are insulated with sawdust and slag. Suitable humidity level is 40-70%. Ventilation is recommended.
Cleaning is carried out in the morning and evening. Manure is cleaned into equipped channels or carried out in buckets. After cleaning, a new flooring is laid, and hay/straw is added throughout the day as it gets dirty. Cows' drinking bowls and feeders are cleaned and washed before each new filling. General cleaning and disinfection measures are carried out monthly (treatment with aqueous formaldehyde solution 2% and similar compounds).
Feeding and watering
It is recommended to give Montbeliards balanced food with a high content of microelements. Individuals should be fed 2 times at equal intervals. For dairy cows this figure increases to 3-4. Montbeliards' favorite delicacies are fresh, juicy greens, mixed feed, corn cobs, plant tops, and hay. Animals should always have open and free access to drinking bowls with clean water.
Newborn Montbeliards are given boiled water after the first 7 days of life, and by the third week of life they completely switch to purified or raw water. Already at 6 months, young Montbeliards eat the same as adult cows. The calf diet should contain corn silage, fresh juicy vegetables, and a variety of rot-free root vegetables. Hay with coarse fibers is also useful for young animals to stimulate the digestive process.
How to breed the breed
The seminal fluid of Montbéliarde bulls is used for artificial insemination of cows of this or another breed. The process occurs in 2 types. This is absorption crossbreeding - combining different breeds to increase low-productivity indicators. The second type is variable fertilization of Montbéliardes. The goal is to breed highly productive offspring.
Sexual maturity in Montbeliards occurs at 9-12 months. Cows do not have a specific breeding season; mating occurs throughout the year. The pregnancy of a female Montbeliarde lasts 280-285 days, ending with calving. Usually 1 calf (20-50 kg) is born, less often - twins. After calving, the lactation period begins: the mother feeds the young for 1-3 months, then the calves are transferred to self-feeding.
Frequent illnesses
Montbeliarde cows have good immunity. But with improper maintenance and lack of basic conditions, there is a risk of infection with infectious pathologies, including:
- Necrobacteriosis or hoof disease is purulent-necrotic processes on the skin, mucous membranes and internal organs of the cow.
- Leptospirosis - pathogens affect internal organs and the central nervous system, the process is accompanied by severe intoxication.
- Actinomycosis is a fungal infection of tissues and organs with the formation of characteristic lesions on the body of a cow.
- Brucellosis is a disorder of the functioning of the reproductive, nervous, skeletal and cardiovascular systems of the cow.
If you notice the first alarming symptoms, you should immediately seek veterinary help. The farmer should be alert to a decrease in milk volume, apathy, partial or complete refusal of food, and an increase in the cow’s general body temperature. Detection of the disease at an early stage is a guarantee of successful and rapid therapy. In most cases, the animal can be completely cured.
The Montbeliarde breed of cows belongs to the “elite” category. Individuals are distinguished by their meat and dairy versatility, which is suitable for both small farms and entire factories. The breed is widespread on all world continents. Features and advantages of Montbeliards - unpretentiousness, endurance, immunity. But suitable housing conditions and good care are a guarantee of high milk yield and tasty meat at the end.
