The meat and dairy industries of agriculture are narrow-profile areas that are dealt with on an industrial scale. Animals provide only milk or meat, but show high productivity. The meat and dairy sector is a mixed specialization. Livestock producing milk and meat are raised on private farms for their own needs. Before purchasing, you need to learn more about the breeds of meat and dairy cows and in what areas they are bred.
Features of the direction
The productivity of dual-purpose cows may differ in favor of meat or dairy products, and defects in conformation reduce the quality of meat. Differences between meat and dairy cows and narrow-profile cows:
- versatility;
- unpretentiousness in nutrition;
- maintaining productivity in cold climates.
Meat and dairy breeds can be crossed with narrowly focused ones.
The best meat and dairy cows
Domestic farms most often raise 10 meat and dairy breeds.
Bestuzhevskaya
The breed appeared in the 18th century in the village of Repyevka on the farm of the breeder Bestuzhev. Local cows were crossed with Shorthorn, Dutch and Simmental breeds. The resulting individuals were distinguished by an elongated body, larger size and strong bones. Color - all shades of red, including cherry, with white spots on the belly, head and chest.
The animals are highly reproductive and unpretentious in care and feeding. Valuable meat is obtained from cows with a straight, wide back. Disadvantages of the exterior classify the Bestuzhev breed more as a dairy type. It is bred in its homeland - in the Ulyanovsk region, as well as in farms in the Samara and Penza regions.
Krasnogorbatovskaya
The breed was bred in the Nizhny Novgorod region as a result of crossing local and Tyrolean cows.The crossbreed has a strong and dense build. Color: cherry red. The Krasnogorbatovskaya breed is primarily a meat breed.
The Krasnogorbatovskaya breed is bred on farms in the Nizhny Novgorod, Ivanovo and Vladimir regions.
Kostroma breed
The dual purpose variety of cows was approved after the end of the Great Patriotic War. She was raised on the Karavaevo farm. The Yaroslavl, Swiss and Algaus breeds were used in the selection. As a result, individuals with a wide body, powerful skeleton and prominent muscles appeared. The wool is colored in light and dark shades of gray. Kostroma cows are a highly productive breed.
Kostroma cows are adapted to the harsh climate and increase their milk yield on cheap coarse feed.
Schwyz breed
The ancestors of Swiss cows are local Swiss and short-horned ancient Eastern livestock. As a result of selective selection, the Swiss breed arose with voluminous loose muscles, a wide chest, a shorter body and large horns. The coat is colored in a light gray shade; dark brown color is less common. The back from withers to tail is lighter than the sides and belly.
Females have underdeveloped udders, so milk is expressed at a rate too low for milking machines - 1.3 liters per minute. Schwyz cows need free grazing in the summer in fields sown with legumes and red clover. Therefore, for adequate nutrition, you will need to organize an artificial pasture. The diet should also include hay, silage, fresh vegetables and bran, as well as a sufficient amount of water.
Farms in the Tula, Bryansk, Smolensk, Nizhny Novgorod regions, as well as the Krasnodar Territory, are breeding the Swiss breed.
Simmental breed
The name comes from the Simmental Valley, where the breed was developed from Swiss and Scandinavian cattle. Russian breeders crossed foreign animals with local cows and raised regional modifications of the breed - the Ural, Far Eastern, Siberian, Volga. The color is fawn, mottled with a red tint, with a white tip of the tail, light horns and hooves.
Females are ready for mating in the second year of life. The daily intake of dry food for Simmentals is 7 kilograms, and succulent food - 4 kilograms. Pregnant and milking cows require more food. Simmental breed distributed in the Urals, southern Siberia, and in all regions of the European part of Russia, except for the northwestern district.
Caucasian brown
The homeland of cows is the Caucasus, and their ancestors are Kostroma, Lebedinsky and Swiss. The animals are distinguished by their strong build and brown color.
Caucasian cows give birth to up to three calves in their offspring. The Caucasian variety requires grazing on artificial pasture with wheat, rye and alfalfa in mountainous areas. Therefore, it is common in Dagestan.
Arautskaya
The Kazakh breed is characterized by a strong build with short legs and a brown color.
The Araut cow is an unpretentious animal that is suitable for grazing without a leash.
Lebedinskaya
The breed was developed by Ukrainian breeders by crossing Sumy cows and Swiss cows. Features of the Swan variety are well-developed muscles, straight legs and a large udder.Color: light gray or light brown.
Lebedinsky cows are common in the central regions of Russia.
Yakutskaya
The ancestors of the breed are the sacred humpbacks zebu cows, common in India. Therefore, the exterior of the animals is distinguished by convex withers and long, warm hair. Yakut cattle are on the verge of extinction. For partial preservation, they were crossed with Simmentalians.
Purebred livestock are available only in the Novosibirsk nursery at the Research Institute of Agriculture and in individual private farms. Yakut cows - the most unpretentious, survive in frosts of -50 degrees and a meager diet.
Yorkshire breed
The variety was developed by Scottish farmers in the 19th century. Bull horns with curved ends resemble a lyre in shape. Color - red-motley, less often black, chocolate.
To produce a liter of milk, a Yorkshire cow requires 880 grams of feed, while other breeds require 5 kilograms. Pregnant cows must be given salt and chalk. The area of distribution is the northern regions of Russia.
Subtleties of keeping at home
Basic information about the maintenance of meat and dairy cows is shown in the table:
| Content type | Stall-pasture |
| Feeding mode | In winter 3-5 times a day, in summer there is open access to feed on the pasture; during fattening, food should always be available
|
| Watering mode | In summer 1-2 times a day, in winter - after meals |
| Fattening for meat | From four to ten months |
| Milking | 2-3 times a day, if there is a lot of milk - more often, but always at regular intervals and at the same time
|
| Vaccination | Salmonellosis - at one month of age.
Anthrax - 1.5-4 months. Foot and mouth disease - from 3 months and annually throughout life. Rabies - at 6 months.
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Dual-purpose cattle can be kept on free grazing and wintered in stalls, or kept in a barn permanently and taken out for walks. The cleanliness of the barn should be carefully monitored and the bedding should be changed as often as necessary to maintain fresh air in the room.
