Scandinavian cow breeds are a kind of standard in meat and dairy farming. Many valuable consumer qualities of the varieties have become widespread in other breeds through crossing. Let's consider the description and characteristics of the Swedish breed of cows, its features, main advantages and disadvantages, how to care for animals, their diet and breeding rules.
Origin story
The breed was bred in the central and south-eastern parts of the country; Shorthorn and Scottish Ayshire cows were chosen as the basis.Breeding began in the 19th century, and the breed was registered in 1927.
Distribution area
The breed occupies one of the leading positions in Swedish livestock breeding and has become widespread in countries with a climate similar to that of this country. Cows are often used for crossing with cattle of other breeds in order to improve valuable agricultural qualities in the offspring.
Description, characteristics and productivity
Animals are red and white, medium size (weight 550 kg), harmonious build. The height at the withers of bulls is 140-145 cm, heifers are 132-138 cm. The meat yield at slaughter is 56-60%. Calves are born weighing 37 kg on average. Cows have strong legs and proportional udders. The Swedish breed is distinguished by its milk yield; 8.7 thousand liters of milk can be obtained per year from an individual. The queens calve easily, without complications. Bulls and cows are distinguished by strong immunity and endurance.
Main pros and cons
Swedish red and white milk makes excellent hard cheeses and dietary dairy products.
How to maintain and care
The cows' housing should be warm and dry, especially in winter. In summer, on the contrary, it is cool, since in the heat the appetite of animals decreases, and milk yield decreases. The stalls should be large enough to allow cows to move freely and lie down to rest when necessary.
Stalls, feeders and drinking bowls must be kept clean.It is advisable to clean them every day and replace the bedding. You also need to clean the cow itself; in winter you need to clean the skin with a brush; in summer you can bathe it outside with warm water. Bathing and massage have a good effect on the animal’s skin, normalize metabolism and emotional state. As a result, productivity increases, milk yield and milk fat content increase.
At the beginning of the grazing season, cows' hooves are trimmed and trimmed so that the animal does not feel discomfort when walking. In the summer, it is necessary to treat the barn from flies, which, while causing anxiety to the cows, also affect the decrease in milk yield.
Diet
In winter, an animal weighing 550 kg is given 6-8 kg of hay and 2 kg of straw. The hay must contain legumes. The diet should contain succulent food, for every 100 kg of body weight there should be 6-8 kg. In order for them to be better absorbed, there should be 2-3 types of them in the feed. High-yielding queens of the Swedish breed should be given up to 50 kg of succulent feed per day. Approximate diet: 30 kg of fodder beet and up to 15 kg of sugar beet. If sugar beets are unavailable, they can be replaced with potatoes. Cows will eat carrots with pleasure and benefit (2-8 kg per head per day).
In winter, silage is fed (6-8 kg per 100 kg of weight). Concentrated feed is given based on the amount of milk produced. Per 100 kg of animal weight, 300-350 g of product are fed with a milk yield of over 25 liters. You can give food scraps to animals. Chalk and salt should always be used as top dressing.
Swedish cows need to be fed on a schedule so that the animals get used to being fed at the same time. Feeding frequency – 3 times a day. You need to distribute feed correctly: first concentrates, then juicy feed, and finally roughage.The entire volume must be divided into portions and fed only after the next part has been eaten. New foods should not be introduced into the diet immediately, but gradually, so that the animal’s digestive system has time to get used to the unusual product.
In summer, animals can graze on pastures, eating fresh grass. Each individual is capable of eating up to 70-80 kg of grass per day. The grazing time with breaks should not be less than 12 hours.
If pasture is scarce, cows need to be fed grass in stalls or given concentrates (150 g per 1 liter of dairy products) and grain.
Throughout the year, Swedish cows should have fresh water in their drinkers. It can be given from buckets, but it is better to equip the barn with automatic drinkers. The quality of the water must be respected; you only need to drink clean, fresh water. You need to take it from a tap or well. In the summer, when it’s hot, an animal can drink up to 40 liters per day. It is necessary to give as much as the animal can drink, since water stimulates milk production, which increases milk yield. The temperature of the liquid should be comfortable for the animal, not cold or hot.
Breeding rules
The profitability of livestock farming depends on the replenishment of the cow population. This usually occurs through the birth of calves. Cows can give birth when they are 18-22 months old. Insemination is carried out naturally or artificially. To prepare females for insemination, pregnancy and the birth of calves, they are provided with adequate nutrition, walked every day, and a comfortable microclimate is created in the barn. Pregnant uteruses should be in a calm state, stressful situations should be excluded.
Calving in Swedish cows is easy and without complications.Human help is not required; you need to make sure that the cow licks the baby and he drinks the colostrum. The natural transfer of immune bodies from the mother to the calf will activate its immunity. The calves are kept separate from their mothers, bringing them in for feeding 3 times a day. Grown-up animals are grazed on pasture along with the herd.
Farms can produce purebred animals, if possible purebred queens and bulls and crosses with representatives of other breeds. Thoroughbred individuals inherit the characteristics of the breed; hybrids show accelerated growth, productivity, and vitality.
Health
Productivity, both meat and dairy, directly depends on the health status of cattle. A healthy animal must be provided with the necessary living space, receive the required amount of food, move freely around the stall, and see its relatives. Walk in the fresh air, move, rest for the prescribed amount of time.
If the maintenance rules are followed, Swedish cows rarely get sick. Infectious diseases, injuries, diseases of metabolism and internal organs appear due to improper feeding and maintenance. Animals get sick if they live in a damp, dirty, dark, damp room. After identifying the disease, sick individuals must be treated immediately.
Prospects for cultivation
The production of meat and milk is considered a promising area in animal husbandry. The Swedish red and white breed meets the requirements of meat and dairy breeding. Bulls and cows are distinguished by early maturity, fertility, and health. The queens give birth to healthy, numerous offspring, and they produce a lot of fatty milk. The volume of average annual milk yield allows you to make raising cattle profitable and make a profit.
The meat of the Swedish breed is tasty and nutritious; animals can also be bred for meat. It contains fiber and fat in an optimal ratio. Meat digestibility is 95%. Bull calves can be slaughtered as early as 8-10 months; up to this age they are actively growing, then the growth rate decreases. For breeding, you need to select from the livestock the best individuals in all respects.
The Swedish red and white cattle breed is considered promising for farm and livestock breeding. Cows successfully combine valuable traits of dairy and beef cattle. If you organize the raising of cattle according to the rules, you will be able to bring the farm to a high level of income.
