Breeds of cows: types and colors in Russia and the world, what cattle look like, characteristics

Until the 17th century, the wild bull tur, the ancestor of modern cattle, roamed the steppes of Eurasia and the African continent. Domesticated animals have been known since the eighth century BC. In agriculture, cows are called female domestic bulls. They serve as the main source of milk and meat. Depending on the direction, dairy, beef and mixed breed cows are distinguished.

General description of the animal

Cattle belongs to mammals of artiodactyl animals of the bovid family. Females become cows after the first calving and lactation. From birth to maturity they are called heifers, and after the onset of the first pregnancy they are called heifers.

Appearance:

• growth at the withers - 1.2-1.5 meters;
• birth weight - 18-45, sometimes 60 kilograms, depending on the breed;
• average body weight of adult animals is 750 kilograms;
• minimum weight - 145 kilograms, maximum - more than a ton;
• body elongated, with concave or flat back;
• wool short or long, plain colors, piebald;
• pelvic bones are hairy, protruding on both sides of the tail;
• tail thin, with short hair, reaching to the hooves;
• the end of the tail is covered with a long pile-tassel, with which the cow drives away insects;
• legs straight, thin or muscular, rear pair wide apart;
• wide neck;
• head elongated, tapering towards the nose;
• forehead wide, flat, covered with curly hair, straight forelock or open;
• horns are short, long, straight or curved upward at the ends, absent in some breeds;
• eyes are located on the sides of the head, the pupil is horizontal;
• ears are oval, flat, velvet on the outside and covered with a long pile on the inside.

Cows are black, white, gray. Animals that are completely red in color are called red. Spotted coloration is considered typical - white marks on a dark background and black on white, neck, belly, hooves or tail highlighted with white hair.

Cow spots are a genetic mutation resulting from domestication. In wild animals, the color is only monophonic. Among domestic breeds, a solid color is also common, often brown, with a white star mark on the forehead.

In addition to color, a characteristic feature of cows is the mammary gland - the udder. The organ is located in the lower abdomen between the thighs and looks like an inverted bowl. Veins are visible under the skin. The udder consists of four lobes, each of which has a nipple. The length of the nipples is 5-10 centimeters, and the diameter is 2-3 centimeters.

The life expectancy of cows is 20 years. Sexual maturity occurs at 10 months. They are ready for mating at 18 months. Pregnancy lasts 8-9 months. After the first calving, colostrum appears, which the calves feed on. To obtain milk, cows are milked 2-3 times a day. The lactation period lasts 8-11 months.

Cow classification

Distinguishing cows by body type was first proposed by the Russian livestock scientist P. N. Kuleshov at the beginning of the 20th century. He proved that with the increased development of one system of the body of a domestic animal, others are oppressed. With a developed skeleton and skin, internal organs and muscles are usually depressed.Muscle development inhibits bone and hair growth.

According to Kuleshov's classification, there are four types of cows:

• rough - powerful bones, muscles, thick skin, large horns, little fat;
• delicate - thin skin gathered in small folds at the udder and on the neck, veins and bones protrude on the surface, the development of internal organs prevails over muscles;
• loose - the fat layer under the skin and on the internal organs is overdeveloped, which negatively affects the overall development;
• dry - strong veins, good circulation and digestion promote hair growth and milk production.

The four main types are mixed together. For example, in animals, features of a gentle and loose type or gentle and dry type are combined.

By external signs, the following areas of cattle productivity are distinguished:

• meat - characterized by a rough and loose constitution, a rapid set of muscle and fat mass;
• dairy - animals of delicate dry constitution, high milk yields are achieved due to the digestion of a large amount of food and active blood circulation in the udder;
• mixed - combines the characteristics of the rough and dry type, quickly build muscle mass and produce a lot of milk.

Meat-milk type has exterior flaws that reduce the value of meat: due to the back deflection, the amount of pulp decreases, there is no fat layer in the meat. Pure beef cows produce marbled meat with thin streaks of fat. Mixed cattle are more often raised for milk production.Classification of domestic cows by origin:

• pedigreed - bred by selective selection;
• outbred - animals without signs of belonging to a particular breed, local livestock;
• decorative - with an unusual appearance, bred for beauty.

Shorthair and curly breeds are distinguished by the length of the coat. Felt and felt boots are made from the pile of cattle.

Popular cattle breeds

During the centuries-old history of agriculture, more than three hundred breeds of domestic cows have been bred. Local economic, draft animals and thoroughbred foreign ones were crossed. The result was new varieties with improved milk or meat productivity, better adapted to life in a harsh climate and unpretentious in nutrition.

Dairy direction

Among domestic breeds, the most popular are:

• Holstein;
• Jersey;
• Ayrshire;
• Dutch;
• brown Latvian;
• Tagil;
• red steppe.

One cow produces 4500-7000 liters of milk per year. Aboriginal breeds are famous for their high milk yields:

• palsho;
• Yakutian;
• Carinthian;
• Ukrainian grey.

Aboriginal cows are called, which have been raised since ancient times in different countries of the world. They also include the red steppe, popular in Kazakhstan. The Mongolian breed was grown by the inhabitants of medieval Central Asia - the Dzungars.

Meat breeds

General characteristics of beef cows:

• muscular;
• massive;
• little udder.

They give milk, but in limited quantities, for offspring.

Popular varieties of beef cattle:

• Hereford;
• Aberdeen Angus;
• Charolais;
• limousine.

The Belgian Blue and Piedmontese breeds show a large increase in mass. Cows are distinguished by gigantic relief muscles that stand out under thin skin. Muscle hypertrophy developed as a result of a genetic mutation.

But the meat of cows is tender, without fatty streaks, with a high protein content.

Dual use

Mixed cattle breeds differ from meat and dairy cattle in their versatility. They give high volumes of milk and show rapid weight gain. One of the indicators may prevail. Popular mixed breeds:

• Simmental;
• Switzerland;
• Kostroma;
• bestuzhevskaya.

The volume of milk given out per year is 3500-5000 liters. When fattening, the weight reaches 1500 kilograms, and 65 percent of the carcass goes for sale. From cows of a mixed direction, marbled meat is obtained without veins. Curly highlands are also included in the mixed direction. The Scottish breed produces meat with low cholesterol levels, rich in iron and protein, and also improves the condition of the meadows.

Calf, bovine and cow leather is used in the production of outerwear, shoes, gloves and haberdashery.

Rare and decorative

Some breeds of cattle are remarkable not for productivity, but for the size of their horns, color or miniature size. The main ones are:

• Dexter is the smallest breed in Europe, originally from Ireland. Height does not exceed a meter due to short legs;
• galloway - are called belted, as the dark body draws a white stripe across; bred in Scotland;
• Texas Longhorn - the length of their horns reaches 1.8 meters, the color is red-white, used for riding;
• plush - decorative cows bred in the US state of Iowa, fluffy calves look like toys;
• Highland - Scottish long-haired cows belong to the meat industry, thick bangs protect the eyes from rain and snow;
• watussi - African red cows with huge arched horns; refer to dual direction;
• white shorthorn - an elite British beef breed, is on the verge of extinction.

The smallest cow in the world is the sacred Indian zebu. As an adult, she reaches the size of a commercial calf.

Which breeds are popular in Russia

The choice of varieties of cows that are bred in our country is due to unpretentious care, adaptability to temperate and northern climates and high productivity.

The most popular breeds, their description and focus are shown in the following table:

7000 liters of milk per year. Meat Cows produce 4,000 liters a year. The weight of the bulls is 1000 kilograms. Kill yield - 60 percent.

Breed name	Feature	Direction	Performance
Jersey	Compact, angular, with a flat body and protruding pelvic bones.Brown with white markings and a black mask over the eyes and nose.	Dairy	6500 liters of milk per year
Ayrshire	Proportionally built, with upcurved horns, easily acclimatized, tolerates grazing well.	Dairy	Weight of cows - 480 kilograms, bulls - 800 kilograms. Slaughter yield - 50 percent
Weight of bulls - 1000 kilograms, 70 percent of the carcass is subject to sale. Milk yield - 1200 liters per year. color. Consumes little feed, disease resistant	Milk and meat	Bulls weigh 1200 kilograms. Yield after slaughter - 58 percent. Annual milk yield - 6000 liters.Color is black with white markings. They are well adapted to cold climates and do not tolerate heat well.	Meat and dairy

Dairy and mixed breeds are the most common in Russia. They maintain high productivity with ration deficiencies.

Meat breeds need plenty of succulent feed all year round. Dietary deficiencies negatively affect weight gain.

Recommendations for selection

The orientation of a cow can be determined by external signs. A large bowl-shaped udder with swollen veins indicates high milk production. A dense physique, a straight back and a small udder are signs of a meat breed.When choosing a dairy cow, it is important to consider her age. High productivity is observed from two to six years. To check the age of a cow, look at her teeth. From the age of five, incisors begin to wear out. The stronger they are erased, the closer the age of the animal to ten years. Older cows show gaps between their teeth.

It also matters what kind of lactation goes on in a row: milk yields increase from the second or third, and decrease from the fifth. Before buying, you need to check the quality and fat content of milk. The color of the cow does not affect productivity, but is also one of the selection criteria.

Names of basic colors:

• black;
• white;
• brown;
• dark red;
• yellow.

Cow breeds are distinguished by color and body type. For example, a white Shorthorn is easy to distinguish from the Jersey variety, which is characterized by a red color.Important criteria when choosing meat breeds are fatness and fattening ability. In a fattened animal, the skin is well retracted, and a fat layer is felt under it, while in a starving animal it does not fold. Animals with a short wide body, thin bones and thick skin are prone to rapid weight gain.

When examining a cow, pay attention to its character. If the animal is calm and interested in a stranger, it will be easy to care for him. A restless cow is difficult to approach to milk. She can kick dangerously with her hind hoof. The well-groomed appearance speaks about the he alth and high productivity of cattle. In the absence of regular cleaning, milk yields decrease in cows.

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