Dairy breeds of cows: top 12 of the best and highest milk yields in Russia and the world

The choice of livestock for the farm depends on the direction in which the person is going to work. Dairy cows are purchased if the owner of the livestock is interested in the production of milk and dairy products, since they are champions in terms of milk yield. An overview of dairy breeds of cattle will allow you to decide which cows you should have in your own backyard.

Features of the dairy direction

Dairy cows are distinguished by a calm disposition, graceful forms, and a developed digestive system. Muscles are less pronounced than in meat and meat-and-milk breeds.Their main task is to produce large volumes of milk. To do this, they must receive a lot of succulent feed. Animals are unpretentious, they do not need large walking areas, the livestock does not disperse in the pasture.

A typical representative of the dairy direction is a cow characterized by the highest adaptability to various types of milking machines, convenient in manual milking, and a productive individual.

Fatty sour cream, delicious cottage cheese, butter - far from a complete list of products that a small herd of dairy cattle and even one cow can constantly provide owners with.

The amount of milk yield is affected by:

• heredity;
• animal breed;
• cow age;
• quality of food and care.

Milk production increases from 2 calving, reaches a maximum after 5 calving, then, after 8 calving, it begins to gradually decrease. A cow is considered old after 10 calves, some animals remain productive until 13-15 years old.

Important: it should be borne in mind that the quantity of products and its quality directly depend on the nutrition and living conditions of animals.

Dairy breeds include animals with tub-shaped and cup-shaped udders, which have a minimum of adipose tissue.

It is the structure of the udder, the amount of glandular tissue and the quality of blood circulation in it that determine the volume and fat content of milk that cows give.

Best breeds

On private farmsteads they keep dairy and meat-and-dairy cows. The latter give less milk, but its fat content is higher, and more meat yield during slaughter. The list of the best includes dairy and universal types of cattle.

Jersey

Dairy breed of cows with British roots. Released in the 19th century. The weight of heifers is 400-450 kilograms, the bulls are larger, up to 750 kilograms. Daily milk yield - up to 30-32 liters of milk with a high (5-8%) fat content of the product.

Pros and consmilk quality;disease resistance, no problems at the hotel;little feed consumption.low yield of meat during slaughter;cows cannot stand noise, sharp sounds, they do not get used to new owners well.

These compact, high-milk red cows with cup-shaped udders are unpretentious in keeping, easily adapting to heat and cold.

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Ayrshire

Scottish dairy cows. Animals are hardy, stocky, reddish-brown with white spots. Heifers - up to 500 kilograms, bulls - up to 800. They tolerate frost well, are unpretentious in keeping, and are resistant to diseases. Productivity Feature:

• milk yield - 7000-10000 liters of milk per year;
• milk fat content - 4-4.8%;
• meat yield - 50%.

Popular in Finland, Russia. These cows live up to 20 years while still being productive.

Pros and consadapt to harsh conditions;with temporary problems with nutrition, they do not lose productivity;unpretentious in content.do not tolerate heat;wayward.

Heifers are covered at 1.5-1.7 years. Cows calve easily, ideal for machine milking. The breed is popular in the Novgorod region, northern regions of Russia.

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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.

Pros and conshigh milk yield;ease of calving, strong calves;the possibility of choosing an animal for a certain climatic zone.fat content of milk about 4%do not tolerate dampness and drafts in the barn.

High-yielding black-and-white cows are the most common in Russia. Calves are active, strong, with excellent survival.

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Simmental

The oldest representatives of the meat and dairy breeds, originally from Switzerland. Stocky animals with large heads. The color is light red with white spots. Weight of heifers - 600-650 kilograms, bulls - 800-1000 kilograms.When choosing a milk simmental, you should pay attention to the size and shape of the udder. It should be large with prominent veins and even, widely spaced nipples. Milk yield is about 5000 liters of milk per year.

Pros and consversatility, bred for milk and meat;high milk yield throughout life;resistance to diseases, unpretentiousness in carelate ripening, cover after 20 months;average milk fat content;boney meat with high taste.

Under poor conditions, the breed is prone to degeneration. With care and milking errors, mastitis develops.

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Yaroslavl breed

Large animals of black color with white spots on the muzzle, around the eyes, on the stomach. Cattle of the Yaroslavl breed are bred for milk production. Milk yield - from 3000 to 5500 liters per year. Milk with excellent taste and fat content of 4-4.3%.

Pros and conshigh milk production;strong immunity;unpretentiousness to feed.thin legs, prone to fractures;the possibility of paresis of the forelimbs after calving;low yield of meat after slaughter.

Yaroslavl cows are common in different regions. Animals are easy to get. They are adapted to Russian weather conditions.

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Kholmogory cows

Large all-purpose milk cow producing 4000-6000 liters of milk per year. The color is black with white spots, black and red with white individuals are rare. Bred in the XIX century in the Arkhangelsk province. A distinctive feature is the crooked legs of animals.Weight of heifers - up to 600 kilograms, bulls weigh 1000-1100 kilograms. Bred in the Non-Black Earth and northern regions.

Pros and consstrong immunity;on a walk, animals huddle together;unpretentiousness to feed.incorrect positioning of the legs, the possibility of injury;poor adaptation to hot climates.

Due to their size, the animals need spacious stalls. You should especially watch your legs, hoof joints often become inflamed in hillocks.

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Dutch

The oldest dairy breed of cows. From crossing these animals with local breeds, the Kholmogorok, Yaroslavl and Black-and-White breeds were obtained. Animals are large, with a proportional physique, high milk and meat productivity.Annual milk yield - up to 5000 liters. Meat output - 55-60%. Weight of heifers - about 600 kilograms, bulls - up to 900 kilograms. Animals are white with large black spots. A distinctive feature is the white belt along the body in the area of the shoulder blades.

Pros and conshigh productivity;rapid growth and maturation of heifers (14-16 months).the need for quality content;susceptibility to tuberculosis.

Dutch cows are considered one of the best dairy breeds in the world. Dutch breed cattle are bred in many countries.

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Finnish breed

Dairy productive cows. The number in Finland is 1% of the total number of livestock in the country. Milk yield - 6000-6500 liters per year, milk with a fat content of 4.4%.

Pros and conshigh milk yield;quality indicators of milk.small number of thoroughbred animals;high cost of cows;purebred animals are difficult to find even in their homeland, in Finland.I like it I don't like it1

Brown Latvian

Compact dairy animals account for 90% of dairy cattle in Latvia. Skin of different shades of brown. Modern cows produce 4500-5000 liters of milk per year, with a fat content of 4.4%.

Pros and consability to tolerate heat well;excellent juvenile survival.

The biggest drawback of the breed is an innate predisposition to leukemia. Animals should be carefully selected and purchased from reputable breeders.

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Tagil subspecies

Meat and dairy breed of cattle. The most common in the Urals. Obtained from crossing local animals with Kholmogory and Dutch breeds. Weight of heifers - 450-600 kilograms, depending on heredity, bulls - 800-1200 kilograms. Delicious meat, high quality milk.

Pros and consadaptability to difficult weather conditions;ease of dispensing;unpretentiousness in content.low (compared to other breeds) milk yield - 4000-4300 liters annually;difficulty at the hotel due to the narrowness of the pelvis.

The milk yield of cows depends on nutrition during maturation. A cow gives more milk if she is well fed from childhood. Animals are consistently productive up to 15 years.

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Red steppe

Breed of cows, characteristic of the southern warm regions. Large animals with a uniform red-brown color. Weight of heifers - up to 500 kilograms, bulls - up to 900. Productivity indicators - 4000 liters of milk per year. With quality care reaches 5000.

Pros and conseasily tolerates heat up to +30 ° С;resistant to most diseases.weak limbs, often injured;the udder may be irregular in shape, in which case the cow is not comfortable for milking.

Animals of the red steppe breed are unpretentious, they need walking and active movement so that the livestock does not stagnate.

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Holstein subspecies

Large animals in black and white. Red-and-white cows are rare. Milk yield - up to 8500 liters per year, increases dramatically in warm climates. Milk fat content - 3.7%.

Pros and conshigh productivity;quality meat;rapid maturation of heifers (by the year).decrease in milk yield depending on the climate;animals are shy, suffer from stress.

Milk animals of the Holstein subspecies are bred in the southern and central regions, used for meat and milk.

I like it I don't like itFinal ranking tableJersey3Ayrshire2Kholmogory cows2Black-and-white cowsoneSimmentaloneTagil subspeciesoneYaroslavl breedBrown LatvianRed steppeHolstein subspeciesDutch-oneFinnish breed-one

Comparative analysis of the performance of dairy cows

When choosing animals for your own backyard or farm, you need to pay attention to the shape and condition of the udder, performance indicators, the appearance of cows.

Ayrshire7000-100004-4.8 % Jersey4000-45006-8%, up to 9% Finnish6000-65004.40 % 40003.5-3.8 %Tagil3500-40004- 4.2%Holstein7000-85003.70 %

Breed of dairy cows
Kholmogorsk	4000-6000	3.90 %
Dutch	5000	4.10 %
Black-motley	5000-8000	3.7% goes up to 4%
Simmental	5000	About 4%
Brown Latvian	4500-5000	4.40 %
Yaroslavskaya	3000-5500	4.40 %
Red Steppe

Jersey breed is among the leaders due to the high fat content of milk. It is used for the production of cheese, cream. The Finnish breed is difficult to acquire, there are few such cows even at home - in 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 fatness, condition of the udder, gait, hooves of the animal. Purebred animals should be purchased from trusted manufacturers who are ready to provide documents for livestock. Animals must be vaccinated.

Of course, the selection of thoroughbred productive livestock is a complex and costly business. However, expenses quickly pay off, animals with proper care bring high profits. The profitability of dairy production is one of the highest among various livestock industries.

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