Red Danish breed of cows: description and characteristics, content

To increase the productivity of animals, breeders are constantly developing new breeds and improving existing ones. This is especially important for farmers involved in the production of meat and milk, as these products are in high demand among consumers. For such farmers, breeding the highly productive red Danish breed of cows is considered a win-win option.

History of Breeding

This breed is a representative of the dairy and meat and dairy direction in animal husbandry, the origins of which go back to the 18-19th century, when Danish peasants crossed local cattle with the Angler, Ballum, North Schleswig, Shorthorn breeds.

Red Danish is considered as one of the branches of the Scandinavian array of red breeds of the dairy direction, which also includes Norwegian and Swedish, close to the Finnish Ayrshire.

How the breed evolved

The Angler breed is considered the first link in the development of the Danish cow. To increase the mass, improve external data, it was crossed with Shorthorn bulls. Half of the animals born from them were mixed with high-bred Danish bulls. As a result, the red Danish cow acquired a solid physique, powerful muscles, began to weigh more, give more milk. Thus, one of the most productive dairy cattle breeds in the world was obtained, which breeders are still working on, trying to improve it.

This breed in our country is kept in the Leningrad, Moscow, Pskov regions. They are bred in their pure form or crossed with red cows of Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian, steppe breeds.

Red Belarusian cattle is also being improved by crossing with Danish. And this is done for the second time: for the first time it was practiced in the 20-30s of the last century. Then the red Belarusian was improved due to the influx of blood of the red Polish and Danish breeds, later they began to cross with red Estonian, brown Latvian. In recent years there has been a new influx of red Danish blood.

Characteristics and appearance of the breed

The Danish breed is characterized by a beautiful color in which shades of red vary from lighter to darker. Some individuals are marked with white spots on the belly and udder. These are large cows, reach 130 cm at the withers and weigh 550-800 kg. The constitution is medium, the body is deep, wide, the legs are short, massive. Chest width - 43 cm, back - 55 cm.

Description of body:

light head on a thin elongated neck;
grey nasal speculum;
back straight and wide with a sagging loin;
massive dewlap.

Distinguished by well-developed muscles and skeletal system, the skin is thin and elastic. The udder is large, has a round or cup-shaped shape, the nipples are cylindrical. A distinctive feature is an increased milk flow rate, which increases overall productivity.

Productivity reaches 9000 kg per lactation. In the composition of milk, the content of proteins reaches 3.2-3.5%, fats - from 3.9 to 5%, which exceeds the same indicators for the Holstein-Friesian breed. These cows are distinguished by excellent meat qualities, so animals unsuitable for milk production are fattened.

Slaughter yield of meat reaches 57-59%. Gaining weight quickly, weight gain - 1.4 kg per day.

Pros and Cons of the Red Danish Cow

Quickly reach maturity, have high meat and milk productivity (up to 9000 liters), unpretentious. The peculiarity of these animals is a cheerful, friendly, active character.

Pros and consincreased fertility;fertility;ease of calving;disease resistance;life expectancy;good adaptability to different climatic conditions.sagging lower back, which slightly spoils the appearance of the cow.

Animal care and maintenance

The red Danish breed is unpretentious, easily adapts to different conditions, however, in order to maintain proper productivity, proper body weight, it is important to follow certain conditions:

Optimal indoor temperature. It must be warm so that the cow does not waste her body reserves on heat exchange, which significantly reduces her productivity.
No drafts (cause disease, inhibit weight gain).
Clean. Manure is important to clean regularly.
Permanent access to water.
The room is well ventilated, especially in summer.

The red Danish cow does not like the hot climate, so in the summer you need a constant supply of fresh air. Grazing a shady place to protect from the sun during the hot season, and also provide access to water.

Features of the diet

A cow's diet should be complete and balanced. Its basis is hay and green grass, which are supplemented with silage, concentrates, root crops. Before a daily walk, the cow is fed 2-3 kg of straw, this prevents gas formation.

When fattening for animal meat, it is necessary to provide:

grain - up to 45% of the diet;
bran - 14-16%;
sunflower cake - 30%;
corn - 7%;
mineral supplements - 7%.

With the advent of spring until the end of autumn, the cow is kept on grazing. This increases productivity as well as the rate of weight gain. With a lack of greenery in the pasture, they give concentrates, root crops.

Specific breeding

A young Danish cow is ready to hunt as early as 12 months old, but early mating adversely affects the further development of females, so farmers are taking measures to ensure that the first calving occurs at two years of age.

Birth is quick and easy, from 30 minutes to one hour. Pregnancy lasts 295 days. In the prenatal and postnatal periods, the cow needs a favorable temperature regime. Development Features:

calf weight at birth is 33-37 kg, they are characterized by increased growth energy: they gain 1200-1400 g per day;
the weight of a one-year-old replacement bull is 420 kg;
mass of mature cows - up to 800 kg, bulls - up to 1000.

The red Danish breed is used for purebred breeding, as well as for re-crossing with individuals derived from it.

Frequent diseases

Cows of this breed are resistant to diseases, have good immunity, have strong hooves. To maintain he alth, regular vaccinations are carried out, the first - at eight days of age.

Animals are resistant to mastitis, but it is necessary to express milk in a timely manner so as not to cause this disease. For preventive purposes, animals are given a lick containing the necessary set of minerals.

On the territory of our country, the red Danish breed has gained great popularity. It is bred with pleasure by large and small farms. Under favorable housing and feeding conditions, young animals show increased growth energy, and adult cows show excellent productivity and fertility.