Red-motley breed of cows: description and characteristics, content

The youngest agricultural breeds of milking animals are represented by the red-motley breed of cows. They were obtained by crossing the Simmental and Red-and-White Holstein breeds. The purpose of breeding the breed is to enhance the characteristics of each representative. The breed was officially entered into the stud book in 1998. Selection work is ongoing.

Origin

As an independent species, the red-and-white cow has been around for a little over 20 years. To improve the performance of each breed, geneticists-breeders crossed Simmental bulls with Holstein cows for 20 years, constantly improving and consolidating the result.

Officially, red-and-white cows were recognized in 1998, which was confirmed by entering the breed in the stud book. This breed is very popular with both amateur farmers and large farms.

Appearance and performance of the Red Pied breed

Characteristic of the breed:

Horns	Short
Head	Massive
Chest	Deep and wide
Torso	Long, in proportion to the rest of the body
Muscular corset	Practically not developed
Bone system	Strong, wide
Coat	Short, shiny, bright red color

Although the color is called red, the natural color is brown, over which large white spots are unevenly distributed.The weight of an adult cow reaches 700 kg. The height at the withers at 2-3 years old is 142-146 cm. The animals are rather weakly muscled, but the existing muscles are strong and elastic. This is worth paying attention to when choosing and subsequently buying livestock.

The minimum amount of milk per year is 5000 liters, approximately the same as that of the Holsteiners. The average annual milk yield of this breed is 6,500-7,000 liters. The record volumes that were recorded were 10,200 liters per year. The fat content of milk is 3.8-4.6%. The average is 3.9%.

Red-motley breed is valued not only as a dairy, but also as a meat. The yield of beef from a young bull is 55.8%, from a cow - 54%. In order to get such values, you need to correctly compose a diet for cows and adjust it from time to time.

Pros and cons

The Holstein Red-and-White breed has many advantages:

1. High milk yield with proper diet.
2. Long reproductive period.
3. Animals quickly adapt to any climatic conditions.
4. Young individuals develop rapidly.
5. Cattle are unpretentious in food.
6. The udder of most representatives of this species is cup-shaped, which is most optimal for manual and mechanical milking.

The Red-and-White breed of cows has no flaws.

Subtleties of keeping and caring for animals

The level of care and conditions of detention directly affect such an indicator as milk yield. In order for the cows to feel as comfortable as possible, it is necessary to take into account the seasonal characteristics of the content.

Summer playground

For the summer period, animals must be provided with round-the-clock walking. A fenced paddock or field area is suitable for this. Its size should be calculated based on the number of cows in the herd - at least 22 square meters should be allocated per head. m. A shelter must be installed in which animals can hide from strong winds, heavy rain or the scorching sun. Water and special feeders should be publicly available.

Finishing the premises

The barn should be made of brick. In order to keep a comfortable temperature in it in winter, it is necessary to take care of the insulation and protect it from drafts. The room must be treated with special fire fighting equipment. The floors are made of wood. Ventilation should ensure constant air circulation inside the room.

Containment conditions

The air temperature in the barn should fluctuate between +7 … +21 degrees, air humidity should not exceed 65%. If the ambient temperature exceeds the upper value during the warm season, the yield of livestock may decrease.

For good productivity, long daylight hours must be created for animals. This can be achieved thanks to large windows and artificial lighting.

Regular cleaning of stalls and equipment

Cow stalls should be cleaned twice a day - early in the morning and late in the evening. Individual buckets, drinkers and plastic feeders should be carefully cleaned from food debris and other contaminants. Once a week, a partial replacement of the litter is made, and once a month it is updated “to zero”. Once every six months, a general cleaning of the premises is carried out using disinfectants.

Preparing for milking

Before milking, you need to prepare both the place of the animal and the cow itself. All dirt must be removed from the stall, if necessary, top up with bedding. After that, you need to perform a massage - brush off dust and dirt from the cow, remove and fix the tail, wipe the udder with warm water and a clean rag, dry and thoroughly massage all the lobules.

It is very important that the hands and clothes of the milker are clean and smell good.

Meeting plan

Nutrition depends on several factors - the time of year, the region where the cows live, the age of the cow and her period of life.

Summer

In summer, preference is given to juicy green fodder. At least 8 kg of herbs and 13 kg of beets should be per 1 adult animal. The diet includes gourds. On average, 1 adult cow eats about 80 centners of feed per year. It is important to ensure that the cows go out to the green pasture full. Greedy eating of grass can cause bloating, diarrhea and colic.

In winter

In winter, cattle should receive the following types of feed: succulent, coarse, concentrates. There are about 1.8 kg of feed per 100 kg of live weight. During the day, the cow should receive wheatgrass hay, herbs, silage and haylage, feed for milking.It is very important to ensure that the feeding schedule does not change. Deviations from it are permissible within 8-12 minutes. Disruptions in your meal schedule can drastically reduce your milk supply.

Water

1 An adult should drink at least 45 liters of pure water per day. If the cow is calf, this figure is doubled. Cold water can cause problems with the stomach and intestines, so warm the water to room temperature before drinking.

Nuances of breeding

The maturation period of cows lasts from 12 to 15 months. After that, for 12-14 years, you can get offspring from them. The weight of the animal must be at least 320 kg, otherwise the offspring will be weak and will not survive.

Red-motley cows are in heat every three weeks.In winter, it lasts 8-10 hours, in the summer months - 11-12. If there is a need to resort to artificial insemination, it must be done twice - directly in estrus and 10 hours after it ends.

Diseases, their prevention and treatment

The main problem faced by farmers dealing with red-and-white cows is udder disease. This is especially common during calving. The udder of the cow is swollen, hyperemic, its temperature is slightly higher than the general temperature of the animal.

Cracks resulting from improper care of animals and violation of milking technology are treated with special fatty creams, for example, Burenka, Zorka.

If the stall of the animal is poorly or rarely cleaned, pathogenic microorganisms accumulate in the litter, which provoke inflammation and numerous boils. They must be treated with an alcohol solution of iodine and ASD 3 fractions in a dilution of 1: 4.

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