Yaroslavl breed of cows: description and characteristics, pros and cons

Yaroslavskaya (from the Yaroslavl region) breed of cows in Soviet times was considered the standard of productivity. Animals gave about 15-20 liters per day of fat and tasty milk. Now new breeds with greater productivity have been bred. Yaroslavl cows are still valued for their calm nature, immunity to leukemia and high fat milk.

Origin story

Cows of the Yaroslavl breed are of the dairy type. They began to breed them in Russia at the end of the 19th century. On the territory of the present Yaroslavl and nearby regions, black cows with a white head and dark “glasses” around the eyes were raised.Such animals gave a lot of high-fat milk. The Yaroslavl breed was formed through folk selection, that is, cows with the best productivity indicators were selected.

After the revolution, breeding nurseries were created, in which scientists and livestock specialists worked to create a new species and improve existing individuals. Based on local breeds. In turn, the Yaroslavl cow descended from the northern Great Russian. There were attempts to cross this breed with the Dutch, Holstein, Simmental, Algauz varieties. True, the animals obtained after crossing had low productivity rates and milk of low fat content.

Officially, the Yaroslavl breed was registered in 1933. In the years of the USSR, cows of this species were raised in different regions of the country. More productive breeds appeared in the 1980s.

Animals from Europe began to displace the locals. Then it was decided to cross Yaroslavl cows with Holstein bulls in order to improve their productivity.This is how the Mikhailovsky type of the Yaroslavl breed turned out. The new cows produced more milk, but fat levels suffered. The Yaroslavl breed was still used in the breeding of the Kostroma and Istoben varieties.

Habitats

The largest herd of Yaroslavl cows is located on the territory of the Yaroslavl region. Animals of this breed are grown in other regions of Russia. True, most of them are in places of historical breeding of the breed, and also in the Ivanovo, Kostroma, Tver and Vologda regions. Previously, Yaroslavl cows were raised in many Soviet collective farms and state farms. Now their number is 2.5 percent of the total number of cattle in Russia. Abroad, the Yaroslavl breed is used to breed new types of cows.

Description and characteristics of the Yaroslavl breed

The main distinguishing features of Yaroslavl cows are an angular body of black color, a barrel-shaped body, a white head, dark glasses around the eyes, and also a light belly, udder and bottom of the limbs.This breed has small sharp horns. The height of the animals at the withers is about 120-125 cm, body length - 150-155 cm. Cows weigh 350-450 kg, bulls - 500-600 kg, calves at birth - 27-32 kg. The slaughter yield of meat is 55 percent. The chest of these animals is narrow and deep, the butt is wide, the back is even, the legs are short.

The udder is medium-sized, cup-shaped, with cylindrical teats, with the front teats spaced wider than the rear.

Milk has a fat content of 4-4.2 percent. In some animals, this figure is 5-6%. The protein content is 3.4-3.7 percent. In a year, one adult cow gives 2.5-5 thousand kg of milk. Productivity depends on the age of the animal and on feeding. About 15 liters of milk are produced per day from one cow.

Pros and cons of cows

Pros and conshigh productivity rates;milk with a fat content of 4 percent;excellent immunity;not susceptibility to leukemia;females give birth to 1 to 5 calves per year;weigh relatively less than others, consume less feed;unpretentious in food.inferior in productivity to European breeds;have angular shapes, thin skin, small, compared with others, weight.

Rules for keeping and caring for the breed

Yaroslavl breed can be grown in any climatic zones. These animals adapt well to the weather conditions of their region of residence, almost do not get sick, eat grass in summer, and hay in winter. True, it is better to graze the breed on flat terrain. Yaroslavl cows have weak bones and are not adapted to walking on hilly terrain.

In summer, animals can graze all day in the meadow.They are milked three times a day. During milking, cattle are driven into a barn or barn. A special room is built for keeping animals. It is insulated, ventilation is installed, windows are inserted at the top. In the room all year round the temperature should be maintained at the level of 15-20 degrees Celsius. At lower temperatures, milk yields fall.

Cowshed is recommended to be kept clean. A litter is laid on a wooden or concrete floor. It is cleaned daily, that is, as it gets dirty, dirty straw is replaced with clean one. A manger for hay, a feeder for vegetables, a drinking bowl (bucket) for water are installed in the barn. Animals are fed when they are in winter stalls, 2-3 times a day. In summer, cattle are grazed in the meadow. They drive out to the pasture in the morning, when the dew dries on the grass.

Nuances of feeding

The main food of the Yaroslavl breed is grass in summer and hay in winter. As an additive, animals can be given finely chopped vegetables, fruits, and also grain mixtures.True, cattle are fed only after they have eaten grass or hay. In the summer of Yaroslavl cows, it is desirable to graze on a pasture of a legume-cereal type. Vegetation recommended for nutrition: clover, alfalfa, oatmeal, timothy, vetch. Grass up to 15 cm high is most useful. Higher vegetation should be mowed and dried in the sun.

Yaroslavl cows can be fed with fodder beets, carrots, and turnips. Animals recover well on grain mixtures (barley, oats, corn). True, top dressing should be no more than 1/3 of the diet of animals. The main forage is high quality grass and hay. In winter, animals can be given straw, silage, pharmacy vitamins and minerals. Every day there should be s alt in the feeder (150 grams per day per individual). Water animals 2-3 times a day. Milk yield depends on the amount of water. On the day, the Yaroslavl cow drinks 30-50 liters of liquid. You need to water it after grazing.

How to breed Yaroslavl cows

You can buy cows of the Yaroslavl breed in any region. These animals are not uncommon, however, breeding farms are located mainly in the Yaroslavl region. The female costs 500-800 dollars. A young calf can be bought for $200. The animal lives 18-20 years. The period of productive use is the first 10 years of life.

Females are ready to mate at 15-18 months. For insemination, it is desirable to use a bull of the Yaroslavl breed, so you get a purebred calf. Pregnancy, or pregnancy, lasts 9 months. Animals are trying to mate in late spring or early summer, so that calves are born next spring. A few months before giving birth, females are launched. Cows begin to be milked less often and transferred to dead wood.

The last two months before giving birth, animals are not milked at all. A cow can give birth to a calf on her own, but the presence of a person during this process is desirable.

You can tell about the approaching birth by enlarged genitals, a swollen udder from which colostrum drips. Before the onset of labor, the female usually lies on her left side. The fetal bladder comes out first. If it has not torn, it needs to be cut. Then, as a rule, the calf comes out feet first. The nostrils of the mucus are cleared to the born cub. The umbilical cord is cut with sterile scissors, treated with iodine and bandaged. It is recommended to let the cow lick the newborn calf. The released placenta must be removed from the barn so that the animal does not eat it.

For the first 30 minutes after birth, calves should be fed colostrum. Newborn cubs should eat 4-5 times a day.Then the number of feedings is reduced to 3 times a day. Gradually teach cubs to drink from a bucket. Milk is diluted with water. The young are removed from their mother and the cow is milked as usual. Calves are fed with milk up to 4 months of age.

Diseases and their treatment

If cows are kept clean and warm, they don't get sick. Problems arise if animals are given low-quality food, they are kept on wet, dirty bedding. Errors in nutrition and maintenance lead to digestive problems and udder mastitis.

The main danger to animals is viral and infectious diseases. To prevent them, calves at the age of two weeks are vaccinated against rhinotracheitis, parainfluenza-3, and pasteurellosis. At 1 month, they are vaccinated against salmonellosis. At 3 months of age, they are vaccinated against foot and mouth disease, anthrax. At six months, calves are vaccinated against rabies. You can find out the vaccination schedule at the veterinary clinic where you live.

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