Swedish breed of cows: description and characteristics, content features

Scandinavian breeds of cows are a kind of standard in meat and dairy farming. Many valuable consumer qualities of varieties have become widespread in other breeds by crossing. Consider the description and characteristics of the Swedish breed of cows, its features, main advantages and disadvantages, how to care for animals, their diet and breeding rules.

Origin story

The breed was bred in the central and south-eastern parts of the country, Shorthorn and Scottish Ayshire cows were chosen as the basis. Breeding began in the 19th century, the breed was registered in 1927

Distribution area

The breed occupies one of the leading places in animal husbandry in Sweden, has become widespread in countries whose climate is similar to the climate of this country. Cows are often used for crossbreeding with other breeds of cattle to improve valuable agricultural qualities in offspring.

For example, crossing with Holstein animals gives increased fertility, cows calve more easily, they get less mastitis.

Description, characteristics and productivity

Animals of red and white color, medium size (weight 550 kg), harmonious build. Height at the withers of bulls is 140-145 cm, heifers - 132-138 cm. The yield of meat at slaughter is 56-60%. Calves are born weighing 37 kg on average. Cows have strong legs, proportional udders. The Swedish breed is distinguished by milk yields; 8.7 thousand liters of milk can be obtained from an individual per year. Calving in queens is easy, without complications. Bulls and cows are distinguished by strong immunity and endurance.

Main pros and cons

Pros and conshigh fertility;longevity and productive use;light calving;milk, which is rich in protein and fat.light weight.

Swedish red and white milk makes excellent hard cheeses and diet dairy products.

How to keep and care for

The housing of cows should be warm, dry, especially in winter. In summer, on the contrary, it is cool, since in hot weather the appetite of animals decreases, and milk yield also decreases. Stalls should be large enough to allow cows to move freely and rest when needed.

Stalls, feeders and drinkers should be kept clean. It is advisable to clean them every day, replace the litter. You also need to clean the cow itself, in winter you can clean the skin with a brush, in summer you can bathe in the street with warm water.Bathing and massage have a good effect on the skin of the animal, normalize metabolism, emotional state. As a result, productivity increases, milk yield and fat content increase.

At the beginning of the grazing season, cows are cleared and trimmed so that the animal does not feel discomfort when walking. In summer, you need to treat the barn from flies, which, while causing anxiety to cows, also affect the reduction in milk yield.

Diet

In winter, an animal weighing 550 kg is given 6-8 kg of hay, 2 kg of straw. The hay should contain legumes. The diet should contain juicy food, for every 100 kg of body weight there should be 6-8 kg. In order for them to be better absorbed, there should be 2-3 types of them in the composition of the feed. High-yielding queens of the Swedish breed should be given up to 50 kg of succulent feed per day.Approximate diet: 30 kg of fodder beets and up to 15 kg of sugar. In the absence of sugar beet, it can be replaced with potatoes. Cows will eat carrots with pleasure and benefit for themselves (2-8 kg per day per head).

In winter they feed silage (6-8 kg per 100 kg of weight). Concentrated feed is given, calculating their amount from the volume of milk yield. For 100 kg of animal weight, 300-350 g of the product are fed with a milk yield of more than 25 liters. You can give animals food waste. Chalk and s alt should always be used as top dressing.

Swedish cows need to be fed on a schedule so that the animals get used to the distribution of feed at the same time. Feeding frequency - 3 times a day. You need to distribute feed correctly: first concentrates, then juicy, and finally roughage. The entire volume must be divided into portions and fed only after the next part is eaten. New foods should not be introduced into the diet immediately, but gradually so that the animal's digestive system has time to get used to the unusual product.

In summer, animals can graze on pastures, eating fresh grass. Each individual is able to eat up to 70-80 kg of grass per day. Grazing time with breaks should not be less than 12 hours.

If the pasture is poor, cows need to be fed with grass in stalls or give them concentrates (150 g per 1 liter of dairy products), grain.

Swedish cows should have fresh water in drinkers throughout the year. It can be given from buckets, but it is better to equip the barn with automatic drinkers. The quality of water must be respected, you need to drink only clean, fresh water. You need to take it from a tap, a well. In the summer, in the heat, the animal can drink up to 40 liters per day. It is necessary to give as much as the animal can drink, since water stimulates milk production, which increases milk yield. The temperature of the liquid should be comfortable for the animal, neither cold nor hot.

Breeding rules

The profitability of livestock farming depends on the replenishment of the cow population. This usually occurs at the expense of the birth of calves. Cows can give birth when they are 18-22 months old. Insemination is carried out naturally or artificially. In order to prepare females for insemination, pregnancy and the birth of calves, they are provided with good nutrition, walk every day, create a comfortable microclimate in the barn. Pregnant uterus should be in a calm state, you need to exclude stressful situations.

Calving in Swedish cows is easy and without complications. Human help is not required, you need to make sure that the cow licks the baby, and he drank the colostrum. The natural transfer of immune bodies from the mother to the calf will activate its immunity.Keep calves separately from their mothers, bringing them to feed 3 times a day. Grown up animals are pastured along with the herd.

On farms you can get purebred animals, if you have purebred queens and bulls and crossbreeds with representatives of other breeds. Pedigree individuals inherit the characteristics of the breed, in crossbreeds there is an acceleration of growth, productivity, and vitality.

He alth

Productivity, both meat and dairy, directly depends on the state of he alth of cattle. A he althy animal must be provided with the necessary living space, must receive the necessary amount of food, move freely around the stall, and see relatives. Walk in the fresh air, move, rest at the right time.

Swedish cows rarely get sick when keeping rules. Infectious diseases, injuries, diseases of metabolism and internal organs appear due to improper feeding and maintenance.Animals get sick if they live in a damp, dirty, dark, damp room. After identifying the disease, sick individuals should be treated immediately.

Growing prospects

Production of meat and milk is considered a promising direction in animal husbandry. Swedish red and white breed meets the requirements of meat and dairy breeding. Bulls and cows are characterized by precocity, fertility, and he alth. The uterus gives a he althy numerous offspring, they give a lot of fatty milk. The volume of average annual milk yields allows you to make the cultivation of cattle profitable and make a profit.

Meat of the Swedish breed is tasty and nutritious, animals can also be bred for meat. In it, fiber and fat are in the optimal ratio. The digestibility of meat is 95%. Gobies can be slaughtered already at 8-10 months, until this age they actively grow, then the growth rate decreases.For breeding, you need to choose from the livestock the best individuals in all respects.

Swedish red and white breed of cattle is considered promising for farm and domestic livestock. Cows successfully combine the valuable features of dairy and beef cattle. If you organize the cultivation of cattle according to the rules, it will be possible to bring the farm to a high level of income.