The milk productivity of cattle depends on the characteristics of the animal, the conditions of detention, age and many other factors. But first of all - from the breed and origin. Since the beginning of the last century, a black (motley) breed of cows has been widely spread on the territory of Russia, which today holds a leading position.
Appearance
Among the distinctive characteristics relating to the exterior of these animals, of course, the main one is the suit. The wool is always black and mottled, very pleasant and soft to the touch. Thin skin forms small folds on the body. The back and lower back make a straight straight line.
The elongated body of the animal with a rather voluminous belly is developed in proportion. The udder is cup-shaped with asymmetrical lobes and rear nipples very close to each other. Strong limbs set straight. The cow gains body mass very quickly. Having a birth weight of 35 kg, it weighs 470–550 kg with a height of 140 cm by the age of adulthood. Bulls are much heavier — their weight is from 850 to 900 kg.
Breed features
The black-motley breed of cows belongs to the dairy, therefore its meat qualities are quite satisfactory. The question “a lot of milk gives a cow” is the main one in assessing its merits. This breed is considered the most productive in terms of milk, sometimes milk yield reaches 7000 kg per lactation.
Animals are highly adaptable to a wide variety of climatic conditions. They get used to any weather conditions very quickly, easily tolerate cold and heat, have good health and stable immunity, can be in a pasture for a long time and not be afraid of long crossings.
They are unpretentious in food, the main thing is that there is a large amount of feed - both green pasture and haylage and silage. Due to all these features, farmers prefer breeding of this particular breed.
Origin
The domestic black-motley breed of cows was bred by breeders in the 30s of the twentieth century. Local cattle from different regions of Russia were crossed with Dutch cows. The work was carried out in 2 stages: first, obtaining various crossbreeds, then improving them.
This breed was officially recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture as an independent only in 1959, after which it became popular not only in our country, but also abroad, the black-motley breed of cows.
Productivity
The cow breeding region is of great importance for this indicator. Milk fat content is in the range of 3.2-3.9 percent, and its high threshold is observed in cows in Siberia, Estonia and Ukraine. Breeding farms can also boast of large milk yields, sometimes reaching 6500 kg. Fighting for leadership and competing in various indicators, state farms also record achievements in milk production. The record for today is the figure of 10,000-12,000 kg. Such an amount of milk for lactation today can give a black-motley breed of cows. Characteristics of meat productivity are significantly different. Only 50% is the lethal carcass yield.
There are several types of this breed, differing in appearance, in milk yield, depending on the place of breeding. These indicators are influenced by climatic conditions, the level of pedigree work in the region and the initial type of livestock.
Breed of cows of the Central region of Russia
The black-motley breed of cows in this part of Russia has its own characteristics. These are very large animals. Cows have an average weight of up to 650 kg and high productivity (7500-8000 kg of milk with a fat content of at least 3.6%). Bulls sometimes reach a mass of 1000 kg. The breed was created by crossing local livestock breeds (Kholmogorsky, Yaroslavl, etc.) with German and Dutch. Intra-breed types bred in Central Russia (Moscow, Nepetsinsky and Barybinsky) were bred in 2003-2004.
Breed of cows of black-motley suit in the Urals
These animals are distinguished by a more lightweight type of constitution, they are very harmonious and have a dry physique. The color is predominantly black with various sizes of white spots, located throughout the body in a chaotic order. It was mainly by crossing the Tagil breed with the motley cattle of the Baltic states that this black-and-white breed of cows appeared in the Urals. The characteristic of milk productivity is slightly different: with high fat content of milk reaching 4.0%, milk yield cannot be called very large. Even on pedigree state farms, they rarely exceed 5500 kg. In 2003, crossbreeding Holstein bulls and cows of black-motley breed, breeders created an inbreeding type - the Urals.
Black-motley cattle in Siberia
The crossing of Dutch cattle with Siberian cattle resulted in the appearance of large and massive animals, whose weight reaches 560 kg. The milk yield varies from 4,500 to 5,000 kg, and cows in breeding farms can produce 8,000 kg. Milk has a high percentage of fat content. Intra-breed types created in Siberia (Probsky, Ilmen) are well adapted to Siberian weather conditions.
Thanks to the genes of Holstein cows, the features of the exterior and milk productivity acquire more and more common features that the black-and-white breed of cows has. Photos of animals that can be found in special literature are not much different; it can be impossible to determine from them - the breed is bred in Siberia or the Urals. All of them have a very similar constitution and a predominantly milky type of constitution.
The breed of cows is Holstein
Improving the black-and-white domestic breed of cows, breeders used the Holstein breed in their work. Originally from Holland, these animals, thanks to their best qualities, have spread throughout the world, becoming especially popular in Germany. The breed received official registration in 1983 in North America. Today it makes up 90% of the total number of cattle bred on the territory there. A strong constitution and high productivity have become the hallmarks of the Holstein cattle breed. The black-and-white color of these animals is predominant, but representatives of a completely black and even red-and-white color are also found. White marks are most often located on the abdomen, on the extremities and on the tip of the tail.
Cows have a powerful skeleton, well-developed muscles and well-defined milk forms. The cup-shaped udder has a large capacity. For a day, milk yield can be more than 60 kg, and productivity for lactation - 8000 kg. At a height of 150 cm, the weight of cows can reach 700 kg, bulls - over 1100 kg. When providing animals with quality nutrition, these figures can be even higher. Calves are born weighing 38 to 47 kg.
Representatives of the Holstein breed are very demanding on the conditions of detention, therefore it is necessary to approach this issue extremely responsibly. They do not differ in high stress resistance, but at the same time they are very affectionate and clean. In the summer season, grass is enough to feed as cows get on the paddock, but in winter it is necessary to use bean hay, soybean meal and corn in the diet.
Yaroslavl breed of cows
It was bred in the Yaroslavl province by the method of selection of local cattle, for which it received its name. This breed is one of the oldest in Russia and today is more and more replaced by others with higher productivity. This is a black and motley breed of cows, characterized by a slightly angular physique, narrow chest and underdeveloped muscles. A suit of the Yaroslavl breed is the predominant black color with small white spots in the head, abdomen and limbs. Animals have a short stature, not exceeding 127 cm at the withers, and a mass rarely exceeding 500 kg. A well-developed rounded udder provides high milk productivity - up to 6000 kg, fat content is 4.2-5.2%.
Today, the Yaroslavl breed, due to its weak characteristics, is no longer of such economic importance as before. Its livestock is declining, but, despite this, it is of great value for breeding work. So, thanks to the crossing of Yaroslavl with Holstein bulls, a new type of Yaroslavl breed appeared - Mikhailovsky, which has high milk productivity. In addition, these animals are characterized by early maturity, longevity, and easily adapt to local conditions.
And in the private sector today, a black-motley breed of cows is increasingly found. Owner reviews mark a number of its advantages over everyone else. The breeding work, which is constantly carried out today with this breed, is aimed at creating large animals with higher productivity indicators and correcting all the defects of the exterior.