Description and characteristics of Montbeliard cows, their content
The Montbeliard cows are elite cattle originally from France. The popularity of Montbeliard among farmers is due to their versatility, endurance and unpretentiousness. These horned cattle can quickly acclimate and adapt to the conditions of any climate. Another advantage is increased meat and milk productivity. The Montbeliard breed is quite rare: there are about 2 million heads in the world.
History of the origin of the breed
The purposeful breeding process began in the 18th century. Farmers in Switzerland and France wished to develop a new breed of cows, whose representatives would be favorably distinguished by resilience and productive qualities. For this, Swiss outbred cows were crossed with representatives of the variegated, Charolais and other breeds. The breeding work stretched over a hundred years.
The Montbéliard were officially presented in 1889 at a French exhibition. In the same year, individuals were included in the official list of farm animals. These cattle representatives were first kept in the mountainous regions of France. Later, the breed spread to all world continents.
Habitat
The Montbéliard breed can be found anywhere in the world, from Californian dairy farms to the green meadows of Ireland. The largest concentration of heads remains in France among cheese farmers. Montbeliard also live in African countries. For example, in Chile, there are about 3000 representatives of the breed.
They export cows to different countries. Most often, farmers purchase Montbéliard to enhance the quality values of the existing livestock. Less often - for breeding pure rock without impurities. The cost of an adult sexually mature animal ranges from 100,000 rubles. Montbeliard cows are successfully kept and bred in different regions:
- Areas of the Middle East.
- European states.
- Canary Islands.
- Brazil.
- China.
Description and characteristics of Montbeliard cows
Representatives of the Montbéliard breed are easy to recognize because of their bright external data. The average size of an adult is 1.5 meters height at the withers, the body is 1.6 meters long. The weight of a bull reaches a ton, a sexually mature female - 600-650 kilograms.
Montbéliard have a unique coloration: milky white belly, red-brown spots on the back, light hair on the head.
Appearance
Correct body composition and original coloration made Montbéliard frequent heroes of commercials. Cows have smoothed trunk lines, their spine does not stand out.The shoulder blades are flat, the back is straight, and the legs are massive. The coat of cows is dense and short. Other Montbéliard breed standards:
- Large head sizes. The shape is rounded, slightly widened around the eyes.
- Symmetrical muzzle.
- The Monbéliard bulls have a pronounced chest underbelly.
- Sexually mature Montbeliard cows are larger than average in size.
- There is a characteristic fur brush at the end of the tail.
Milk productivity
The female of the Montbeliard breed gives 7500-9000 liters of dairy products per year. The duration of the lactation period is 305 days. The peculiarity of milk is a constant composition, a high percentage of protein in the composition, a stable level of fat. These are ideal values for cooking premium cheeses.
Meat characteristics
Montbeliard cows have strong immunity, they are also able to digest even the roughest food. This has a beneficial effect on the quality of the meat. The net yield from one head during slaughter is at least 68%. At the same time, the meat is juicy, it contains little fat and a lot of animal protein. It is economically profitable to breed Montbeliard cows as they gain weight quickly (average monthly gain is 45 kg).
Description of Montbeliard Meat:
- Uniform scarlet color.
- Lack of sinewy areas.
- Delicate pronounced aroma.
- The back is top quality meat.
Pros and cons
Among the advantages of the Montbeliard breed are high-quality tasty meat and milk, endurance, and unpretentiousness. Cows have a low percentage of somatic cells - this significantly reduces the risk of developing mastitis. Individuals are distinguished by easy calving and high fertility rates.
Maintenance and care of animals
Warm, spacious rooms are suitable for Montbéliard. The minimum shed area for a female with a calf is 18 square meters. A suitable barn height is 2-3 meters. Strict division into zones is mandatory: a feeder, a stall, a toilet. 10% of the area must be allocated to the windows, lighting is required in the barn. It is advisable that during the winter months the air temperature in the barn does not drop below -10 degrees. To protect the walls, they are insulated with sawdust, slag. A suitable humidity level is 40-70%. Ventilation recommended.
Cleaning is done in the morning and in the evening. The manure is cleared into equipped canals or carried out in buckets. After harvesting, a new flooring is laid, hay / straw is added throughout the day as it gets dirty. Cows' drinkers and feeders are cleaned and washed before each new filling. General cleaning and disinfection measures are done monthly (treatment with an aqueous formalin solution of 2% and similar compounds).
Feeding and drinking
It is recommended to give the Montbéliard a balanced feed with a high content of microelements. Individuals should be fed 2 times at regular intervals. For dairy cows, this figure rises to 3-4. Favorite delicacies of the Montbéliard are fresh juicy greens, compound feed, corn cobs, vegetable tops, hay. Animals should always have open and free access to drinking bowls with clean water.
Newborn Montbéliard are given boiled water after the first 7 days of life, and by the third week of life they completely switch to purified or raw water. Already at 6 months, young Montbéliard feeds in the same way as adult cows. The diet of calves should include corn silage, fresh juicy vegetables, and a variety of root vegetables without rot. Hay with coarse fibers is also useful for young animals to stimulate the digestive process.
How to breed a breed
The seminal fluid of montbéliard bulls is used for artificial insemination of cows of this or another breed. The process takes place in 2 types. This is an absorptive crossing - a combination of different breeds to increase unproductive performance. The second type is the variable fertilization of the Montbéliard. The goal is to breed highly productive offspring.
Sexual maturity in Montbeliard occurs at 9-12 months. Cows do not have a specific breeding season; mating occurs throughout the year. Pregnancy of a female Montbéliard lasts 280-285 days, ends with calving. Usually 1 calf (20-50 kg) is born, less often twins. After calving, the lactation period begins: the mother feeds the young for 1-3 months, then the calves are transferred to independent feeding.
Frequent illnesses
Montbeliard cows have good immunity. But with improper maintenance and the absence of elementary conditions, there is a risk of infection with infectious pathologies, including:
- Necrobacteriosis or hoof disease - purulent-necrotic processes on the skin, mucous membranes and internal organs of the cow.
- Leptospirosis - pathogens affect the internal organs and the central nervous system, the process is accompanied by severe intoxication.
- Actinomycosis is a fungal infection of tissues and organs with the formation of characteristic foci on the body of a cow.
- Brucellosis is a violation of the functioning of the reproductive, nervous, bone and cardiovascular systems of a cow.
If the first alarming symptoms are found, you should urgently seek veterinary help. The farmer should be alerted to a decrease in milk volume, apathy, partial or complete refusal of food, an increase in the overall body temperature of the cow. Early detection of the disease is a guarantee of successful and fast therapy. In most cases, the animal is completely healed.
The Montbéliard breed of cows belongs to the category of "elite". Individuals are distinguished by their meat and dairy versatility, which is suitable for both small farms and entire factories. The breed is widespread on all world continents. Features and advantages of Montbéliard - unpretentiousness, endurance, immunity. But suitable housing conditions and good care are a guarantee of high yields and tasty meat at the output.
