Such an agricultural animal as a cow has long been considered the breadwinner of all nations.
In some countries, this animal can be seen on state symbols.
And in India, in general, a cow is considered a sacred animal.
In today's time there are many varieties of breeds of cows.
These animals are raised not only for dairy products, but also for meat.
Breeding cows is not an easy task and you need to work very hard in this matter.
In this article you will discover a lot of interesting and useful things about the Kholmogory breed of cows.
Distinctive signs of the Kholmogory breed of cows
This breed of cattle belongs to the dairy type, which proves that the Kholmogory cow was bred for high milk yield.
In the eighteenth century, there was a very great demand for dairy-type products; therefore, breeders tried to create something new. But until that time there was a lot of controversy about how this breed of cows originated.
One side believes that the Kholmogory breed arose as a result of the crossing of Dutch cattle with local cows, while the other believes that this is a purely Russian breed of cows, which was bred in the Arkhangelsk region of the Kholmogorsky district.
The basis of this assumption is the adaptability of cattle of this breed to the weather conditions of this region, as well as the fearlessness of the cold and not whimsicalness in the content.
The official presentation of the Kholmogorsk breed to agriculture occurred in 1937.
Farmers who host this breed of cows are very pleased with it. Because the breed is easy to grow, it is in good health and pleases them with its milk.
It is also interesting to read about the features of milking a cow.
External distinguishing features Kholmogorsky breed of cows:
- The weight of one animal of this breed varies between 450-500 kilograms of a female, and a bull about 900 kilograms. If animals are bred in herds, their weight is much greater.
Slaughter weight of one animal is 53 percent of body weight, and if you follow all the standards of the content of the Kholmogory breed of cows, then maybe 65 percent.
- The head of the cows is large, and the neck is thin.
- The chest girth in centimeters is about two hundred. The depth is about seventy centimeters.
- The skin is not very thick, elastic.
- The body of the breed is strong, strong bones, the body is elongated. This breed of cattle sufficiently developed chest. Cows of this breed are very high. At the withers of a cow can be up to 135 centimeters. The back of this breed is wide, the sacrum is sometimes raised.
- The muscular component is dense and dry, moderately developed.
- Udder medium size. Its shape is cup-shaped or even round. In a year from one cow you can drink about 3300 kilograms of milk. The fat content of this product is four percent, but if the cow is breeding, then this figure may increase up to two times.
- The color of the Kholmogory breed of cows can be black and white, and individuals of red variegated color can be found.
- A distinctive feature is correctly set limbs.
Features of the Kholmogory Cow:
- This breed of cows differs from others in its size and color.
- Properly set limbs are a feature of this cattle.
- Kholmogory breed has good meat and milk performance.
- The peculiarity of the breed is its dairy type.
- Cows of this breed are among the three most common breeds.
Advantages that can be used to characterize the Kholmogory breed of cows:
- Not capricious in content.
- Kholmogorskaya breed is well adapted to cold weather conditions.
- Very good quality indicators, both dairy products and meat.
- A solid body constitution is a positive quality.
- Since the breed refers to the dairy type, a good indicator is a large milk yield.
- Cattle of this breed has a very stable immunity to various diseases.
- Kholmogory breed of cows is very common.
The disadvantage of the Kholmogory breed of cows include:
- Decreased productivity when grown in southern hot areas.
- The disadvantage can also be considered as a narrow chest and not very well developed muscles on the back, vislozadost.
What is the productivity of the Kholmogory breed of cows?
Currently, breeders are still continuing work to improve the qualities of the Kholmogory breed of cows. These works are aimed at increasing body mass, and hence at increasing the slaughter weight of the animal.
Cattle of this breed tolerates very different weather conditions. Cows are not whimsical in the content.
On average, milk yield from one cows per year is about 3,300 kilograms. There are also cow recordholders who can produce up to seven tons of milk per year. Meat quality is also very high. These indicators have a very good effect on the demand for the breed.
The Kholmogory breed of cows is precocious. Already at the age of thirty months, the cow first calves. The weight of a newborn calf reaches 35 kilograms.