The other name of Brown Swiss cattle is Braunvieh cattle known to be the oldest breed among all other dairy breeds. It is mainly known for dairy production. These cattle originated from north-eastern part of Switzerland. The fossils found in the lands show that these cattle are almost 1000 years old. Basically brown Swiss cattle developed from the Braunvieh cattle (a great breed known for milking). People bred braunvieh cattle with many other cattle breeds to achieve dairy cattle, so brown Swiss cattle came into being. Currently , over 8 million registered dairy cattle breeds in Switzerland and 14 million dairy cattle all over the world, the brown cattle breed is known as the 2nd largest dairy breed.
Brown swiss cattle have a lot of advantages like milk production (primarily) and meat production but there are some drawbacks which makes the decision troublesome. The gestation period of brown swiss cattle is quite long and requires extra care. The brown swiss bulls become mature at the age of 12 to 14 months for successful breeding and cows develop to their maturity for breeding after 332 days. This leads to low fertility rate and low production rate. Apart from this, these cattle have quite long lives and do not require replacement. So this drawback does not affect the selectivity of these cattle.
In contrast to disadvantage, there are a lot of advantages of Brown swiss cattle. These cattle are mainly used for the production of milk and secondly for the production of meat. Their milk is of high quality and known for cheese making throughout the world. The milk production reaches its peak after the 5th lactation or after. The protein content in their milk is about 3.5% and butterfat percentage is about 4%. The average production of their milk is 9000 kg per year. They have longer lives which leads to low replacement cost. The brown swiss cattle have excellent health with strong udders.
Brown Swiss cattle are known for milking properties known worldwide. This quality milk production does not improve their price. The average price range of these cattle is US $300. The price may exceed if they are sold according to their body surface area. The average rate per body surface area is $16. Their milk is of high quality and worthy, so farmers usually sell their milk for earning. These cattle are used for commercial purposes that’s why they are purchased in bulk. In bulk purchase, their cost reduces. The money spent on their purchase can easily be gained back with their high quality milk.
Brown Swiss Cattle Disadvantages
Brown swiss cattle have a lot of advantages like milk production (primarily) and meat production but there are some drawbacks which makes the decision troublesome. The gestation period of brown swiss cattle is quite long and requires extra care. The brown swiss bulls become mature at the age of 12 to 14 months for successful breeding and cows develop to their maturity for breeding after 332 days. This leads to low fertility rate and low production rate. Apart from this, these cattle have quite long lives and do not require replacement. So this drawback does not affect the selectivity of these cattle.
Brown Swiss Cattle Advantages
In contrast to disadvantage, there are a lot of advantages of Brown swiss cattle. These cattle are mainly used for the production of milk and secondly for the production of meat. Their milk is of high quality and known for cheese making throughout the world. The milk production reaches its peak after the 5th lactation or after. The protein content in their milk is about 3.5% and butterfat percentage is about 4%. The average production of their milk is 9000 kg per year. They have longer lives which leads to low replacement cost. The brown swiss cattle have excellent health with strong udders.
Brown Swiss Cattle Facts
- Brown swiss cattle are commonly available in brown, tan, grey and white color with hooves black in color.Â
- They have long, fluffy ears which are different from other cattle breeds.Â
- They are large sized cattle, cows having weight up to 600 kg and bulls having weight up to 900 kg.Â
- These cattle can be horned or polled. It depends on the mother breeds involved in breeding. The farmers sometimes dehorn their cattle for safety.Â
- Brown Swiss cattle can survive easily in the Irish climatic conditions. The rough and tough climate is not an issue for these cattle.Â
Brown Swiss Cattle Price
Brown Swiss cattle are known for milking properties known worldwide. This quality milk production does not improve their price. The average price range of these cattle is US $300. The price may exceed if they are sold according to their body surface area. The average rate per body surface area is $16. Their milk is of high quality and worthy, so farmers usually sell their milk for earning. These cattle are used for commercial purposes that’s why they are purchased in bulk. In bulk purchase, their cost reduces. The money spent on their purchase can easily be gained back with their high quality milk.
0 Comments