Content
One of the undeservedly forgotten domestic cattle breeds that are declining in number is the Krasnogorbatovskaya cow. This breed was developed in the 19th century in the Nizhny Novgorod province by crossing local livestock with imported Tyrolean cattle, which were distinguished by their high fat content in milk. This was the main goal of breeding the Krasnogorbatovskaya breed of cows: to obtain animals that produce milk with a high percentage of fat.
Local livestock had very low productive characteristics. The weight of Nizhny Novgorod cows was no more than 300 kg. The slaughter yield barely reached 50%. Tyrolean bulls, with which Nizhny Novgorod cows were crossed, passed on to their offspring high milk yields and a good slaughter yield of meat.
When breeding animals, they were selected not only for their productive characteristics, but also for their color. Only cows with a red color were left for the tribe. The breeding group was registered as a breed in 1926.
Description of the Krasnogorbatovskaya breed of cows
In all its characteristics, including size and unpretentiousness, the Krasnogorbatovskaya breed of cows could replace the increasingly popular and very expensive breed of cows in the Russian climate. Jersey cow. Except for the suit.
All cows of this breed are red in color, ranging from brown to cherry brown. The height of Krasnogorbatovsky cattle is 120 – 125 cm. Body length is 145 – 155 cm. Elongation index is 121.
The exterior generally corresponds to the appearance of a dairy cattle breed. Krasnogorbatovskie are animals of strong constitution. The head is light and short. The nasal planum is light. The horns are light gray, the tips are dark.
The neck is short, of medium width. The chest is deep and wide. Girth 181 cm. The topline is almost straight, similar to the topline of the best dairy breeds. But still it has differences in the area of the withers and sacral region. Wide back and lower back. The sacrum is slightly raised and of regular shape. Legs are short. The color is brown, traditionally called red.
Exterior Disadvantages
Among the common disadvantages of the red Gorbatov breed are:
- drooping croup;
- saber set;
- drooping back;
- poorly developed rear lobes of the udder.
In addition, dairy cows are not suitable for receiving meat from them, as they have poorly developed muscles.
Productive characteristics of the breed
When breeding the breed, they tried to improve not only milk production, but also meat productivity. Therefore, bulls of the Red Gorbatov breed are distinguished by their relatively large weight in relation to the size of their body and developed muscles.
At 4 years old, a breeding bull must weigh at least 900 kg. By the age of 2 years, bull calves gain weight of about 700 kg.At the same time, the weight of an adult cow does not exceed 650 kg, ranging from 400 for the least quality representatives of the Krasnogorbatovskaya, to 650 in breeding farms engaged in breeding this cattle. As a result of selection, the slaughter yield of meat from bull carcasses was raised to 60%.
In a cow, all the nutrients it consumes are used to produce milk, so cows have virtually no muscle mass.
Milk productivity of Red Gorbatovskaya: annual milk yield is 2.7-4 tons of milk with a fat content of at least 4.1-4.5%. Individual record holders in breeding farms can produce up to 8 tons per year. The fat content of milk can also reach 6%.
Pros and cons of the red Gorbatovskaya
The features for which private owners value this breed are good adaptation to various climatic conditions, poor susceptibility to disease and unpretentiousness to feed. Krasnogorbatov cattle rarely suffer from “traditional diseases such as brucellosis, tuberculosis or leukemia. Cows have a fairly calm disposition.
Without trying to fight with a person, the animal simply does what it sees fit.
The disadvantages relate to industrial milk production. Often the udder of Krasnogorbatov cows is not suitable for using a machine milking machine. Also, these cattle show low milk yields compared to modern breeds bred exclusively for milk production.
Due to the development of industrial production, the number of Krasnogorbatov cattle in Russia is declining. This breed is still popular in the area of its origin – the Nizhny Novgorod region.A certain number of these cattle are bred throughout Central Russia and Ukraine.
Reviews from owners of Krasnogorbatovsky cows
Conclusion
Due to low milk productivity and low-quality udders, Krasnogorbatovsky cattle are not suitable for breeding on industrial dairy farms. But for a private owner, this cow is one of the most suitable options due to its unpretentiousness and high fat content of milk. The inability of this breed to machine milking does not play any role when keeping one or two animals on a personal plot.
