Holstein breed — buy or sell

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History of the Holstein breed. The homeland of Holsteins is the Netherlands. According to historical data, the breed originated before our era, when the light cattle of the Frisian tribes living in the territory of present-day northern Holland mixed with the black cows of German settlers. The mixture of German and Frisian cows gave rise to this breed. The endurance, strong immunity, and hardiness in feed characteristic of Frisian cattle were combined with the high milk qualities of German cattle. The black-and-white individuals resulting from this crossbreeding are the ancestors of Holsteins. The lands of the Netherlands were ideally suited for growing forage grasses, which the locals cultivated, producing cheese and butter for many centuries. In Friesland (a Dutch province) in the 17th century, Holsteins were kept for both milk and meat production. This approach was also adopted by most livestock breeders in other countries. Over time, black-and-white cattle were exported to many European countries. In the 19th century, cattle from Holland first arrived in the USA. Their neat appearance, high productivity, and, most importantly, the taste of the milk won the affection of American livestock breeders and beyond. The Holstein-Friesian Breeders Association was established on March 15, 1871, founded by Winthrop Chenery. Breeders in the USA and Canada focused on the conformation of the animals and the milk productivity of black-and-white cattle, and it can be said that they achieved the desired results. Since the selection was carried out within the breed, Americans are considered the pure Holsteins. In 1872, the first edition of the Holstein-Friesian breed herd book was published. By that time, cattle were already being bred in full force in 12 states of the USA. The popularity of Holsteins rapidly increased when, in 1887, a cow of this breed named Klattilda won the highest milk yield competition. In 1885, the Holstein-Friesian Association of the USA began its work, and soon Holstein cattle became the most popular in the USA, eventually gaining supremacy worldwide. An important role in the spread of Holsteins was played by the method of artificial insemination, which began to be actively used in the 1960s and had a huge impact on the genetic improvement of the breed. Exterior. The exclusively black-and-white coloration is the standard of this breed. Black spots of various sizes and shapes can cover 2/3 of the entire surface of the skin; less commonly, black Holsteins with solitary white spots on their legs and tails are found.

What to feed

Ration. The Holstein breed is quite demanding when it comes to feeding. To realize their milk potential, these animals must have a balanced diet, drink plenty of water, and minimize factors that cause discomfort. In the feed trough of Holsteins, one can see hay, silage, crushed barley, feed beets, sunflower and soybean meal, clover, alfalfa, lupine, and peas. Cows should only be given water that is not cold. Per day, an animal drinks about 50 liters of liquid, and during the lactation period, the need for water doubles. As for silage, it causes disputes among specialists. Some experts do not recommend adding it to the diet of Holsteins, explaining that the product contains many pathogenic bacteria and can provoke the development of mastitis and inflammatory processes in the reproductive system. However, many livestock breeders still provide corn silage. Heifers and dry cows are fed 2-3 times a day. The dry period lasts no less than 45 and no more than 65 days; a week before calving, cows are no longer given silage and haylage—this is very important to avoid cases of abortion. In the first days after calving, it is recommended to give cows dry hay.

Physical parameters

Male Weight: 140–160 kg

Female weight: 130–150 kg

Male height: 900–1000 cm

Female height: 700–800 cm

Habitat Range

Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua & Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia & Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Caribbean Netherlands Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo - Brazzaville Congo - Kinshasa Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d’Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong SAR China Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao SAR China Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar (Burma) Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Réunion Samoa San Marino Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Martin St. Vincent & Grenadines Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria São Tomé & Príncipe Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad & Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks & Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye U.S. Virgin Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Wallis & Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands