Simmental

The Simmental breed comes from Switzerland, and is considered to be one of the oldest cattle types in the world! There are 41 million of these animals around the world, and they’re popular for their excellent reputation in both milk and beef production.

The ‘Fleckvieh’ breed, common in Germany, is actually a strain of Simmental. The word Fleckvieh translates roughly into ‘spotted cattle’. Pie Rouge is also a breed commonly used in France which is also a strain of Simmental.

CHARACTERISTIC OF SIMMENTAL BREED

Average weight of matured cattle is about 900kg for cows and up to 1,300kg for bulls, making them quite a large-framed, muscled animal.

Simmental cattle might be horned or polled, depending on the genetic breeding history. This is an important thing to decide on, especially as some farmers may not wish to go through the distressing process of dehorning their herd.

Simmental cattle live for a long time compared to some other continental breeds, which reduces herd replacement costs. They’re also fertile for a large part of this long lifetime and don’t need lengthy intervals between calving.

Speaking of calving, the birthing process for Simmental cows is generally considered easy and without too many complications. This is ideal for one-person farms where the pressure is all on one farmer!

These cattle mature early, and convert food to weight in a very efficient manner regardless of the kind of pasture they are in, according to most owners. Reports say that Simmental cattle are actually the number one breed in the world when it comes to milk yield and combined weaning gain!

Carcass weight is about 57.2% and the daily gain for the average Simmental is 1.44kg under good management.

The beef yield from this breed is high, with a good ratio between meat and waste products such as fat and bone. The beef is also well-marbled, giving it good tenderness and adding to its marketability. Cattle that are only half-Simmental still inherit the genes that make their finished carcasses an excellent source of high-quality beef.

The first lactation for a Simmental cow can yield about 6,000kg of milk, whereas their subsequent lactations can yield about 9,000kg! The milk from these cows is about 3.7% protein and 4.2% fat.