Dual-purpose draft and dairy cattle

Dual-purpose draft and dairy cattle

　　The Provincial Animal Husbandry Technology Extension Station and Taihe County Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station, in areas such as Chengjiang, Shangtian, and Yanxi in Taihe County, crossbred robust and majestic Swiss Simmental bulls with locally raised yellow cattle—known for their golden coats and gentle temperament—to develop a new type of livestock. These cattle have straight limbs, sturdy hooves, and a solid build, with large, bright eyes and a vigorously swishing tail. They are capable of both plowing fields and producing milk, hence called dual-purpose draft and dairy cattle. According to statistics from 1984 on the milk yield of six such cattle, during their first lactation period each cow averaged 1,590 kilograms of milk, with a daily average of 5.2 kilograms and a milk fat content of 5.18%. After twenty days of lactation, they entered a working period, taking on the task of cultivating five to seven acres of land, yet their milk production did not decline. Among them, Cow No. 2, under continuous work in hot weather for a week with four to five hours of plowing each day, still maintained a daily milk yield of around 5 kilograms. In 1985, measurements were taken on three cows entering their second lactation period, which showed an average daily milk yield of 8.7 kilograms—an increase of 60% compared to their first lactation period. This research has pioneered the path of developing traditional draft cattle into multi-purpose cattle for draft work, milk, and meat production, demonstrating broad development prospects.