Hf Cow

All About HF Cow

Introduction

Dairy cattle of the Holstein Friesian breed can be traced back to the provinces of North Holland and Friesland in the Netherlands as well as Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany (sometimes shortened to "Holsteins" in North America but more commonly "Friesians" in the UK and Ireland). In terms of milk production they are unrivalled.

Over 150 countries are home to the Holstein-Friesian making it the most widely distributed cattle breed in the world.  North American and South American dairy farmers initially imported their livestock from the Netherlands to meet the rising demand for milk as the New World expanded.

From 1621 to 1664 both black and white cattle from Europe were brought to the New World. Many Dutch farmers initially settled in the eastern part of New Netherland (present-day New York and Connecticut) in the fertile valleys of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers. Most likely they brought cattle from their homeland and bred them with cattle they bought in the colony. After that local cows were known as Dutch cattle and prized for their ability to produce milk.

The Dutch cattle that were imported to the British Isles up until the 18th century served as the foundation for several breeds in England and Scotland. The great David Low wrote down "Specifically the Holderness district north of the Humber through the Yorkshire moorlands and into the plains was where the Dutch breed took root.

Highest quality English dairy cattle "In 1840 the people of Holderness showed clear signs of their Dutch ancestry.
 

Types of HF Cow

There are more than 150 countries where you can find Holstein-Friesians making them the most widely distributed cattle breed in the world. For your perusal we present the following varieties of HF cow 

Breed Characteristics

Piebald patterns are typical of Holsteins and their coats are either black and white or red and white. Some exceptionally rare examples sport a combination of black and red pigmentation on a white background. This one-of-a-kind hue is brought on by a substance called "red factor Also "blue" is a recognised hue.

The bluish hue of this hf cow is the result of white hairs intermixing with the black hairs. Some people in the farming community also refer to this colouring as "blue roan." They produce an astounding annual average of 10220 kilograms of milk or 22530 pounds. Butterfat accounts for 3.7% of the total weight of this milk while protein makes up 3.1% (or 719 pounds).

At birth a healthy calf weighs at least 40-50 kg (75-110 lb). Mature Holstein cows typically weigh 680 to 770 kilograms (1500 to 1700 lb) and have a shoulder height of 145 to 165 centimeters (58 to 65 inches). At 11 to 14 months of age or when their weight is 317 to 340 kilograms (700 to 750 pounds) or 55% of their final adult weight Holstein heifers are optimally ready for breeding.

1. Red and white Holsteins

In Holsteins a recessive gene controls the expression of a red coat colour instead of a black one. Assuming that the allele 'B' refers to the dominant black and 'b' represents for the recessive red cattle with the paired alleles 'Bb' 'bB' or 'BB' would be black and white whilst 'bb' animals would be red and white.

Cattle with "broken" colours first appeared in the Netherlands from Central Europe in 13c documents. Between 1869 and 1885 the United States imported the vast majority of its foundation stock. A group of early breeders decided that only black and white cows would be allowed in the herd book hence the breed's name and that they would be called Holsteins. A number of people voiced their disagreement arguing that the focus should be on the cattle's quality rather than their appearance and that the name "Dutch" rather than "Holstein" should be used.

In 1964 the Red and White Dairy Cattle Association (RWDCA) in the United States established a registry system for Red and White dairy cattle.  Its founding members were interested in creating a dairy registry for the Milking Shorthorn cattle as well as the red and white Holsteins that they had bred in the past.

Since the red colour factor is shared between the Milking Shorthorn and the red and white Holstein the latter were considered as potential outcrossing individuals in the quest to increase milk production.

Due in large part to the RWDCA’s “open herd book” policy Red and White Holsteins has risen to prominence in the dairy industry.

2. Polled Holsteins

In 1889 the United States confirmed the existence of the first polled Holstein. Polled Holsteins are hornless because they carry the dominant polled gene. Among Holsteins the polled gene has always been extremely rare. But as dehorning raises animal welfare concerns there has been a surge in people looking into polled genetics.

3. British Friesian cattle

There has been a significant increase in the number of Holstein bloodlines in the UK as a result of the focus on increasing production through indexing and lifetime profit scores. However advocates of the traditional British Friesian argue that these criteria do not accurately reflect the true profitability or the production of the Friesian cow.

Friesian breeders have speculated that current conditions in the UK which are reminiscent of the 1950s through the 1980s in terms of low milk price and the need for extensive low-cost systems for many farmers may eventually lead to a revaluation of the characteristics of the British Friesian.

During this time period the UK dairy cow population shifted to be dominated by this breed and the UK exported stock and sperm to many countries. It could be argued that the concept of "dual-purpose" animals is now archaic but the Friesian is still a great fit for many farms especially those that rely heavily on grazing.

HF Cow Origin
 

Cattle of the Holstein Friesian breed can be traced back to the northern regions of the Netherlands and Germany. The Friesland region of Holland and the Holstein region of northern Germany are the primary locations of the Holstein Friesian breed hence the name.

The milk production of these cattle is unrivalled. The Holstein Friesian has spread all over the world from its original home in northern Europe. Many of them live on dairy farms in the United States and the United Kingdom.

A consistent population of the Holstein breed has developed in the United Kingdom as a result of the import of Dutch cattle to England and parts of Scotland up to the eighteenth century. Since the eighteenth century Dutch breeds have been widely regarded as the best in England.

An extensive population of dairy cattle including hybrids descended from early imports of Holstein and native British cattle breeds has developed as a result of these early shipments of cattle to England and other parts of the United Kingdom.

From 1661 to 1665 the United States welcomed Black and White cattle from Europe marking the beginning of the Holstein-Friesian breed in the Americas. When Dutch farmers brought their herds of Holstein cattle to the Hudson Valley they farmed in what is now New York and Connecticut. In contrast a statement made by the Holland Land Company in 1795 indicates that the first imported cattle to New York were as large as oxen. Two bulls and six cows made up the import.

Hf Cow Price in India
 

People prefer hf cows to the more common desi cows for use in dairy farming. Milk output from HF cows is significantly greater than that of desi Indian cows.

• 1. The average cost of an HF cow in India is between INR 40000 and INR 80000.

• 2. During the milking season a Hf cow could be purchased for between 90000 and 150000

• 3. In India the going rate for a sated Hf cow was somewhere in the range of 70000 to 100000 rupees (INR

• 4. The difference in cost is a direct result of their age. The price of aHf cow increased as its age decreased.

What is the Full Form of HF Cow?
 

An HF cow is a Holstein Friesian to give it its full name. Instead of raising a large herd of Desi cows many people would like to raise a smaller herd of hf cows for dairy. The milk output of HF cows is significantly higher than that of desi Indian cows.

The Holstein-Friesian is the most widely distributed cattle breed with over 150 countries providing homes for these friendly cattle. It is estimated that HF cows have been selectively bred for their dairy qualities for the past two thousand years. They have a long history of widespread distribution across the richer lowlands of continental Europe due to their high milk production value.