Brown Swiss Cattle Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Brown Swiss cattle are one of the main dairy cattle breeds that originated from the Alps in Switzerland. They are a large breed of cattle with an incredible milk yield that has good butterfat and protein content which makes it ideal for dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products.
They are a very hardy and resilient breed that are used to foraging in mountainous terrains and can withstand any temperature variations.

BROWN SWISS BREED OF CATTLE QUICK PROFILE OVERVIEW
The Brown Swiss cattle are a hardy resilient breed with a high milk yield and good butterfat content making them an excellent choice for the production of dairy products such as cheese.
Country of Origin:	Switzerland
Other Names:	None
Main Purpose:	Milk
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Can be used for	Breed, Milk
Ideal Climate:	Heat, Cold, Most Climates
Conservation Status:	Not Listed by the *ALC Status/Rarity: Common
Health Issues?	No known health issues
Good Starter Cattle?	Novice to intermediate Cattle farmer/keeper level
Cattle Associations:	The Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders’ Association of the USA, Brown Swiss Cattle Society, NY Brown Swiss Association and the European Brown Swiss Association
Cattle Clubs:	Please refer to The Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders’ Association of the USA, Brown Swiss Cattle Society, NY Brown Swiss Association and the European Brown Swiss Association for more information on the Brown Swiss Cattle breed.
Where to buy them?	Please refer to The Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders’ Association of the USA, Brown Swiss Cattle Society, NY Brown Swiss Association and the European Brown Swiss Association for more information on the Brown Swiss Cattle breed.
Child Friendly?	Livestock should not be left unattended around unsupervised children
General Information:	The Brown Swiss cattle is a dairy breed of cattle that yields the second highest milk yields after the Holstein Friesian cattle breeds. Their milk holds the perfect balance of butterfat to protein ratio to make exceptionally fine cheeses. They are well known for the fuzzy ears, long gestation periods, immense size and their extremely docile temperament. They are an easy-care breed as they are capable of subsisting with very little feed or care.
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Brown Swiss cattle are a large breed of cow that has a large girth, long legs and straight back. They are very docile, calm and well-behaved cattle that have been known to be kept as a farm pet.

Size:

Large

CATTLE ⇒	COW	BULL
Breed Color:	Red, yellow or a dark red almost black color	Red, yellow or a dark red almost black color
Breed Weight:	650 to 700 kgs	900 to 1200 kgs
Breed Height:	Unclear	Unclear
Horns:	No horns	No horns
Temperament:	Docile, calm, quiet and easy to handle	Docile, calm, quiet and easy to handle
Matures at age:	6 to 8 months or 9 + months	6 to 8 months or 9 + months
Puberty Age:	6 to 15 months	9 to 1o months
Breeding Age:	13 to 15 months	1 year
Breeding Traits:	See Cow breeding & Milking Info	Cover 25 to 30 Cows in 1 season

COW BREEDING & MILKING INFORMATION
Most Cattle produce milk but not all of them are used in the dairy Cattle capacity for their milk. Cows only calve once a year and should have 12 to 14-month inter-calving cycle. The Brown Swiss cow’s milk is much sought after by cheese makers as the milk contains a close protein to fat ratio that makes it ideal for the production of most cheeses. They are also long-lived and will continue to produce until they are anywhere between 12 to 15 years of age. They produce a high volume of milk, are an excellent mother with exceptional maternal instincts and are really easy to handle.
Breeding Period/cycle:	Usually lasts 6 to 24 hours Most ave. 12 to 16 hours Cows usually come on heat every 21 days.
Estrous cycle:	Ave. 17 days to 24 days Heifer – usually ave. 20 days Cows – usually ave. 21 days
Gestation Period:	Usually, around 279 to 287 days but most gestation is 283 days. Cows that are carrying bull calf’s their gestation period is usually a little longer than cows that are carrying heifer calves.
No. Calves/Litter:	1 calf at a time. Cows rarely have twins or triplets, but it can happen
Lactation Period:	Cows lactation period can last for up to about 10 months (305) days.
Milking From:	1 to 6 weeks after Calving
Drying off Period:	The cow should have a 12 to 14-month inter-calving cycle. Drying off period for around 60 days before she can calve again.
Milk Quality:	Excellent – 4% butterfat & 3.5% protein content, Quantity: Over 9000 kgs per Lactation period
Milk Ideal for:	Calves, drinking, exceptional for cheeses and for most other dairy products
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CATTLE MEAT PRODUCTION INFORMATION

The Brown Swiss breed of cattle is not specifically bred for their meat production. But they do produce reasonably fast growth, good carcass yield and a fine marbling making for tender succulent meat.

Meat Production?

Can be used for meat, Quality: Good

CATTLE ⇒	VEAL	BEEF
Ave. Maturity Age:	6 to 8 months	9 months up to 4 years

CATTLE SKIN PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Most meat Cattle will have a skin by-product, and these are usually used in some form or just as a hide.

Skin Production?

N/A

Skin is used to Produce:

Calf/cow skin leather products such as shoes, car seats, fine leather coats, gloves, handbags, belts, furniture, rugs, etc.

CATTLE ⇒	CALF	ADULT
Age they Produce from:	6 to 8 months for Calf skin	1 to 2 years old for Normal leather

HISTORY

The Brown Swiss breed is a breed of cattle that originated in the Alps of Switzerland. Due to the harsh climate around these mountainous parts, the breed is extremely adaptable to most variable temperatures in the heat and cold.

The Brown Swiss breed of cattle found in America is a little different to the original Schwyzer Braunvieh from Switzerland which was bred around between the end of the 17th to the beginning of the 18th century.

The America breed which became known as the Brown Swiss breed was first imported from Switzerland in the winter of 1869 by Henry M. Clark. He imported in total 175 head of these cattle which incorporated 140 cows and 25 bulls.

Due to their wonderful nature, you will find Brown Swiss cattle on many farms that tend to run Holstein or Jersey cows. They are also sometimes kept as pets due to their wonderful temperaments.