Folk signs when buying a cow, how to choose a dairy heifer?

Our ancestors treated cows with special respect, and this is not surprising, because Burenka’s milk was enough to feed the whole family - cottage cheese, kefir, and sour cream could be made from it.

In a peasant farm, a cow was a real breadwinner who provided the family with a comfortable existence. That is why in Russia they collected many signs and beliefs about the cow - a wet nurse and a fortune teller.

They took care of her, took care of her, cared for her and cherished her, because the peasants knew that the well-being of all household members depended on Burenka’s health.

By carefully observing the behavior of the cow, people tried to predict whether the weather would change and what the future would bring.

When buying a cow: signs

And today it is unknown how many families would survive without her!

What is strange, therefore, in some kind of careful, even reverent, attitude towards this, practically, member of the family (the family, of course, who has it)? It is also not surprising that there are many signs associated with it.

The purchase of this animal was a very important, even fundamental, event in the life of the village people. Extremely attached to their owners, cows perceive a change of place painfully - they often run away from the new owner, returning to the house, which they consider their own.

Therefore, having bought a cow, they take it away from the old farmstead and, following folk traditions, lash it with a bush pulled out on the side of the road, which is then immediately thrown away. After this, the cow will forget the way to her previous home!

When a cow stopped milking for no apparent reason, it was “sold” to another owner. Anyone considered lucky in the family (whether an adult or a child) had to give the owner money, becoming the new owner of the cow, and she would begin to give milk again.

When buying a cow, you should not bargain, but you need to give a little more money to the former owner in order to get change. When driving a cow into your yard, place a scythe in front of it so that the cow steps over it. Signs advise hiding the twig, which you will use to drive your wet nurse to pasture, under the barn.

Signs about pigs

Piggy with piglets brings good luck and wealth

The pigs provided their owners not only with meat and lard, but also with signs. Why is the sow hare worse than other domestic animals?

Crossed the road

In England and Scotland, meeting a pig was considered a sign of serious failure. Fishermen especially disliked pigs, as the unclean animal deprived them of hope of a catch. Fortunately, there was a universal amulet against troubles: people turned their backs on the pig, after which the meeting was considered invalid.
The same thing should have been done if the pig tried to cross the road. And to allow an animal to interfere with the wedding procession meant in reality to “put a pig on” the young people. Family life, marked by khavronya, was supposed to go downhill without ever beginning.
However, a pig with piglets served as a good omen. The number of happy events a passer-by will experience is as many as a mother and little one have babies.

In ancient times, it was believed that a ship would have trouble sailing if it had a pig's tail on it. I wonder how the sailors managed when they had to transfer a whole batch of pigs? Several dozen tails are no joke!

Grunts and squeals

Among peasants both in Europe and in Rus', they believed that before the death of the owner, the pig tries to inform him about this, starting to howl.
But don’t rush to get scared if you have a restless pet. There is a harmless sign that pigs begin to squeal loudly only before bad weather.
Bad weather can also turn bad in a figurative sense: clouds are gathering over your relationship. Resolve the situation immediately, otherwise a quarrel will break out.

Itches

The pig rolls on the ground and scratches its back in the rain, but it will be warm, don’t expect cold weather.
If a pig is itching on the corner of the house, signs warn: either the weather will change suddenly, or they are gossiping about family members. If you believe that everything in this world is interconnected, the sign has its own logic. The pig dirty the house in reality because he senses how someone is dirtying it in the mental plane.

Carrying straw

If the sows begin to drag straw and rags into the pigsty, a strong cold snap is coming.
If pigs run around the yard with grass in their teeth, a serious storm will break out.
If a pig starts eating hay, big trouble awaits its owners. A strange sign to say the least, since hay is a legal part of pig feed!

Other signs

Is digging in the ground a natural desire of a pig or a bad sign?

A pig digging holes in the yard is considered a sign of serious trouble (including the death of the owner of the house). But if the pig rolls around in heaps of loose earth and rolls around in the mud, it only promises a downpour.
If an animal settles down to sleep at an inopportune time, it means it senses the cold. The pig tries to move less so as not to lose fat before the frost!

Other signs about a cow.

Cattle have always been considered the first victim of evil spirits. In order to protect the animals, the Irish hung bunches of rowan, primrose, and ash branches at the entrance to the barn, and the Scots, following folk superstitions, smeared cows with tar behind the ears and under the tail.

A cow licked - to replenish your wardrobe with a new thing.

If the herd stands or lies huddled together, it means it will rain, and vice versa.

It is believed that on Christmas night, cows kneel, facing east, and understand human speech.

In India, a cow is a sacred animal and cannot be killed or eaten.

The Scots believe that milk from a white cow is of poor quality; and Americans consider the meat of the red cow to be the most delicious.

A cow will moo three times in your face - to a dead person, the same if she climbs into your garden or vegetable garden.

A cow with its tail raised or hitting trees or fences with it means bad weather.

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Other folk signs and superstitions.

Signs for love.

The most famous sign about love is over-salted food. It is believed that if a housewife has over-salted her food, then her heart is not free and she is either already in love or is beginning to show...

Why does your neck itch?

There are different folk signs about why your neck itches. The back of the neck can itch for several reasons. One of the options is for the upcoming...

A sign of hitting your elbow.

Elbow strikes, according to signs, mark different events. To understand this, you need to pay attention to the side of the bruise; your age and gender also matter...Sprinkle salt. Sign.

Spill salt - there will be a quarrel; to avoid it, you need to laugh, let yourself be hit on the forehead, or throw a pinch over your left shoulder. This folk sign comes from a legend...

Why do dishes break?

The purpose of the folk sign is to warn and protect from harm. Many teach, but some of them are very positive, pleasing and uplifting...

Sign of knocking down a dog.

Since ancient times, our smaller brothers have been considered akin to an otherworldly force - they are connected to it by threads invisible to humans and are under its protection, therefore, to harm any living creature...

Since ancient times, our ancestors believed that if at least one cow mooed contentedly in the barn, then the farm was being run “properly,” and the family was not in danger of starvation.

Cow behavior...

It seems that after cats and dogs, the cow is the most generous pet in terms of signs. Keeping a keen eye on the herd, the owners tried to guess what kind of offspring to expect, whether there would be a change in the weather and what the future would bring. They say that someone succeeded.

…predicting the weather

Before the rain, cows greedily eat grass, trying to stock up for future use.
If the entire herd becomes agitated, roars for no apparent reason and raises its tails, then a storm is approaching.
On the eve of big bad weather, milk yields drop, and just before a rainstorm, the milk, striking from the udder into the milk pan, begins to foam.
A cow hits the fence with its tail - the weather will improve and it will be sunny.
If the cows lie on the ground, it means that it has warmed up and the heat is close.
If, after grazing, the herd hurries into the barn on its own without any urging from the shepherd, the first frosts occur.

...during pregnancy

Two calves of the same color - great luck

If the cow just can’t get along with the bull, you need to treat her with a piece of bread and salt, and definitely through the fence, otherwise it won’t help.
Is there a risk of miscarriage? You need to throw the ax over the animal's back three times. It is important not to scare the expectant mother, otherwise trouble will definitely not be avoided.
If a pregnant cow's udder begins to swell from the back, then wait for a bull. From the front - a chick.
If a pregnant Burenka tries to lick her back, she will bring a bull. Does your tongue run along the sides? Wait for the chick.
A bull should also be expected if the cow’s tail curled like a “rope” or went in waves before calving. But when it becomes disheveled or remains straight, another nurse with an udder should be born.
The birth of twins, oddly enough, was considered a sign of a fire. However, the trouble should have passed by if the calves turned out to be single-haired, because this event promised prosperity and good luck. But the motley kids caused despondency - nothing bad would have happened from such a sign... Apparently, the last sign is associated with the belief about the Brownie, who welcomes only animals of a certain color in his yard: no matter how you turn it, the Owner will probably dislike one of the calves...

...to predict future events

If the cows returning home break through the fence and enter the garden, misfortune awaits the family.
If a black Burenka looks into the window of a room with a seriously ill person, he will not recover. It is strange that the sign did not apply to cows of a different color. Apparently, pestles and saffron milk caps were endowed with a prophetic gift to a lesser extent.
When a cow moos and worries all night in the barn, she senses trouble. Just in case, take note: in some regions of Russia it was believed that only mooing after midnight or at dawn was dangerous. You always have the opportunity to brush aside a frightening sign; the time is not clearly indicated!
It’s bad when an animal moos three times in the face of a specific person. According to legend, he doesn’t have long to wander around the world.
If a cow licks its head, the hair will grow thick and coarse. It is no coincidence that in our everyday life there is still a saying about a stubborn cowlick on the head: “like a cow licking it.”
Whoever runs his tongue across the face of a cow will not get tuberculosis. However, experienced farmers say that concern for your health has nothing to do with it. The animal does not have enough salts, which it tries to lick from your skin.
If a cow stops milking, it must be sold to the youngest member of the family for a symbolic sum. With a new owner, the animal will quickly come to its senses.
Don't sing in the barn, otherwise the milk will disappear.
For the same reason, strangers should not be allowed into the barn. From a mystical point of view, the animal is jinxed. From a logical point of view, a person unfamiliar with the habits of the Little Cow, who is also noisy and has a new smell, can scare the cows.
If you handle the udder with unclean hands, your milk yield will decrease. This is not even a sign, but a rule! It is useful to observe hygiene requirements in all ages.
If one of the cattle sheds a horn, you must definitely find the loss and throw it into the well near the house, otherwise your wealth will go away. Most likely, the sign is associated with an old belief: if you own part of an animal, you own it entirely. And vice versa: if the horn is lost, you will lose the whole cow.

Buying a cow

That is why the peasants always tried to ensure that the cow-nurse had a satisfying and comfortable life. After all, then there will be an annual offspring, and the milk yield will feed all household members to the full.

However, for a cattle to produce enough milk, good feed and gentle care are not enough. The main thing is not to make a mistake in choosing an animal when purchasing. And for this, rural residents had a whole system of beliefs that allowed them to fix their gaze on the “correct” option.

The most important commandment when purchasing a cow is to never bargain, but to give the price that the owner asks for. Otherwise, the cattle will not be milked well, or may not even take root in the new place. For the same purpose, you should certainly give the previous owner such an amount that he will have to give change.
The appearance of the milk cow also plays an important role. As a rule, high milk yields are produced by young and strong cows with smooth skin, well-fed sides, and a clear and lively look. The shape of the udder is also important, which should not sag too much, but should resemble an elastic ball in its shape.
Experienced peasants knew that middle-aged animals are best milked, that is, those that have already given birth two or three times. They easily determined the age of the animal by its horns. After all, if you count the number of bends on them and add three more, you will get the number of years the pet has lived.
It turns out that the size of the milk yield depends on the character of the cow, as well as on the “psychological compatibility” of the animal with the new owner. To understand whether the pet you are looking for is suitable for you, treat it with a treat, for example, a piece of bread. The animal is in no hurry to accept the offering, approaches sluggishly and somewhat indifferently? Do not doubt the purchase, as such a cow suits you perfectly, especially if, during trial milking, it produces milk in thick streams of rich color and sweetish taste.
Our ancestors knew a special secret so that a newly purchased animal would not miss its previous owner, would more easily survive the stress associated with a change of environment, and would produce a lot of milk from the very beginning. Immediately after placing the cow in its permanent place in the barn, they certainly treated it to a piece of bread, which they presented on the stove damper.

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How to buy a pig?

The peasants tried to go to Vlasiya for new piglets - on February 24th. For some reason, our ancestors were sure that the young pigs bought on this day would not only grow up strong and healthy, but would also save the rest of the livestock.
It was strictly forbidden to thank the previous owner for the sold pig! Is this where the expression “swine behavior” comes from?
Launching the purchase into the new barn, the hostess said: “When the pig goes home, there is meat on its bones, lard on the meat. God bless you with your purchase."

These are just a few of the signs about large pets. Some of them have long become obsolete, but others are successfully used by modern farmers. Of course, today no one forces a cow to step over a scythe in order to force her to take root in the barn, and no one sacrifices chickens to the Brownie for the sake of the pig’s health. But some observations of ancestors still remain in demand and even useful. At worst - curious.

Spells for agriculture

There are no excellent or good cows in nature. The animal and its habitat are one. The inclination of the trait of productivity is inherited, and in order for it to manifest itself fully, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for this. However, the main thing in this is the quality of the animal. But how to choose the right cow for the farm? When purchasing a heifer, one takes into account its origin, productivity, quality of milk and fertility of the mother, suitability of growth and development to age, exterior and feed palatability.

When buying an adult cow, pay attention first of all to its health status. You cannot get much milk from a sick cow. Data on testing the animal for tuberculosis and brucellosis are required.

A dairy cow must have a strong constitution. Signs of poor constitution and health are: rough bones, rough skin, loose physique, narrow head, narrow muzzle, flat ribs, constriction of the shoulders at the back, stylized rear and clawed feet.

A dairy cow has a dry, wide head, light thin horns, lively, somewhat bulging eyes, a long thin neck, soft elastic skin, low hairline, dry shoulders, somewhat pointed at the withers, rounded, thin and strongly spread ribs, a wide rear, dry and strong leg bones, correct wide or square stance of all four legs, angularity of all body contours.

The most important sign of a cow's milk production is a well-developed udder. When assessing the udder, its shape, quality, size, girth and depth are taken into account as the most important signs characterizing the milk production of cows. A dairy cow has a large, voluminous udder with a large attachment area. The girth of such an udder exceeds 110-120 cm, and the depth is more than 25 cm. There is a direct connection between the measurements of the udder and the daily milk yield.

In cows of the Red Steppe breed, there are mainly three forms of udder: cup-shaped, round and goat. The cup-shaped udder is voluminous, long, wide and quite deep, with symmetrical and evenly developed quarters. The rounded udder is of medium length and width, quite deep and resembles the shape of a circle or a small oval. The goat's udder is usually small, the front quarters are very underdeveloped, the lateral furrow and stepped bottom are clearly visible. Milk production depends on the shape of the udder. If we take the productivity of cows with a cup-shaped udder as 100%, then for cows with a rounded udder it will be 85-90, and with a goat udder it will be 60-70%. Therefore, cows with a cup-shaped udder are desirable for breeding.

The quality of the udder is determined by the ratio of the glandular tissue in it, in which milk is formed (synthesized), and connective tissue. In highly productive cows, glandular tissue predominates over connective tissue. This can be determined by the properties of the skin and hair covering the udder, and by other signs. In a dairy cow, the skin of the udder is easily retracted, the folds of the skin are thin; The hair on the udder is shorter and finer than on other parts of the body. A large collapse of the udder after milking or during the dry period indicates that the cow has high milk production.

Nipples should be cylindrical or somewhat conical in shape. Nipples that are undesirable are thick (diameter more than 3.2 cm), long (more than 9-10 cm), short (less than 4-5 cm) and thin (diameter less than 2 cm). Too close (the distance between the rear teats is less than 6 cm) and excessively spaced (the distance between the tips of the front teats is more than 20 cm) are undesirable, because they make milking difficult both by hand and with machines.

This fact is also important. If the udder is very droopy, then it interferes with the movement of the animal, gets dirty faster, and is more often injured.

The main assessment of a cow’s milk production is the amount of milk yield; it is best determined in a day, and not in one milking. In this case, it is necessary to pay attention to the rate of milk production and the simultaneous milking of individual lobes of the udder. In cows of the red steppe breed, the rate of milk production is on average 1 kg per minute, with fluctuations from 0.5 to 2 kg per minute. Low-milking and easy-milking cows are not left for breeding. According to the laboratory of dairy cattle breeding of the Department of Health Research Institute of Agriculture, in more than 30% of cows the difference in productivity between the front and rear lobes of the udder reaches more than 20%. It is necessary to select those cows whose milk yield from the anterior lobes is at least 45%.

In practice, it is often not possible to accurately determine a cow's milk yield. In such cases, indirect signs of milkiness are used (some of them have already been mentioned):

1. When choosing a cow, the length of the tail is often determined: they take its brush and apply it to the limb. The lower the tail brush, the milkier the cow. In most cases this is confirmed. The dairy cow eats well and a lot. She has an elongated midsection. It is determined by the length of the dorsal vertebrae, and long dorsal vertebrae correspond to the long vertebrae of the sacrum and tail. In addition, dairy cows usually have short legs, with the lower line of the belly lying closer to the ground.

2. To determine milk content, measure the distance between the last two ribs. It is believed that the larger it is, the more dairy the cow is. In an adult cow, its width of four fingers is a good sign of milk production, which indicates a large volume of the chest and indicates highly developed, voluminous lungs. Wide intercostal spaces show that the cow has highly developed digestive organs. They are capable of processing large volumes of feed. This is very important for the cow as a ruminant herbivore, the main food for which is green mass, hay, chaff, etc.

3. In folk practice, a cow’s milk production is often judged by the degree of development of milk veins and milk wells. Indeed, during the lactation period, the surface of the udder is covered with many vessels, especially venous ones, carrying blood from the udder, they are clearly visible. It is believed that the more milk veins and the thicker they are, the more productive the cow is.

The outflow of blood from the udder is provided by paired veins: the subcutaneous abdominal and external pudendal. The saphenous abdominal vein runs under the skin of the lower abdominal wall. At the level of the eighth rib, it passes into the chest cavity through an opening called the milk well. It is believed that in dairy cows you can insert the end of a finger into the milk well. These indicators for determining milk production are indirect, but to some extent they make it possible to judge the intensity of physiological processes in the mammary gland, and therefore the degree of milk production.

When choosing a cow, other indirect signs of milk production are also used, but they are used less frequently, and probably because they do not always reflect the degree of this sign.

Types of cows by direction

All cow breeds are divided into 3 types depending on their direction:

Lactic.
Meat.
Meat and dairy (combined).

If your goal is only to obtain milk, then you need to choose purebred dairy animals. They are distinguished by a light head and bone structure, long legs, an elongated body and a large udder. They have well developed lungs and digestive system. These cows are characterized by high annual milk yields, exceeding 3 tons of milk.

If you are going to trade beef, take a closer look at the 10 best beef breeds, which will be discussed in a separate section below. They are always large in size, characterized by early ripening, heavy weight, and strong physique. The milk produced by beef heifers is usually only enough to feed the calves.

If you need individuals with good milk production and decent meat quality, you should look for meat and dairy cows, which are profitable to keep. They have average milk yields, good slaughter yield and tasty meat.

Did you know? Scientists suggest that the first domestication of cows took place during the Early Neolithic period in the Altai - India - Western Asia region. In those days, people tamed aurochs and zebu, which are considered the ancestors of modern cows. Since then, the body size of these animals has decreased by 3 times.

How to choose a good cash cow

But what are these signs of milk production? There are several of them. The superior milk well is the distance between the spinous processes of the last dorsal and first lumbar vertebrae. The larger it is, the milkier the cow. The curl on the back - the farther it is located from the first dorsal vertebra, the higher the milk production of the cow. Milk mirror - the location of the hair partings at the back of the udder. In high-milk cows, the milk mirror is highly developed, extends far from the back surface of the thighs and rises up to the external genitalia.

However, no matter how valuable the animal is by origin, no matter what methods we use to determine milk production when choosing a cow, its true value is determined by its actual milk yield.

In the Rostov region, the planned breeds are Red Steppe, Simmental and Black-and-White. In addition to them, Angler and Ayrshire breeds of dairy cattle are bred.

The red steppe breed is widespread in almost all areas of the region. She has been breeding on the Don for more than 200 years. Animals of this breed tolerate significant temperature fluctuations, extreme heat, dry air, periodic summer droughts, and, like no other breed, tolerate sparse steppe vegetation in summer and lack of food in winter.

The color of the cattle is red. True, some animals have white markings on the head, belly, udder and legs.

The milk productivity potential of red steppe cattle is high. The breeding on the farm of G.M. Maltseva milks more than 4 thousand kg of milk from each cow from year to year. The productivity of cows is even higher for individual milkmaids. Thus, on the “Soviet Russia” state farm in the Aksai district, milkmaid A.K. Plotnikova in 1979 produced 5510 kg of milk from each cow in her group. The highest milk yield in the Rostov region was obtained from the cow Vyazochka: in 305 days of the fifth lactation, 9607 kg of milk with a fat content of 3.75% was produced.

The unsurpassed record holder of the red steppe breed is the cow Moroshka, which produced 13,017 kg of milk with a fat content of 3.8% during 322 days of lactation.

The live weight of adult cows on breeding farms is on average 520 kg, with fluctuations from 500 to 650 kg, on breeding collective farms - 480 kg.

Simmental breed. It ranks first in terms of distribution in the USSR. There is not much of it on farms in the region, and then mainly in the northern regions. These cattle are mostly of the dairy-meat type. Color: fawn, fawn-variegated. There are many animals of red-motley and red colors with a white head.

Adult cows have a live weight of 550-620 kg. The largest weight of cows is 870 kg. On breeding state farms, cows produce 4.2-5 thousand kg of milk per lactation. The highest milk yield was obtained from the Malvina cow. During the fourth lactation she produced 14,431 kg of milk with a fat content of 3.94%.

Black and white breed. The color of the animals is black and motley. The live weight of adult cows ranges from 450 to 550 kg. Sometimes there are heavier cows. Cattle of this breed are characterized by high milk production and relatively low fat content in milk. The milk yield of cows in commercial farms varies from 2.8 to 3.8 thousand kg, and in breeding farms and breeding farms - from 3.5 to 6.5 thousand kg. Cow Volga 3790 produced 17,517 kg of milk in 305 days of the third lactation.

The Ayrshire breed was developed in England in County Ayr. The color of the animals is red-motley, with a predominance of red or white in some animals. The live weight of adult cows is 420-500 kg. In some animals it reaches 660 kg. Cows of this breed have a well-defined dairy cattle type. On breeding farms, a cow's milk yield is 3.5-4 thousand kg with a fat content in milk of 3.8-4.4%.

In Finland in 1974, the average milk yield of 206.6 thousand cows under control was 4908 kg of milk with a fat content of 4.44%.

In England, on a farm owned by Watson Steele, 46 cows produced 8,383 kg of milk with a fat content of 4.4% with double milking.

The milk yield of the record holder of this breed was 14,132 kg of milk with a fat content of 4.35%.

The Angler breed of cattle was created in Germany. The color of the animals is red, with a dark tint in the head, neck and limbs. Animals of this breed are typically dairy in appearance. The live weight of cows is 500-580 kg. The average productivity of cows in 1973 in the GDR was 4459 kg of milk with a fat content of 4.61%. The highest productivity came from the Intermezio cow, which produced 10,592 kg of milk with a fat content of 5.44% during lactation.

Best dairy breeds

Dairy cattle breeds are leaders in productivity and efficiency among all milk-producing animals. You can judge the performance of an animal when choosing by carefully studying its pedigree. Today, there are several dozen high-milk breeds that differ in appearance, proportions and milk yield.

The table shows the main characteristics of dairy breeds and their annual milk yield.

Video: How to choose a heifer according to folk tradition

Choosing a cow is a very serious matter, which must be approached with all responsibility, otherwise you may face big problems in the future. When choosing, you first need to assess the general health of the animal. To do this, you need to look at the appearance and evaluate the behavior.

Before purchasing, place the cow on a level place and walk it behind you for some distance. The cow's gait should be smooth and energetic. Legs should be straight. The joints must be positioned correctly. Their expansion is not allowed.

Also look at the cow’s head. It should be slightly elongated, with large eyes. Take a good look at the animal's withers.

Superstitions about goats and goats

The goat is afraid of disease, forest animals and even the unclean!

The bearded goat was “lucky” to be recorded as a relative or, as an option, as a creation of the devil himself. One of the legends says that an evil spirit created a creature with a bad smell and an equally bad character by urinating under a bush. And he himself was running away as fast as he could when something shaggy, horned and heart-rendingly bleating climbed out from under the branches at him! That is why a bad pedigree did not prevent the goat from being a welcome guest in any barn, because it scared away evil spirits from other cattle. But the list of mystical duties of the bearded beast did not end there.

Near other animals

In addition to the devil, the goat drove away the weasel from the cattle, which used to run on the backs of horses, bite and bother them.
The horned settler's friend, the goat, bravely met with her breasts and took upon herself all kinds of illnesses, warding them off from the other inhabitants of the barn.
The goat also healed people. It was believed that if an animal was fed grass on the threshold of a sick person’s room and then taken out, it would take the disease with it. And a goat's horn hidden under the pillow will relieve insomnia.

Every day there is one such hour when the goat disappears from the stall. At this time, he is scheduled for a spa treatment with his creator, the devil, who lovingly combs the horned beast’s beard.

Meets on the way

A good sign is to meet a goat before starting a journey.
If you notice three black goats in the mountains, you know that a treasure is buried nearby.
Goat beard hairs in your pocket bring good luck.

To find out if a goat's milk smells good, you need to sniff the top of its head between the horns.

Hairworm in cows: symptoms and treatment methods

In addition to lice, the skin of farm animals can be affected by lice eaters or lice eaters, as they are also popularly called. These are small insects. Their size is up to 2 mm. They are wingless and gnawing. They do not damage the skin, but with their jaws they damage the hair. As a result, bald patches form on the skin. The skin area remains unprotected.

It is open to blood-sucking insects and gadflies, which lay eggs under the skin of animals.

Exposed skin is vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation, wind and precipitation. Microcracks appear on it, through which pathogens of infectious diseases penetrate. What to do if a lice beetle is found in cows? What treatment is recommended?

Signs of the disease

Lice eaters most often settle in the groin, submandibular area, and areas around the eyes. The wool here is the most delicate. You can find out that an animal is affected by a lice eater by the bald patches on these parts of the body. Calves are especially affected.

They have soft fur and delicate skin. The disease is called trichodectosis. The insect lands on the skin of an animal from an already infected individual. Trichodectosis develops if the barn is dirty and sanitary standards for keeping cattle are not observed.

More on the topic: Description of cow breeds without horns

The stages of development of lice eaters must be taken into account in order to properly treat the animal and treat the barn. Eggs and larvae are not affected by any means. The treatment is carried out twice.

Lice eaters in cows most often develop during the stall period. High humidity and warmth are a favorable environment for insects. With the beginning of spring, animals begin to shed their fur and molt.

Insects also fall off along with the fur. Without a host, the lice eater can live for 3 days.

This must be remembered, because the time of molting animals is the most optimal for preventive treatment of the barn against insects.

Choosing good cattle

The first rule is that the breed must meet the designated purpose of the business (meat, dairy). When purchasing, find out about the productive qualities of the parents. It is recommended to purchase purebred breeds, since crossbred individuals lose important characteristics. Pay attention to your body type:

Purchase of young animals

The purchase of calves is carried out with an identical goal: compliance of the breed with business goals. Young animals of the dairy breed are distinguished by long legs and a bony body structure, with a light head. The tail of such calves is long (to the middle or below the hock).

Beef calves are characterized by short legs, a heavy head, a small tail and a “knocked down” body type. To obtain meat, farmers recommend buying bulls, as they gain weight more quickly and their meat is less fatty.

Common factors for young animals of any type are a moist nose, shiny coat and no symptoms of stomach upset (signs of health).

The following dairy breeds are suitable for keeping in the climate of our country.

In addition, farmers involved in the production of dairy products often choose the Red Steppe breed of cows. You can read more about this breed here.