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About Braunvieh Cattle
Braunvieh is not a crossbreed or a new breed developed using two or more breeds. On the contrary, Braunvieh may be the oldest pure breed on earth, with records dating back to 800 B.C. Recently, archeologists have found cattle bones among the ruins of the ancient Swiss Lake Dwellers similar to those of the present-day Braunvieh. This would date these cattle in the region to the Bronze Age.
This is the docile breed associated with the scenic Swiss Alps. Development of the breed came into its own in the 18th century in the mountain valleys of Switzerland and production records on milk and meat performance were established in the 19th century. Due to their high performance and adaptability, Braunvieh are used in all major countries of the world.
Maternal Traits
Braunvieh and Braunvieh-cross females are excellent mother cows. They have an inherent ability to rebreed regularly and have a reputation for longevity with quality production regardless of their environment.
Adaptability - Braunvieh cattle are found in over 60 countries worldwide. They have been reported to thrive in every kind of environment, from the South American tropics to Canada’s bitter winters.
Increased fertility – Research has shown that on a commercial basis, herd fertility is at least five times more important than growth traits for herd profitability. Braunvieh bulls are noted for their scrotal and testicular development at a young age and are capable, fertile breeders at 12-14 months of age. Additionally, Braunvieh females commonly cycle at a young age.
More live calves – In order to show a profit, a high percentage calf crop is essential in today’s beef cattle industry. The U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC), Clay Center, Neb., has shown that Braunvieh genetics in a crossbreeding program can provide hybrid vigor and increase calf survival by 10-15%.
Carcass Traits
While Braunvieh cattle are more feed efficient than most breeds, they are truly unique in that they are able to lower yield grades while generally not lowering quality grades. This makes them the sire of choice for cattlemen who seek profitability in feeding and grid marketing their calves.
Award-winning carcasses – Since 1990, Braunvieh-sired carcasses have been awarded 13 Max Fluscher Awards from the Great Western Beef Expo at Sterling, Colo. The Max Fluscher Award is given to those pens of five cattle that are 100% Choice quality grade or better and 100% Yield Grade 2 or better. At the Beef Empire Days Carcass competition, Braunvieh-sired cattle have proven, and continue to prove, that they produce carcasses with very desirable quality grades and yield grades with outstanding rates of gain.
For more information on Braunvieh cattle visit www.braunvieh.org or www.braunviehbull.com.