For those unfamiliar with the Simmental breed, it is the 2nd most popular in sheer numbers of animals in the WORLD behind the Brahman. so with that in mind it is really the most popular in the Bos Taurus species (Brahman is Bos Indicus). Throughout the world the breed has been altered to the local needs and demands of both the buyers, the markets and the climate. In France alone, it had developed into three distinct breeds now. Simmental came from the Simme Valley in Switzerland and suprisinly for a mountain valley breed, it does well in the heat and the cold temps.
In the United States the buyers and markets have been pushing the Simmental into non-diluted reds and blacks, mostly solid animals so much that now the Association feels that they are having an identity crisis as no one can tell them from angus or red angus or any other breed that has 'gone black' due to the great popularity of "Certified Angus Beef". Don't get me started on that. Just because you buy CAB doesn't mean its angus! It can actually be 51% black and it counts as CAB, so really you are probably eating Holstein steer if they met the 51% black rule.
I digress.
The Europeans and British folk in particular are those that are keeping with the homelands standards of a triple purpose breed (dairy, beef, ox/plow). I'm hoping to import semen for my every shrinking herd of registered simmental. I'm attaching a few photos of the animals I have that look like the European Simmentals.
Now a couple of my AMERICAN Simmental:
Traditional 1927 Shetland Sheep, Pedigree Blue Faced Leicesters and Traditional Simmental Cattle in the land of cheese.
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4 comments:
I did not know that non-Angus could get that label, but I always thought that the "certified Angus beef" label was a hoax. It matters more what the animal was fed (and the age) than the breed. You cows look good.
It does seem that all breeds of animals in all species get changed from there originals and are different from the same breed in another country. Good luck with A.I.ing them!
Nice looking bunch of cattle. I can only hope that one day ours will achieve even half your quality.
I don't know much about cattle, but the babies are sooo cute! Nice photos. I would love to see more of your cattle herd on this blog.
When I was is high school, a friend's father was the cattle manager for a HUGE Simmental farm for Mrs. Rockerfeller back here in New York.
If memory serves me right, most of the cattle were very pale tan in color, with and without white markings. These were cattle worth thousands per head from their pedigree. I remember being so enthralled by them and the operation.
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