BRAUNVIEH

The Braunvieh (Brown Cattle in German) is from Switzerland. Documentary evidence shows that the Benedictine monks residing at the Einsiedeln Monastery started breeding this cattle as early as early as the 11th century. In the beginning of the 19th century, different types of Brown Cattle had still been kept in Central and East Switzerland. The interchange of the different types resulted in today’s uniform Swiss Braunvieh.
The inclement environmental conditions and keeping the livestock up in the Alps, left their mark on the Swiss Braunvieh and as a result of the natural selection and the breeding work of the mountain dwellers, an excellent breed resulted, much appreciated and in demand in foreign countries as well. It found its way into the neighbouring Alpine countries hundreds of years ago and the first exports of Braunvieh to the United States of America can be traced back to 1869.
After the foundation of the Swiss Braunvieh Breeding Association in 1897, the breed has been standardized and improved still further. At that time breeding still had three objectives: a cow needed that could provide milk and meat, and could be used as a draught animal. Thus, an animal with an all-round nature developed: robust, a prolific breeder, long-lived, strong, adaptable, and very well-balanced in build and colour. Her strong limbs and claws make it possible for her to find fodder on difficult terrain as well with meagre grass growth and a limited number of watering places. Her strong skin with dense, brown hairy coat and her dark-blue eye pigmentation helps her to resist extreme solar radiation (statistical data is available from tropical countries, based on practical experience). Her double utility, providing a good milk and meat output performance enables the owner to hold his own in any type of production.
In the late sixties, animals with an increased milk output and stronger build came into demand. In order to achieve these objectives much faster, many Braunvieh breeders reached for "Brown Swiss"-Genetics from America for pairing. Convinced breeders of original Braunvieh however stuck to their pure breeding ideas and improved the milk production performance by strong selection within the original Braunvieh population under strict maintenance of the meat output rate.
Around 500 breeders of original Braunvieh have organized themselves within the framework of an Association. Their animals are entered into the official herd book of the Swiss Braunvieh Federation in Zug, Switzerland as an Swiss Original Braunvieh, and are marked, as soon as they satisfy the examiners that they are pure-bred. Swiss Original Braunvieh-cows perform well, produce 5'500 kg (12'100 lb) milk and more per lactation and produce offsprings that are eminently suitable for fattening at any age level. Thus, Original Braunvieh calves are in great demand by meat producers as they guarantee a daily weight increase between 1'200 and 1'300 g (2 lb 10 oz to 2 lb 14 oz), representing high productivity coupled with excellent meat quality.
If we consider that under the description of "Swiss Original Braunvieh" livestock is bought, sold, exported, and imported internationally, then we have to agree that the prior examination of the cattle is essential, to ensure that the individual animals are pure-bred. This demand was already raised at the International Conference in Zug, Switzerland on April 18, 1993. The Herd Book Department of the Swiss Braunvieh Federation in Zug is prepared to take responsibility for these examinations. For this purpose the breeder has to present the certificate of descent. Cattle with Swiss descent can be controlled without difficulties. It is clear that on international level as well, the differences between the three different breed directions and breeds must be recognized and respected:
You can you keep Braunvieh basically anywhere - on topographically difficult terrain,
in districts with inclement environmental conditions and poor fodder basis, in extremely moist or dry areas in tropical, or cold zones.
The Braunvieh is most suited for pure breeding aimed at milk and meat production,
for mother and foster-mother cow keeping thanks to her well-developed mother instinct and placid nature, to cross-bread with other breeds aimed at meat production generally and as zebu cattle in tropical countries (for the improvement of the milk production rate without loss in meat production).
Any breeding program can only benefit from the extraordinary characteristics of an animal, developed under hard environmental conditions and natural selection during hundreds of years. This breed will prove herself under unfavourable climatic conditions and fodder situation. Her combined milk and meat performance is ideal.

193'179 cows 6'374 kgs. 4.00 fat % 3.31 protein % 300 lactation days in 2002