The Brown Swiss or American Brown Swiss is an American
breed
A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...
of
dairy cattle
Dairy cattle (also called dairy cows) are cattle bred with the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cattle generally are of the species '' Bos taurus''.
Historically, little distinction was ...
. It derives from the traditional triple-purpose
Braunvieh
The ''Braunvieh'' (, "brown cattle") or Swiss Brown is a breed or group of breeds of domestic cattle originating in Switzerland and distributed throughout the Alpine region. It falls within the "Brown Mountain" group of cattle breeds. The Swiss ...
("Swiss Brown") of the
Alpine region of Europe, but has diverged substantially from it. It was
selectively bred
Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant ma ...
for dairy qualities only, and its
draft
Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...
and beef capabilities were lost. Milk yield was measured in 2013 at per year; the milk has about 4%
butterfat
Butterfat or milkfat is the fatty portion of milk. Milk and cream are often sold according to the amount of butterfat they contain.
Composition
Butterfat is mainly composed of triglycerides. Each triglyceride contains three fatty acids. Butt ...
and 3.5%
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...
and is suitable for making
cheese
Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...
.
In the twentieth century the Brown Swiss became a world breed, with a global population estimated in 1990 at seven million head. It has been much used for
cross-breeding
A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. A domestic animal of unknown ancestry, where the breed status of only one parent or grandparent is known, may also be called a crossbreed though ...
and has influenced a number of modern breeds.
In English "Swiss Brown" refers to the original Braunvieh breed, as opposed to "Brown Swiss" for the American breed.
History
The
Braunvieh
The ''Braunvieh'' (, "brown cattle") or Swiss Brown is a breed or group of breeds of domestic cattle originating in Switzerland and distributed throughout the Alpine region. It falls within the "Brown Mountain" group of cattle breeds. The Swiss ...
is a traditional breed of triple-purpose cattle from the
Alpine region, particularly Switzerland; at was reared as a
draft beast, for its milk and for its meat. The Braunvieh was first imported to the United States in 1869, when seven cows and a bull were shipped to one Henry M. Clark in
Belmont, Massachusetts
Belmont is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a western suburb of Boston and is part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, its population was 27,295, an increase of 10.4% from 2010.
H ...
. Between then and 1906, when cattle imports to the United States were banned because of fear of disease, many more were imported, sometimes by immigrants arriving from Europe. The American Brown Swiss descends from a total of 167 imported parent animals. A
breed society, the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders' Association, was formed in 1880; the first
herd-book
A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry, the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders wh ...
dates from 1889. By the end of the century breeding was directed towards dairy qualities; a production register for cows was opened in 1911. From about 1940 the breed became more diffused across the United States. In the mid-twentieth century, intensive
selective breeding
Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant m ...
for dairy characteristics and excessive
inbreeding
Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely genetic distance, related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genet ...
led to a loss of
genetic diversity
Genetic diversity is the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It ranges widely, from the number of species to differences within species, and can be correlated to the span of survival for a species. It is d ...
, and also to an increase in transmissible genetic defects such as the recessive factors for
bovine progressive degenerative myeloencephalopathy ("weaver disease") and
spinal muscular atrophy
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare neuromuscular disorder that results in the loss of motor neurons and progressive muscle wasting. It is usually diagnosed in infancy or early childhood and if left untreated it is the most common geneti ...
, both of which have a high percentage of
carriers in the Brown Swiss (2.6% and 9.2% respectively).
The Brown Swiss was exported – either on the hoof or in the form of
embryo
An embryo ( ) is the initial stage of development for a multicellular organism. In organisms that reproduce sexually, embryonic development is the part of the life cycle that begins just after fertilization of the female egg cell by the male sp ...
s or
semen
Semen, also known as seminal fluid, is a bodily fluid that contains spermatozoon, spermatozoa which is secreted by the male gonads (sexual glands) and other sexual organs of male or hermaphrodite, hermaphroditic animals. In humans and placen ...
– to many countries of the world. It has been much used for
cross-breeding
A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. A domestic animal of unknown ancestry, where the breed status of only one parent or grandparent is known, may also be called a crossbreed though ...
, notably with many of the original Alpine breeds of brown cattle in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. In 1990 the global population was estimated to be approximately seven million head.
Characteristics
The American Brown Swiss is of medium size. The coat is usually a light grayish brown, but varies from almost white to gray or dark brown. There may be some shading in the coat, with the forequarters often darker than the legs and hind parts. The
muzzle is black, ringed with creamy white.
Use
The milk of the Brown Swiss is unique, having longer-chain fatty acids than other popular dairy breeds and smaller fat globules in the cream; this difference means that cream rises much more slowly in milk from Brown Swiss cows. This difference, and the ratio of protein to fat in the milk, is ideal for cheesemaking.
References
External links
US Brown Swiss cattle associationAll-Time All-American winners
{{Cattle breeds of the United States
Dairy cattle breeds
Cattle breeds originating in Switzerland