Simmental is one of the oldest breeds of cattle dating back to the middle ages.
It was first bred in the Simme alpine valley, located in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, and it is from this area that it was specifically given the name of Simmental.
Records indicate that it resulted from a cross between large German cattle and a smaller breed native to Switzerland.
Simmental can be found all over the world, with more than half in Europe. Exportation has been gradual since the first Simmental cattle were exported to Italy in the 1400’s, followed by a spread through Eastern Europe during the 19th Century. It began to pick up in the late 1960’s with the first cattle being introduced into New Zealand in the early 1970’s, a consignment of 36 purebred females imported from Germany by the Government. Half of these were offered to breeders through a ballot system, many of whom went on to use Simmental bulls over their British Breed cows.
The breed is known under a few different names; mainly Simmental, but in Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and Uruguay it is referred to as Fleckvieh and in South Africa and Namibia by Simmentaler.
Their colour can vary from gold to red patches on a white background. The head is white with pigment around the eyes, which helps to reduce eye problems that can occur from bright sunlight. However, in America, most Simmental are black or red.
They are a dual-purpose breed, with generations of selective breeding to maximise milk and meat production at a minimum cost. With their heavy muscling, strong boned, long body and superior liveweight gain and size, they are bred all over the world for their high beef yields, producing solid red meat with minimum fat.
Another docile beef breed, they are known for their ease of calving and excellent mothering ability with young calves growing fast and maturing early.
Other great characteristics are their good grazing ability and excellent feed conversion.
They have become a very successful and popular breed when used with crossbreeding, both for milking cows and beef production. By crossbreeding, the farmer gets an animal that gives good growth and a large frame, giving a better beef yield to its crossbred progeny, whilst also helping to improve the quality of the meat.
There are 45 registered Simmental studs in New Zealand and the breed is the third ranked for registered stud females in the country.
