Schwyz cattle

Schwyz cattle. A breed of dairy and meat cattle developed from original brown shorthorn cattle in the Schwyz canton of Switzerland, introduced in Ukraine at the end of the 19th century to improve local stock. Adult males weigh 800–950 kg; females weigh 550–600 kg and yield 4,000–4,500 kg of milk annually. The animals are colored light gray to dark brown and have characteristic white patches along the upper torso and around the nose. By means of crossing with local cattle new breeds were developed in Ukraine—Lebedyn, Kostroma, and others.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 4 (1993).]