Simmental or Holstein? Choosing the right breed for your herd
Milk, meat, or both? Production type, origin and farm setup decide the right breed.
Choosing a bull is one of the most important decisions for your herd's performance in the coming years. There is no single "best breed": the right one depends on your goals and conditions.
Start with your goal
- Milk first: Holstein and Red Holstein are known for high milk yield.
- Milk and meat in balance: Simmental is a dual-purpose breed often chosen by farms that want both.
- Beef focus: Limousin and Charolais stand out for growth performance and carcass quality.
Read the production type
In the Selfarma catalogue every bull is marked with a production type (milk, beef or dual-purpose). Filter by the type that matches your goal first, then compare the bulls within it.
Origin and adaptation
Imported bulls come with world-class production indexes. Domestic bulls stand out for their adaptation to the local climate and care conditions. Rather than ranking one above the other, judge each by what your herd needs.
Compare the indexes side by side
Most values on a bull's card are given against an average of 100. Look at the total breeding value, milk value and fitness together. For details, see our article How to read bull index values.
Polled bulls
Bulls with polled genetics are preferred by farms that aim for polled calves. Use the "Polled" filter in the catalogue to see them separately.
When deciding
- Write down your herd's current strengths and weaknesses.
- Define the production type and traits you need.
- Make the final decision together with your veterinarian or insemination specialist.
Browse our bull catalogue, where you can filter by breed, origin and production type, and write to us with any questions.