I know they can pack way the food pretty good, but they don't need a lot of high quality food, just a lot of food... the swiss alps where they come from have very few legumes, and it's mostly grasses... A neighbouring rancher had simm cross cows, and he'd kick them out onto the range, they were awsome and keeping track of where their calf was, and neither hell nor high water could keep the mother from getting back to her calf, and they averaged 700 lbs when they came home... and most of the range was bunchgrass... As for calving ease, I think they got a lot of bad rep when they got bred to the herefords, which have mediocre maternal calving ease at best, and just looking at the size of the cows should tell you that's not going to work (St Bernard on a chihuahua anyone?)... If you stack a simm bull on a cow relatively close to the same size (Simm, Saler, Shorthorn perhaps?) you probably won't have much trouble. I just don't like the idea that today's simmentals are completely unrecognizable from what they were, and that the (original) breed may be lost. All my cows are around frame 6-7, and I expect them to be capable of having a 120 lb calf by their 3rd calf without me having to worry. I do like a smaller calf from a heifer, but 90 lbs shouldn't be problematic for her either
As for the brown swiss, The same thing worries me, that the original breed will be lost while they are bred to be pure dairy cows, where production is the only criteria and the look of a beautiful animal is way down the list.
The bell? She must be one of the lead cows, and must be pretty old too, I found that picture online somewhere, I do remember the people said they were touring switzerland.