Alatau breed of cows – bred in the middle of the 20th century on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan as a result of an attempt to improve the Kyrgyz-Kazakh species by crossing it with bulls from Switzerland. The livestock is more than 800 cows.
Alatau breed of cows
History of the breed
This type of cow was bred in 1950 and named after a mountain range located near the original habitat. The experiments that led to the emergence of a new type of livestock began as early as 1904. Their goal was not to develop a new breed of cows, but to improve existing animals. The Kyrgyz-Kazakh species was hardy, easily adapted and gained weight, but it was only about 400 kg of them. These cows also had problems with milk production, reaching only 600 liters per lactation, although the resulting milk was fatty.
To improve the characteristics of weight and milk yield, at the beginning of the century, up to 5000 bulls from Switzerland were brought to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Their advantage was good adaptation to climatic changes, they could easily endure the hot mountain climate. The offspring obtained as a result of crossing were larger and more enduring than their parents, had a greater milk yield per lactation.
However, breeders went further, and soon began to cross the resulting offspring with cattle from the Kostroma region. So soon a species appeared, now known as the Alatau breed.
Description
The breed is distinguished by its low weight – in bulls it reaches 900 kilograms, and in cows – up to five hundred. They have a strong skeleton structure and a harmonious appearance, well-developed muscles.
The animal has a pronounced rectangular shape, a large and slightly rough head with an elongated muzzle, and a short neck of medium thickness. The chest of the cow is deep, with a developed dewlap. Widely spaced ribs, correctly set legs of medium length. Rounded udder of a cow with cylindrical teats. The milk veins are well developed, but not too visible on the body. In some representatives, in some cases, a drooping croup or a sweep of the front legs may occur.
It is important to consider that leg spacing may be associated with underfeeding the animal at a young age.
The main color of cows of the Alatau breed is brown, there are also red-brown and white-spotted cows.
Description of the representatives of the breed
Productivity characteristic
The Alatau breed is rightly considered one of the most productive subspecies of cattle. In this case, the following categories are taken into account, within which the productivity of an animal in agriculture is assessed:
- Dairy;
- Meat.
The first characteristic may differ depending on the conditions of detention and ancestral lines, but usually milk yield reaches 4 tons of milk with a fat content of up to 4 percent per lactation. Such a high fat content of milk is achieved in lines of animals weighing up to 600 kilograms. A number of cases have been registered when a cow gave 10 tons of milk in one lactation.
Alatau breed also has good meat performance. The weight of adult females reaches 600 kilograms, and male – from eight hundred to 1 ton. Castrated young animals can gain a lot of weight. The slaughter yield of quality meat from each carcass is more than half, after fattening – more than 60 percent.
Advantages of the Alatau breed
Being descendants of Kyrgyz-Kazakh cows, Swiss and Kostroma bulls, representatives of the Alatau breed have inherited many positive qualities. The main advantages of individuals of this species are that they:
- adapt to changing weather and climatic conditions;
- gain weight even on pasture;
- have a balanced and peaceful character;
- provide high-fat milk and high-quality meat.
These advantages distinguish it from all the others, so representatives of this type of livestock have gained worldwide popularity not only on large farms, but also in home use.
