Would you be interested in this breed?

[bivol]

hi!

[IMG]http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/n564/planinac/IvicaFraniudrutvuAgadvogodinjegbikalikebue.jpg?t=1299422965[/IMG]
a breeder i dont know woth a busa coe. a good comparison of the size.

i’m doing a semminar about busa cattle, a small indigenous cattle breed from balkans.

in the semminary i am asked to write about ways to solve the problem of having a sustainable population of busa, and to make them economically viable.

i intend to write about brands and upscale products, these strategies seem very popular in the moment, but they depend on consumer power, something that is not guaranteed in my country.

the current conservation policy is utterly dependent upon state subsidies for raising these cattle, but of the money should run dry, the future would look bleek indeed.
the population is low and at the moment stable.

so, as one of feedback tactics, i came up with the idea to export of a certain number of animals abroad, for the purpose of securing genetic material in case something should happen here and cause the extinction of this ancient breed here.

FACTS ABOUT BUSA CATTLE

very small sized, alert, disease resistant cattle.
it is a late breed, the first jump being allowed in 2 years of age, and can live up to 20 years.
they have no calving problems, calves weighting 30 pounds (15 kilos) at birth.
give 4-9 liters of milk daily, with around 4 to 6% butterfat.
lactations in the past recorded 700 to 800 liters, but sometimes up to 2000 liters of milk in one lactation of about 8 months, if the cows were well fed.
it’s well accustomed to adverse climate, from scorching sun to heavy snow and drought.
it’s very agile on rocks and steep slopes, and ideal for using small or steep pastures.

hight – cows 110 cm at whitters
bulls 120 cm

weight – cows 500 pounds, or 200 kilos
bulls 700 pounds, or 350 kilos

they are said to be compared more to goats than to cattle when it comes to food consumption.
one good point is their great resistance to all kinds of deseases, malnourishment,
it’s not as heavy or muscular as dexter, it is leaner. and it will give milk, while i heard dexters won’t always do.
in summertime they will both graze and forage on shrubs and tres, and in wintertime can be kept on straw and corn straw, or outside, if the snow isn’t too deep.
very good adaptation ability and resistance are its most prominent traits.

“bad points”:

it’s not as calm as, say, a holstein, it’s an alert little cow, but it can and is regulary is tamed, to be milked.

it has a low weight and little meat.

the question is: would there be enough interested people outside Croatia in raising this breed?

it is a hypothetical question, i dont expect anyone to burden this. in fact, export is baned at the moment, but still i’d like to export a portion of them as a safety procedure.
i’d like to have your oppinions so i know what to say should i open this option in the semminary.

would this breed be attractive in other countries, esp. when you already have Dexters and Jersey cattle?

do you know of any strategies of breed conservation in your country?

thanks for your feedback!

[mother katherine]

Bivol,
What a good idea! There is the American livestock Breed Conservancy. They have a website.
Another possibility is International Cow Protection (ISCOWP) They have awebsite. These people have devotees in Ukraine and Serbia, among other places. They, too, have a website at US headquarters. William Dove is the president and just returned from your area.
If it works out with all the legalities of transporting semen and so forth across borders, I’d love an old “primitive” breed like this. Wouldn’t my Serbian friends be surprised – and, maybe a little homesick. They call me Goveditsa.
oxnun

[CharlyBonifaz]

another argument: epidemics
if you loose your small population to -let’s say- FMD, it would be extremely helpful to have a few cattle of the breed up your sleeve somewhere else

[jac]

Hi Bivol… you should be in charge of something , because you come up with ideas that would help countries.. the busa seems like a small holders dream. Scotland is a wet country and these small cattle would be ideal I think… our cattle are generally large and thus are heavy on the soil..
John

[FELLMAN]

They look a bit like a small Jersey that we have over here but i think the Busa look as if they will be a lot hardier than the Jersey cow

[Joshua Kingsley]

They look like the cattle that I was trying to create in the late 90’s as a small homestead cow. I would love the ablility to have animals like this here in Vermont.
Joshua

[Scyther]

As other have said, they are marked like a Jersey. Their build seems similar to them also, but about 1/2 -2/3 the weight. It is hard to predict what breeds will be popular when introduced to a new area. Sufficient genetic diversity and affordable priced breeding stock often become a limiting factor to a new breeds success. Look at how slow the growth of the Dexter breed has been in this country. Without traditional commercial acceptance it’s tough to build a large base population. I hope that interest in the breed in it’s native area and those areas close by will revive though. As a “homestead type breed” I would think it’s future success will be linked to the small farm/ homestead movement in that part of the world. If people return to the land to feed themselves on small holdings having a native breed in place should be a benefit. Good luck.

[bivol]

hi everyone!

thank you for your input!
Oxnun, will check on that, thanks! p.s. an alternative name could be: volaritsa (volar =ox drover)

Charlie, busa are extremely resitant to desease, and are kept in relativelly small herds throughout the range. i wouldn’t worry about epidemiocs this much – i’m worried if the state subsidies stop -and there’s a possibility they will, there’as a chronic lack of cash for everything. this is what worries me i have to find some way so it pays off to keep them… maybe de-taxing them?
another problem people here simply wont take up farming or livestock keeping, even if they live in the countryside – too bothersome (no comment…)

John, yes, it actually was a smallholders cow (EVERYONE was a smallholder back then), and i’m wondering how to reanimate it… maybe putting all the busa keepers on one spot on the net, so anyone with interest would be able to quickly know who has what for sale.
also, free advertisment in the papers could help.

Scyther, no cattle breed i know is this modest in food consumption. and they do make good use of marginal lands. if someone would be bothered by a goat’s antics, maybe this would be good…

about export… maybe one could export semen and AI jersey cows. crosses would, with any luck, have the best of both – more milk than a busa, but still heavier and more rugged build and greater resistance than jersey.
they could well be more worth than exporting pure bred animal….

[Nat(wasIxy)]

Jerseys are hardy! I think people get mistaken because they look so deer-like but they are tough little cows (or at least, the british ones are). They calve to anything, have good feet, heat tolerant and cold tolerant down to -20C. The calves are the most lively I’ve reared. Ours live out like all our cattle do and never give us a problem.

As for busas – here dexters are the bulk of our business and they are the smallest native breed. Customers love the meat because it’s fine grained and in joints more like what today’s smaller family needs – we get a lot of business from young couples and pensioners who only need to feed one or two people at a time. It’s also easier for us to respond to demand because we can keep more beef ‘on the hoof’ rather than in the freezer.

[Author]

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